Additional Information from Movie Mars
Product Description
Personnel: Frank Zappa (vocals, guitar, percussion); Sal Marquez (vocals, trumpet, brass); George Duke (vocals, keyboards); Janet Neville-Ferguson (vocals); Tony Duran (guitar); Mike Altschul, Earl Dumler, Tony "Bat Man" Ortega, Joanne Caldwell McNabb, Johnny Rotella, Fred Jackson, Joel Peskin (woodwinds); Ernie Watts (saxophone); Bill Byers, Ken Shroyer (trombone); Malcolm McNabb, Ernie Tack (brass); Don Preston (Mini-Moog synthesizer); Erroneous (bass); Aynsley Dunbar (drums); Bob Zimmitti, Alan Estes, Lee Clement (percussion).
Recorded at Paramount Studios, Hollywood, California.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Recording information: Paramount Studios, Hollywood, CA.
Photographers: Ed Caraeff; Tony Esparza; Barry Feinstein.
Arranger: Frank Zappa.
This album appeared within the same year as WAKA/JAWAKA and continued Zappa's exploration of the possibilities for composing and arranging material for a big band with a hefty brass and reed section. Both albums were produced during the period in which he was recuperating from injuries sustained when he was thrown from the stage during a London concert the year before. THE GRAND WAZOO still sounds like a fresh and equal marriage of Zappa's already developed and apparent musical sensibilities with large ensemble jazz writing. The couple vocal numbers utilize the singing as another melodic line, and are knitted into the whole fabric rather than laying on top.
Unfortunately, after this pair of 1972 albums, Zappa never revisited this particular approach again--his touring bands were never on this scale and his large-scale writing was directed towards orchestras.
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