Zappa.com

Current Shows
Saratoga Springs, NY
Springfield, Mass
Canandaigua, NY
Rochester Hills, NY
Cleveland, OH
Milwaukee, WI
Huber Heights, OH
Holmdel, NJ
Philadelphia, PA
New Haven, CT
Boston, MASS
Washington, D.C

Hi Res Audio
24-Bit
48.0 kHz - Stereo

https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/interpreter/the-zappa-band/download-streaming-albums

The Zappa Band Live Albums Press Release
Shore Fire Media

https://shorefire.com/releases/entry/qo ... bit-hi-res

Edit Note
(Speration of commentary from initial thread)

The evolution of The Zappa Band is moving along nicely. Over the last several years I have been fortunate to see 17 shows in the NY Metro area and California. The ongoing QoBuz releases (Saratoga Springs released 08/30/21, 3 new ones today 09/20/21, more on the way) from the 2021 King Crimson Music is our Friend tour is a Hi-Fi sampling of what the band has brought to the live stage since they first played their 1st public The Bizarre World of Frank Zappa Friends and Family Hologram show in April of 2017 at The Capital Theater in Port Chester, NY.

While these Music is our Friend Tour shows were limited to approximately 45 minutes, each night fans in attendance got to hear 10 of the 11 songs the band brought to the stage. For some shows King Crimson Members Jeremy Stacey, Gavin Harrison and Jakko Jaksyzk sat in with The Zappa Band.

For fans that have seen other tours and extended engagement shows when the band headlined, the band and fans had an opportunity to dig deeper in Frank Zappa's Canon. The upcoming 8 show Halloween engagement at The Baked Potato will be another opportunity for the band, guests and fans to explore.

These QoBuz Hd Audio live recordings give fans in less fortunate parts of the world a fine opportunity to get a glimpse at The Zappa Band. For those that were there, you know the drill ZAPPA.....ZAPPA....

As I dwindle off into listening to these shows I ponder 2 concepts for Official Zappa Podcasts

1) A show focusing on all the arrangements The Zappa band has done.
2) A show celebrating 50 Official Zappa releases Joe Travers has Produced(#70-#120).

It's Halloween. Fans can celebrate.
Music Is Our Friend
Music IS The Best

"What a fantastic band!" Gavin Harrison King Crimson

I like that they've even created venue/region specific covers for these. What a great band.

Cleveland and Milwaukee shows now being added.

Oct 1 releases

Huber Heights, OH
Holmdel, NJ

I believe these both feature a guest appearance by KC drummer Jeremy Stacey (on Village Of The Sun).

_________________
Out now: FZ88 - a visual documentary of Zappa's final tour
https://linktr.ee/idiotbastard

Lo Siento ... While Holmdel, NJ does indeed have Jeremey Stacey as a guest on drums for Village Of The Sun it does not sound as if Jeremy Stacey appeared as a guest at Huber Heights, OH.

Two obvious audio items could que a listener.

1) An announcement during the transition of What's New In Baltimore into Village Of The Sun

2) In the transition of Village Of The Sun into Echidna's Arf(Of You), as Joe Travers walks back to his Chromezilla Drum Kit he plays cymbals standing while he and Jeremy swap out their position on Joe Travers Drum stool. Musical Chromezilla chairs, so to speak.

Having attended the Holmdell show, I can attest to a 3rd level of confirmation. As I have not yet had an opportunity to see the liner notes for Holmdel, NJ I can offer the above clarification at this time.

Hearing both these drummers play Chromezilla was amazing. I believe Gavin Harrison also had a few opportunities to play Chromezilla along with The Zappa Band at some shows I was not able to attend.

Enjoy

Absolutely brilliant news. I'll be sure to grab all these new shows I don't yet have(have not yet heard.)

So wonderful to see. Look forward to hearing the new performances. Thank you all so much for sharing.

Speaking of sharing, Jim Milton of Home Theater HiFi wrote an interesting review of The Zappa Band recording from SPAC.

In where Jim states " the performances of classic Zappa fare are absolutely top-notch. And the plus is that the recording quality of this album is even better than those FZ live albums of yore and Frank was a stickler for recording fidelity"

https://hometheaterhifi.com/features/what-we-are-listening-to/what-were-listening-to-vol-21-september-2021/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Front of House with no post production and they do indeed sound amazing. You can hear differences from show to show. What's clear is the level of musicianship and integrity in the work.

City Of Tiny Lights is a fine example where in each performance the band soundscape can be heard from delicate elements to rocket thrusters.

It's been reported that the band only had a few days of rehearsal before playing with King Crimson. Just how good these 11 compositions sound is quite remarkable. It's easy to want recordings of this quality from all the Hologram and Sans Hologram Zappa Band Shows but anyone with open ears can hear the level of detail in these arrangements.

In the limitations of 11 arrangements the musicianship was very balanced. If folks can not dissect what musicians are getting solos or making a clear distinction of who is playing a guitar or keyboard line there are a few videos that help with some of the arrangements.

Being that this a journey from town to town I hope that at some point the band members can revisit these tapes and expand upon their role in each composition. I may have mentioned this but much like those Classic Album TV series, where they pull up the masters and isolate tracks. It would be great to get each band member involved in that treatment. With the 200 Motels 50th Anniversary and 8 show run at The Baked Potato I just don't know how feasible that is at this time, the concept is key, where these 11 arrangements certainly deserve a closer look and listen.

We can only hope that time allows for the band to continue to bring more to the stage and have more recordings. The promotion for the Halloween shows is very promising.

Apparently Jim Milton of Home Theater HiFi is as deaf as a post. These are unmixed board recordings. To indicate that these are superior in fidelity to an actual FZ-produced release is delusional to the point of mental illness.

These are excellent soundboard recordings of excellent performances, no argument there. However, to claim that they are anything more than that is not supported by reality.

It depends on what aspects of the recording or mix one is listening for. While the FOH Zappa Band recordings may have some given elements that could be mixed for clarity of given tracks in the mix, or where studio overdubs or edits from show to show have a long tradition, in regards to the overall sound of The Zappa Band, in comparison to some Frank Zappa recordings, The Zappa Band sounds better.

Oct 6, 2021 Releases
Philadelphia, PA
New Haven, CT
Boston, MASS
Washington, D.C.

The Washington show features guest appearances by both Gavin Harrison and Jakko Jakszyk of King Crimson, on What's New In Baltimore? (Sadly, the booklet neither mentions this nor even lists the track.)

_________________
Out now: FZ88 - a visual documentary of Zappa's final tour
https://linktr.ee/idiotbastard

Credit is given directly in the digital playlist. If you hit the information button when playing the track all credits are listed, including the Zappa Band Main Artist and guest members, Gavin Harrison and Jakko Jakszy appearing courtesy of King Crimson, featured artists.

I'd love to pay and stream it, but it is way prohibitive, since the economy ministry of Brazil had to devalue our money so his $$$ dollars on Virgin Islands Off Shore can raise his investments by 40% (as revealed by the Pandora Papers).

_________________

Check if this promotion applies to streaming from Brazil

Post subject: The Zappa Band QoBuz Promotion

QoBuz has offered a 3 Month Trial for The Zappa Band fans.... Enjoy
https://try.qobuz.com/thezappaband-3mo/ ... aband-3-mo

Many thanks.

It won't take Brazilians (could try to bypass with a vee pee en). We're total pariah...

_________________

Interesting...

It most likely has to do with licensing issues, which are pretty territorial, but it the end it boils down to the financial meltdown we're going through under one of the most shameful gov'ts in the 21st Century, along your defunct Trump admin.

_________________