A Tribute to Frankie for Jazz Ensemble

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“The modern day composer refuses to die” ~ Edgard Varese. This is a quote that Frank Zappa lived by throughout his life as a composer. Zappa is one of my main influences for composing music. He is probably one of the most eclectic musical figures that has ever lived. He went from nearly starving to death in Cucamonga, CA trying to make ends meet by playing gigs with his incredibly unpopular and unorthodox band “The Mother’s of Invention,” to having his compositions played and recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra. In 1992 he was asked, when he first started composing, if he could hear the music in his head as he wrote it down. Zappa replied with, “Absolutely not! I didn’t have the faintest f***ing idea of what it sounded like. I mean, I was so ignorant. I thought that all you did was you got an idea for the way it looked, you drew it, and then you found a musician who could read it – and that’s how you did it.” His some sixty albums made before his death in 1993 can attest to his perseverance and passion for his music. The bands that Zappa formed yielded some of the most renowned instrumentalists in the world through his strict rehearsal ethic and desire to achieve technical perfection in his music. In the late seventies Zappa made several appearances with his band on the hit comedy show Saturday Night Live. It was these appearances that inspired me to write this tribute to him. At this stage in his life he began experimenting with more Avante Garde Jazz compositions so it is only fitting that I do the same. Zappa’s bands were also known for their crazy antics on stage as well as their extreme technical precision. With that said, enjoy!

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