Review by Shawn Perry
Dweezil Zappa Photo by Ron Lyon
The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles is renowned for staging some of the most spectacular concerts in history. The venue plays host to a myriad of musical stylists — from folk artists to pop and rock singers to country bands to Latin dancing troupes to you name it — but tonight it seemed like the Greek was built for jazz.
Now, when I say “jazz,” I’m not talking about the lazy gravy they churn out on the smooth, easy-listening radio stations, nor am I talking about Big Band, Swing, Be-Bop, or any such variation that was popular before the 60s. No, I’m talking about modern jazz-fusion, i.e., jazz with rock overtones for a truly intoxicating mix of progressive virtuosity crossed with titillating grunts and grooves. Miles Davis inadvertently invented it in the late 60s. With Weather Report and Mahavishnu Orchestra no longer on the circuit, who else but Return To Forever could carry the torch?
The classic lineup of Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White and Al DiMeola reunited for a 2008 tour, after a three decade absence. This time around, DiMeola has been replaced by Frank Gambale, a GIT shredder with a delicate touch — perfect for what turned out to be an intriguing mix of light and lofty.
First up, however, was Zappa Plays Zappa, whose been opening for RTF on this tour. The eight-piece ensemble led by Dweezil Zappa continues to walk the tight rope that is Frank Zappa’s catalog. This was my fourth time seeing the band, and they seem to be more engaging at each turn. The focus remained mostly on FZ’s early to mid 70s material, with a huge chunk of 1973’s seminal Apostrophe filling out the 70-minute set at the Greek.
Next to Dweezil, the spotlight followed the wild and crazy antics of the ever-talented Ben Thomas. Not only can the guy sing and enunciate Zappa’s inanely, touch-in-cheek lyrics, but his moves, especially during “Dancin’ Fool,” are immortal. And when he wasn’t singing, at one point handing the mic over to drummer Joe Traver’s tech, he was playing woodwinds of one sort or another — the flute to the whistle to whatever inanimate object he could wrap his mouth around and blow into.
Dweezil continues to develop as an ace-in-the-hole guitarist. The double fuzz tone he was getting out of his SG shook the floorboards; his refined lead work practically picks up from where Frank’s somewhat erratic style left off. When Chick Corea came on stage for “King Kong,” Zappa traded licks with the master without batting an arpeggio. Too bad Jean Luc-Ponty, who was joining RTF later, wasn’t included for “King Kong,” a piece the French violinist recorded in the early 70s.
The big finish of “Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow,” “Nanook Rubs It,” “St. Alfonzo’s Pancake Breakfast,” with a pinch of “Rollo,” was a captivating, wacky stroll through the mad genius of Frank Zappa. There are few tribute bands as true to the genuine article as this. With a wealth of music at their disposal, one can only speculate as to the possibilities.
A littler after 9:00, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, an avowed jazz fan, came out and introduced Return To Forever. The musicians took their places and commenced to play “Medieval Overture” from RTF’s 1976 Romantic Warrior album. “Senor Mouse” had Clarke “slappin’ de” bass while Ponty manned the Rhodes. A simple set-up and the psychedelic swirls on the backdrop created an environment of intimacy and spontaneity.
There were instances when it would have been cool to have DiMeola’s cutting, fluent style, but Gambale filled the gaps well and occasionally pushed the envelope for a little exploratory soloing. Corea and Ponty wrestled the notes into the extended jams surrounding “Sorceress” and “Shadow Of Lo,” and all was good with the world.
Much of the evening was more on the “unplugged” side with Corea behind a grand, Gambale on a six-string, Clarke on the stand-up, White on the brushes and Ponty, as always, on violin. They sailed through Ponty’s “Renaissance” and Clarke rattled and shook the oversize fretless bass like an unarmed intruder.
White stepped up at one point and addressed the audience, saying it was important to appreciate the music they were playing. “We have no hits and no video on MTV, but you all came out!” he exclaimed to a rousing ovation.
From “After the Cosmic Rain” to “Romantic Warrior” with a set-closing “Spain,” you could never help but feel transported by the vibrancy and execution of these musicians. Corea lightened things up at one point, playing easy little licks and inviting the audience to respond back, which they did without reserve. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar returned to the stage and teased the crowd. “You have a lot of nerve to sing along…”
For an encore of Clarke’s classic “School Days,” Dweezil Zappa joined in and jumped into the fire with Gambale and Clarke leading the way. As one of the last shows of the Greek’s official summer season (meaning the curfew is now 10:00 for the remaining shows), it just doesn’t get any sweeter than seeing top players playing a world-class stage and living up to everyone’s expectations. With Return To Forever, I never had any doubts.
