Waka/Wazoo


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. 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.

Content

The first two discs consist of alternate takes, alternate mixes, and outtakes of songs from Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo. The third disc consists of demo material of jazz keyboardist and band member at the time George Duke, an unreleased September 24 recording of the piece "Approximate" at the Boston Music Hall from the Grand Wazoo tour, and the first two tracks of a nearly complete show recorded during the Petit Wazoo tour. The fourth disc consists of the remainder of this show. Also included in the set is a Blu-ray Audio disc containing various higher quality mixes of Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo.

Personnel

Paramount Studios Recording Sessions

Frank Zappa - guitar, conductor, vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion, electric bed springs Aynsley Dunbar - drums, washboard and tambourine Alex Dmochowski - bass, vocals, fuzz bass Sal Marquez - trumpet ", "For Calvin, brass, vocals Tony Duran - slide guitar ", "For Calvin, vocals, rhythm guitar George Duke - keyboards, ring modulated and echoplexed electric piano, tack piano Mike Altschul - woodwinds ", "For Calvin, baritone saxophone and piccolo, bass flute, bass clarinet and tenor sax Kenny Shroyer - brass ", "For Calvin, trombone, baritone horn Billy Byers - trombone ", "For Calvin, baritone horn Don Preston - minimoog, piano Malcolm McNab - brass ", "For Calvin Ernie Tack - brass ", "For Calvin Tony "Batman" Ortega - woodwinds ", "For Calvin Earl Dumler - woodwinds ", "For Calvin Fred Jackson - woodwinds ", "For Calvin Joann Caldwell McNab - woodwinds ", "For Calvin Joel Peskin - woodwinds Alan Estes - percussion ", "For Calvin Bob Zimmitti - percussion ", "For Calvin Lee Clement - percussion Kris Peterson - vocals Janet Furgeson - vocals Jeff Simmons - hawaiian guitar Sneaky Pete Kleinow - pedal steel guitar Lauren Wood - vocals

George Duke Demos

George Duke - keyboards, vocalsAynsley Dunbar - drumsAlex Dmochowski - bassFrank Zappa - guitarSal Marquez - trumpetLauren Wood - vocalsTony "Batman" Ortega - woodwinds Earl Dumler - woodwinds Joel Peskin - woodwinds Mike Altschul - woodwinds Bob Zimmitti - percussion Emil Richards - percussion

The Grand Wazoo - Live

Frank Zappa - conductor, guitarSal Marquez - trumpet in BbBruce Fowler - tromboneTony Duran - slide guitarDave Parlato - bassJim Gordon - drumsIan Underwood – electric piano and synthesizerRuth Underwood - marimba and percussionTom Raney - vibes and percussionGlen Ferris - trombone and euphoniumKenny Shroyer - trombone and baritone hornTom Malone - trumpet in Bb, tubaMalcolm McNab - trumpet in DJerry Kessler - celloJay Migliori – flute, tenor sax and other windsMike Altshul – piccolo flute, bass clarinet and other windsRay Reed – clarinet, tenor sax and other windsCharles Owens – soprano sax, alto sax and other windsJoann McNab – bassoonEarl Dumler - oboe, contrabass sarrusophone and other winds

10-Piece/Petite Wazoo – Live

Frank Zappa - conductor, guitar, vocalsBruce Fowler - tromboneTony Duran - slide guitarJim Gordon - drumsDave Parlato - bassGary Barone - trumpetGlen Ferris - tromboneKenny Shroyer - tromboneMalcolm McNab - trumpetTom Malone - tuba, piccolo trumpet, trumpetEarl Dumler - woodwinds

Production Staff

  • Producer: Ahmet Zappa, Joe Travers, Jeff Fura
  • Production Manager: Melanie Starks
  • Engineer : Barry Keene
  • Engineer : Davey Moire
  • Mixed by: Craig Parker Adams, Erich Gobel, Karma Auger, John Polito
  • Mastered By: John Polito
  • Mastered By : Robert Hadley, Sangwook "Sunny" Nam, Doug Sax
  • Art Direction, Design: Michael Mesker
  • Artwork, Typography : Cal Schenkel
  • Authoring, Design : Meedja
  • Liner Notes: Joe Travers, Scott Parker
  • Transferred By: Joe Travers