Zappa Inprovisation
By Herb Nolan
It may have been one of the most unusual down beat award presentations in the recent history of such events.
The award "ceremony" involved the presentation of the Pop Musician of the Year award to Frank Zappa and the Best Violinist award to Jean-Luc Ponty made by managing editor James P. Schaffer.
Zappa, however, had no intention of letting this be an ordinary affair. As Schaffer came on the stage at Chicago’s Auditorium Theater where Zappa and the Mothers of Invention were beginning a three-hour concert, they improvised what might best be described as "music to receive plaques by." [1]
Urging the down beat managing editor to do some dancing, Zappa and the Mothers created electronic sound effects and offered banal melodies to accompany Schaffer’s presentation. Schaffer, incidently, contributed a shuffle and some knee bends.
In addition to Ponty and Zappa, the Mothers included Ian Underwood, reeds; Ruth Underwood, percussion (marimba and vibes); Ralph Humphrey, drums; Sal Marquez, trumpet; George Duke, synthesizer and keyboards; Tom Fowler, bass; and Bruce Fowler, trombone. The band is dynamite!
1. The concert took place on 16 May 1973. The setlist.
Listen to the recording of this incident:
Zappa/Mothers - Dog Meat/Down Beat Award Ceremony Ballet
