The Zig Gazette

The Zig Gazette

Vol. 7 #23

The Zigs’ website is TheZigsBand.com

We are also on MySpace/thezigsband

The Zigs are: Jim Ziegler, Bill Raffensperger,

Frank McPeters, Jim Downing

Saturday: Karrie’s Kaboose Vinita OK

Magic Circle

We had a great time again at The Magic Circle neighborhood block party, spearheaded by David Kelly.

It opened with the Pledge, a prayer and God Bless America sung by David’s wife and daughter.

We also had an intermission act. The Earthmen sat in. These are young players who were doing old rock and roll; Beatles and doo-wop. Hey, these songs are older than your parents! (We should know)

We also saw Steve Gosnell, longtime Tulsa drummer who did this same gig with The Fabulous Fleshtones five years running. Steve lives in the neighborhood. The Wayback Machine also brought out Wally Wallingford, best know as a bassist about town. Don Baker was there and Zig played one of his fancy customized guitars on “Walk Of Life”. See android-originals.com.

Did you know there is another musician Bill Davis? The other Bill Davis was at the party. He’s the guy who with partner Dale Watts started Derrick Studios out at Pine & Harvard about 1870. They had a popular band called Grenada also. It’s where the Marble Phrogg album was recorded. Hank Thompson recorded there, as did Don White and John LeVan. It’s also where Downing did his first original studio recordings. It was later Sunset West, and is now a parking lot.

Saturday: Karrie’s Kaboose Vinita OK

Gazintas

George Barton writes: “I remember that Windbreakers gig. Or do I? I drunk laughed so hard, I was in pain.” This was in reference to the bar owner giving us 100 rattlesnakes as an excuse to fire us. I think my passing out on the Hammond was the deal-breaker.

But I recall the Sweatband. They never dozed off on gigs. Two of them would shoot crank before the gig and then split a fifth of Jack to ‘take the edge off’. So then you have lots of energy, and you’re feeling no pain. Of course, this only works the first few dozen times you do it, then it hews to the law of diminishing returns. One of those guys is dead and the other is not quite dead.

Flotsam

Tommy Crook has been elected to The Oklahoma Music Hall Of Fame. There is justice in this world. Crook is not even technically famous, except to us lucky enough to have heard him. In the national musical community he is well-known. Congratulations, Tom. Musicianship really does count, to us anyway.

Kevin Flint is now working at The Music Store. One wonders if he can actually sell new equipment – we’ll see. (Kevin ran Golden Pawn for many years) He’s a no BS, straight talking guy. Not too shabby on the bass either.

The Broken Arrow Anti-Tank Unit is being sent to Iraq. We wonder how many tanks those insurgents have. They must hide them very well.

Happy birthday to Tiny Bradshaw – “The Train Kept A-Rollin”

Saturday: Karrie’s Kaboose Vinita OK

Zig Movie Viewer¸¸¸

Apostrophe & Overnight Sensation is a new 2007 documentary about the making of these two of the most popular Frank Zappa albums. The same band played on the two records.

It features commentary from the whole Zappa family, George Duke, Steve Vai, Ian & Ruth Underwood, and many more.

Dweezil sits at a mixing board and shows us the layers of parts in some songs; even playing some parts that didn’t make it into the final mix. Did you know Tina Turner sang on “Dyna Moe Hum”?

“You can’t categorize what Frank did.” Says George Duke. ”He created his own genre called Zappa. It’s got everything in there. No rules. This wasn’t just joining a band. This was a commitment. We rehearsed six hours a day, five days a week.”

Zappa also wrote music constantly, and added to the songs while they were on the road. It’s often dense, mathematical and asymmetrical music that had to be played fast and memorized.

Dweezil: “For someone who doesn’t know Frank’s music, these two albums are a good place to start. They have all the elements; jazz, classical, rock, and of course, the humor.”

If you fancy yourself a big fan, we challenge you to read “The Negative Dialectics Of Poodle Play” by Ben Watson. Watson attempts to deconstruct Zappa musically and symbolically. He is at times remarkable insightful, and sometimes laughable. At 500 pages, it’ll keep you out of trouble for a while.

Saturday: Karrie’s Kaboose Vinita OK

Gazette Special Offer

You Gazette subscribers get a special deal. Come to a Zig gig, mention that you saw this in the Zig Gazette and get a Jukin’ At Joe’s CD for the heavily discounted price of a mere $5. While supplies last. The CD has already gone Zinc!

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