Over the past couple of years, Universal Music, inpartnership with the Zappa family, has been issuing multi-disc sets of archivalFrank Zappa concert recordings, compiling some of the late avant garde master’smost iconic performances. And, each timea new collection arrives it’s tempting to declare it the one: the definitive assemblage of Zappa and his ensemble ofmagnus musicians. Whether it was thecomprehensive box covering the Roxy stand of ’74 or the subsequent complete Halloween’77 residency in New York City, each gave freshly unearthed cause to argue thelatest was the greatest. Now, it’s the40th anniversary of Zappa inNew York that’s up for celebration and this is, at least for right now, the one.
The five-disc box takes over the top spot for one simplereason: “Black Napkins.” Morespecifically, the 25-minute version on disc four, and even more specifically,the solos from Eddie Jobson and Michael Brecker, on violin and saxophone, respectively. It’s that good; essential listening of whichany description cannot serve it justly. Just listen and rejoice.
The rest of the collection is sonically and sequentiallymarvelous. The proper album, released in1978 documenting the post-holiday December ’76 run in NYC featuring a one-offZappa cast of regulars and guests from the SaturdayNight Live band, is restored to its original vinyl mix. The subsequent discs include at least oneversion of every song performed during the multi-night tenure, each chosen forits exemplary nature; with some showing up multiple times. Additionally, there are some studio work-upsof the repertoire, including a Ruth Underwood solo tribute to “The Black Page#1, recorded in 2017.
As for the packaging, it’s functional and clever; each discin its own sleeve, with full-color pics and dates of performance, within a NewYork City manhole-styled cylindrical container; its film-canister shape alsowinking in honor of a man who kept thousands of tapes. The booklet, with a horde of new photographyfrom Zappa’s wife, Gail, and essays from band members Ray White and Underwood,as well as notes from Zappa’s Vaultmeister Joe Travers, capture the time, place,and legacy of these appearances with meticulous care, and love for theiroriginator.
Without the aforementioned “Black Napkins,” Zappa in NewYork is an absolutely gratifying acquisition. If only for “Black Napkins” it is an absolutely gratifyingacquisition. Together it becomes thenecessary obligation of any Zappa fan- of anyone seeking an irreversiblyaffecting musical experience- to get this now and enjoy it, until, and thenalongside, the next release likely, if the pattern continues, to emerge fromthe Vault and inevitably challenge it for the excelsior status of being the one.sdun
