Follow-up to FZ exchange

[Charles Barone]

>From Today's Washington Post:

ED PALERMO BIG BAND
                         "Big Band Zappa"
			 Astor Place

                         By Mike Joyce

                         Friday, June 13, 1997; Page N16
                         The Washington Post 

                         —

                         No doubt "Big Band Zappa" will come as a 
revelation to listeners who considered Frank Zappa nothing more than a 
rock 'n' roll oddity -- part maverick, part instigator, part farceur. But 
even fans familiar with the breadth and depth of his music -- and his 
even more wide-ranging musical interests -- are likely to view this album 
as an ear-opening experience.

                         This is truly a work of imagination, after all. 
In arranging Zappa's tunes for big band, alto-saxophonist and guitarist 
Ed Palermo has thrown new light on his legacy while retaining the 
composer's original melodic and harmonic designs. A case in point is 
Zappa's two-minute musical vignette, "Toads of the Short Forest." In
Palermo's expansive treatment, the piece initially comes across as
an airy, light-footed jazz waltz, whimsically punctuated by reeds
before undergoing a muscular and swinging transformation.

                         Likewise, "Twenty Small Cigars," another of 
Zappa's small melodic gems, glistens with new instrumentation, while 
"Abye Sea/Inca Roads" finds Palermo's band celebrating Zappa's     
baroque-to-blues sensibility and sly sense of humor. The       
arrangements also leave plenty of room for the band's gifted
soloists and guests. The latter include guitarist Mike Stern,
saxophonists Bob Mintzer and Chris Potter and vibist Dave           
Samuels.
                         Palermo and co-producer Bob Belden chose to 
leave out Zappa's lyrics, feeling it was better to focus on the musical 
possibilities. As entertaining as some of Zappa's commentaries are, it 
proved a wise decision. The music stands -- and frequently swings -- on 
its own.

                         Appearing Sunday at the Birchmere. To hear a 
free Sound Bite from the Ed Palermo Big Band, call Post-Haste at 
202/334-9000 and press 8107. (Prince William residents, call 690-4110.)