The album was recorded in 1972, a fantastic year for Frank Zappa musically. In April and May, he recorded two albums of ambitious, sophisticated, and witty jazz fusion – Waka/Jawaka (released July that year) and The Grand Wazoo, which hit shelves in November. The music itself is proof of Frank Zappa’s incredible creativity, but what makes his output that year truly remarkable is that he managed to write and record anything at all. Tony Duran - slide guitar ( "Your Mouth", "Big Swifty", "Think It Over (The Grand Wazoo)", "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)", "It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal"), vocals ( "It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal"), rhythm guitar ( "Blessed Relief") In 1972, FZ experimented with an “Electric Orchestra” concept which resulted in two albums: Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of this endeavor, Waka/Wazoo documents the recording sessions with outtakes & oddities. Also included is a live show from the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco on 12/15/72 + the unreleased FZ-produced George Duke demos. A Blu-ray Audio disc features both albums with brand-new Dolby Atmos & 5.1 mixes + the 96/24 high-res stereo remasters.

Mastered By [Hi-Res Stereo]: Robert Hadley ( Blu-ray Audio), Sangwook "Sunny" Nam ( Blu-ray Audio), Doug Sax ( Blu-ray Audio) INCLUDES COMPLETE, UNRELEASED “PETITE WAZOO” PERFORMANCE FROM WINTERLAND BALLROOM, 1972 AND ZAPPA-PRODUCED GEORGE DUKE DEMOS Even more elevating is the Dolby Atmos mix characterized by the creative use of space that richly and dynamically broaden the soundstage. Using of reverb, echo, and other effects, both audio engineers Karma Auger and Erich Gobels have ignited a sense of depth and dimension that draws the listener into the music. Careful attention has been given to the overall balance, allowing each instrument to have its own place in the mix that contributes to the overall atmosphere.In celebration of half a century of this pioneering phase of Zappa’s peerless career, the box set Waka/Wazoo — a five-disc multi-format box set that features a complete historical rundown of the entire project — is being release just ahead of what would have been the Maestro’s 82nd birthday. Produced by Ahmet Zappa and Travers, the comprehensive four-CD / Blu-Ray audio set boasts unreleased alternate takes of almost every composition recorded during the album sessions, Vault mix session outtakes and oddities, and also includes the full final show of the 10-piece tour, recorded at the famous Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco on Dec. 15, 1972. Additionally, the collection includes a set of demos for Duke’s solo material that Zappa produced and played guitar on during the album recording sessions at Paramount Studios. Although Duke would go on to re-record the compositions for his own albums, the versions with Zappa have never been officially issued until now. In celebration of half a century of the pioneering early 1970s phase of Frank Zappa’s peerless career, which resulted in the two albums, Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo, Zappa Records/UMe will be releasing Waka/Wazoo, a five-disc multi-format box set that features a complete historical rundown of the entire project, on December 16, just ahead of what would have been the Maestro’s 82nd birthday. Rehearsals started for the album recording sessions sometime in late March/early April and once the material was honed to his satisfaction, Zappa and crew decamped to Paramount Studios where recording began on April 10, 1972. By the end of the month, Zappa, who handled production, guitar and conducting duties, had recorded the bulk of two albums, the jazz-influenced Waka/Jawaka (intended by Zappa as a sequel to Hot Rats), recorded with a lineup of six to nine musicians, and the epic and ambitious jazz-fusion masterwork, The Grand Wazoo, recorded with a larger ensemble ranging from eight to as many as 20 musicians. In fact, Frank christened the ensemble The Grand Wazoo Orchestra and, by the end of April, he had the two albums – Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo in the can. Waka/Jawaka, recorded with a core of between six and nine musicians, was released on 5 th July 1972 as a Frank Zappa “solo” album, often considered to be the sequel to his 1969 tour-de-force, Hot Rats, and there’s certainly lots of evidence to justify that comparison; it’s jazzy, predominantly instrumental and laced with multiple time-signatures. Side One of the original album was given over to the mighty Big Swifty, a 17+ minute epic with some wonderful trumpet parts from Sal Marquez, whilst a real highlight of the album’s second side is the disquieting It Might Just Be a One Shot Deal, on which Sal shares vocals with Janet Ferguson and “Sneaky” Pete Kleinow – on loan from The Flying Burrito Brothers – adds atmospheric pedal steel.

The April 11 take of "Blessed Relief" is one of this collection's most glistening highlights. The soft, languid piece in waltz time lives up to its name, showcasing some particularly lovely playing from Marquez, burbling keys from Duke, and a slow-burning groove. The song would end up as a subtle respite on The Grand Wazoo. It's contrasted here by the freer jazz of "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)." This April 13 version has been cobbled together from remaining outtake source material, with its different sections not yet melded into a final form. Waka/Jawaka is previewed with an alternate take of The Grand Wazoo favorite “Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus” from Disc 2 that showcases the complexity of these compositions and the stunning musicianship.

DISC MULTI-FORMAT BOX SET FEATURES UNRELEASED ALTERNATE TAKES OF NEARLY EVERY SONG FROM HIS CLASSIC JAZZ-INFLUENCED ALBUMS, WAKA/JAWAKA AND THE GRAND WAZOO, TO COMMEMORATE 50TH ANNIVERSARY Waka/Wazoo” is a Comprehensive 4-CD + Blu-ray Audio box set celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Mothers Of Invention/Hot Rats/Grand Wazoo experience from 1972. Waka/Wazoo is a boxset by Frank Zappa, released posthumously on December 16, 2022. It is a 4CD/1-Blu-ray set composed of various material recorded in 1972, during a period when Zappa was forced away from live performances due to injuries sustained during a concert on December 10, 1971. [1] This includes recordings from the same Paramount Studios sessions which birthed the albums Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo, and live material from the following tours of the same year. [2] Content [ edit ] Matrix / Runout (Disc 1): 4859459 [2 x Universal Logo] AM83835-01 manufactured by optimal media GmbH

Earl Dumler - woodwinds ( "Think It Over (The Grand Wazoo)", "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)") After all was said and done, Zappa finished the experiment with two albums in the can – Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo – plus two tours and an archive of show masters in his Vault. It was a monumental feat for a guy with a cast on his leg and a conductor’s baton in his hand. Sal Marquez - trumpet ( "Your Mouth", "Big Swifty", "Think It Over (The Grand Wazoo)", "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)", "Waka/Jawaka", "It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal"), brass ( "Eat That Question", "Blessed Relief", "Cleetus Awreetus-Awrightus"), vocals ( "Your Mouth", "For Calvin (And His Next Two Hitch-Hikers)", "It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal") Following are some of my first reflections on fun details I heard while listening to each of the albums, mostly in Dolby Atmos. Please note that these are first impressions and I reserve the right to alter/update my perspective upon subsequent listens (as I ask myself: “Did I really hear what I thought I heard?”). Navigation screen for The Grand Wazoo on the Waka/Wazoo Blu-ray Disc Zappa planned that following the Waka/Wazoo sessions, a touring version of what he dubbed the “Mothers of Invention/Hot Rats/Grand Wazoo” would perform a short eight-date tour in September of 1972. As Travers writes in the illuminating liner notes, “once the Wazoo project was set in motion, the first thing Frank did was hire Kenny Shroyer to help enlist and contract the musicians. 20 of them were eventually hired, and new musical relationships were created.

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