ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hEBpg5B03fE.html and ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dIh0cgDr-W4.html More George Duke....
A couple years before his passing I saw george in a duet show with Stanley Clarke at the carefree theatre in West Palm Beach Florida. I screamed out “Inca Roads”. He stopped and said “you all don’t remember that”. I screamed “yes we do”. He played about ten minutes of Zappa and directed Clarke on the structure cuz Stanley said he didn’t know any of it. Thanks George. True story. Good times.
Frank and George were just a match made in heaven. The perfect compliment to one another. There was a musical bond there that can’t be matched, and as evident by this video, it transcended the music. "I miss him a lot. I just wanted to say that." It brings a tear to my eye
I don't think Frank 'really' auditioned anybody. More like a last test with the rest of the guys. I'm sure he made his mind for most of his band members before they even played a single note with him.
@@billypapa6761 Have you heard "The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life"? Double live LP. The band broke up after a few months on tour because the band members had some kind of problem with Scott Tunes the Bass player. Over his chops. Seems they thought his playing wasn't up to snuff. Frank Zappa didn't understand it, was quite pissed. It was too late to get another Bass player up to speed for the rest of the tour, so he gave them a choice. Play with Scott, or the tour, and your paychecks, are over. They voted to stop the tour. Later heard a few of them say they made a big mistake, just like Frank told them. I saw the band in Syracuse , NY, (snippets are on the LP) and it was the Best Band most of you Never Heard live in your life.
@@ursafan40 Didn't knew that! In the cd booklet FZ insinuates this story by writing " The 1988 road band self-destructed" In the book "Mother! The Frank Zappa Story" Michael Gray presents a different story that didn't have to do with Thunes virtuosity. I quote : " The tour collapsed in mid-schedule after the last European gig, which was in Genoa on 9 June, and before the scheduled American West Coast leg. They had already played 81 shows on the tour, and now it was costing Zappa lots of money in cancellation fees. It fell apart because on this tour bassist Scot Thunes had the additional duty of being the sort of tour-foreman, and wasn't able to handle this without creating a build-up of resentment and hostility from the other musicians. Eventually they took a vote that they wouldn't tolerate working with Thunes any longer, and asked Frank to drop him. He sacked the rest of them instead, retaining on the payroll only Thunes and Mike Kenneally (who hadn't voted against Thunes). " "Ed Mann says that these rehearsals for what would be the 1988 tour lasted ten hours a day, five days a week for four-and a half months". It seems to me that any problem with Thunes playing would arise during this period... Anyways, always nice to share stories about Frank. And you sir, you are very lucky watching FZ. It was the last time he went on the road. As for me, I first learned about him the day he died from some friends who were devastated. One of them wrote me a cassette, and from this day I knew what was my priority every time I visited a record shop. ;)
@@billypapa6761 Thanks for the more complete story. Can you believe those guys? I certainly was lucky. That was my first and only Frank show. 10th row, right center stage. I understand your friends emotions. We knew he was sick though, so it wasn't as big a surprise as Stevie Ray, just the same sense of loss that we knew was coming for years. If you get a chance to see Dweezil ..... DO IT! I caught his "Hot Rats" tour. He and the band would truly make his father proud.
I had the good fortune of filling in for Tom Fowler in 74 on bass when he broke his finger on tour. Even got to record some with him. I was still in the secular world at that time though that would change and my music would change. But Duke was the keyboardist, Chester Thompson was the drummer, Both just monsters. Duke by far the best keyboardist I ever got to "swap licks" with. But then there was Ruth Underwood. From another planet. You're not supposed to be able to do things with mallets that she could do. Duke is right. It was a monster band. And there was Frank in the middle of all the monsterness directing traffic. It was beautifully orchestrated chaos. I still think about it.
@@ForMindlessConsumption It was indeed fun, and, though not the highlight of my career (that came when my heart and life changed and I started doing old Gospel Classics. Joy unbounded if that's a word!), it was certainly up there!
To be honest George I don't think most of us know how you guys did it.. That Roxy and Elsewhere record is one of the greatest. Such a shame you and Frank aren't with us anymore.. What a legacy though. Legends!
I got sent to the Sheriff's Boys Ranch in Morgan Hill, CA in 1973. His mom ran the Kitchen.I know because she had a Christmas card that said "Happy Holidays from the Frank Zappa Band: drawn by the guy from Mad magazine" She was a very sweet lady... I saw him years later with Billy Cobham, Alphonso Johnson and John Scofield at the Keystone in SF. I went up and told how I met his mom, he laughed. . RIP George
I agree with George, that the One Size Fits All era band were the best - and George was a big part of that. He was great on synth because he approached it as a highly skilled musician with musical ideas to express.
Dean Hallett, yeah, I would tend to agree with you but not being a musician I can only imagine the technical genius of someone like a Chad Wackerman. All I know is the guy was a genius, but yes, that era of late sixties to mid-70s was my favorite
Dam after so many years you can see how excited he is about working with Zappa. I could see the eagerness in his eye like a kid on in the candy store. Zappa seemed like a special kind of lead.
I saw Mr. Duke perform with a quartet with Zappa in 73 or so. Jezzuz,what a keyboard player. The building felt like it was in an orbit of it´s own, and yes Frank played guhtar like a monster. Both gone now. Treasures.
I think Frank Zappa would love the DAW's and Plugins on the computers these days, his love for the Synclavier. he would arrange and make music unheard of in variety and expression. A true virtuous in every sense.
The coupling of George Duke with Frank Zappa is a collaboration I never would've thought practical, and it speaks volumes to the inspired interpretation of Frank Zappa's compositions and the challenges he presented to others that pushed the preconceived boundaries of each individual's musical training.
WOW! he saw the genius in George. Thats deep. He didnt hire a synthesist, he saw hidden potential, an instrument ( no pun) he could use to reach a new goal. Brilliant.
what a beautiful eulogy about frank. thank you mr. duke. saw you once in Atlanta years ago w some jazz folks. thank you SOOOOO much for the memories. especially overnight sensation and apostrophe.
DoomKid, you said it man, I spent countless hours listening to, and listening to again, that beautiful unique music, what an amazing and creative person Frank was and all the musicians he gathered around him.
George Duke, not to say he doesn't have a following amongst musicians, but he is very underrated in the "pop culture" of keyboard players. You don't hear his name enough as far as keyboard players. He just fucking awesome. 🤯
Thank you George for giving us what I consider the funkiest electric piano solo in history ("Don't you ever wash that thing?" off of the Roxy album). Rest in peace.
This one really blows my mind! He learned to use the synth and to sing because Frank asked him to?!?! And then he sounded like THAT? Whenever you need a textbook example for the phrase "bringing out the best in someone", show them this video.
Sure, but when Frank goes into the "Tax the FUCK out of the churches" rant, a bolt of lightning might shut the show down. Then again, the goodly zealot preacher types probably all go to Hell anyway.
At the end, where George says people didn't know how great a guitar player Frank was. Gotta disagree. One example, back in the very early '70s, on WBCN in Boston, BB King was asked to give his thoughts on some guitar solos without being told who was playing. Don't remember anything but the DJ playing something by Frank & The Mothers, and about 5 notes in, BB goes, "ah, that's my boy, Frank what's his name." BB didn't know his name, knew his playing. But Frank was awesome on guitar.
yeah ,first time i hear of him, someone told me he might be the 2nd best guitarist after Hendrix.but since I would say the 3rd after Hendrix and McLaughlin.
Thanks - I hadn't considered McLaughlin because these "best" lists are usually pretty narrow, rockers only. But yeah, considering what Frank did in terms of crossing a lot of genres, that's a good comparison. I'm generally pretty partial towards Duane Allman and Ry Cooder, but I listen to a lot of stuff.
Aha, listen to what Frank had to say about the hobby of rating guitarists, interesting insight. But this BB King bit, I'm going to have to look for that. I wonder if it is on RU-vid.
I saw Zappa and the band George Duke was talking about at the circle Star theater in San Mateo 1974. Then I saw George Duke band at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco like 1979. They put on a good show every time they played I miss Frank Zappa too
i notice that no one has given the thumbs-down to this video. ya know why...? 'cause it's frickin' great!! r.i.p., frank. r.i.p., george. we seriously do love the shit outa you!!
Frank in my opinion was brilliant and fits well in my collection along side musical geniuses Miles Davis , Jimi Hendrix , CAN ,David Bowie and Wagner .
I'm so glad I got to see that line-up a couple times! I just love George Dukes music and attitude. Frank somehow found the most incredible musicians on the planet and/or they were drawn his way like Ian Underwood etc. And YES Chris Kallaher - I could also listen to him for hours as well!
Don’t forget Ruth Underwood - incredible playing! But you could name anyone with the band and hate to leave anyone out. Start with great musicians and then practice, practice, practice.
How many people are just totally not only unaware of Zappa, his music, and his band, but the genius that he was? In today's world, people will only listen if they can catch onto a song immediately, like a lady Ga Ga or Katy Perry ditty. But Zappa was just SO complex. As Duke said, he'd play anything. It takes some time to understand Zappa, as Duke stated. Yes, and I miss him too George. The whole music scene suffers for his absence.
I wonder why... Sometimes I would say that music is somehow bordered to intellectuality but on the other hand there are a lot of people (who normally dont here this music) which here this music and like it. So the other reason might be the industrial work. I mean, people tend to simplify music in the mass production. But why should they? Is there a hint. Did something went "wrong" in the 90's or were thos songs/tunes the most popular, which were simple (an better to understand).?
+Frankincensed yea all the good groups of that era like genesis,yes, w.report,crimson,had to be heard afew times to understand or get,and zappa was so trusted,when you went to play with these other bands and you were x zappa you got the job ,no audition needed
+Emil Brandwyne intellect is nothing to do with likeing good music,its all to do with hearing it a few times,but there is no good bands on mainstream labels, so great bands like the cardiacs, who many of todays musicians like steven wilson,blur,radiohead,tool,mike patton,are all influenced by, self release there music over the last 3 decades and never get heard ,also it has been scientifically proven that the music buying public is being brainwashed into likeing blander and homogenized pop music nowadays which is a good money maker for mi
Personally, I have a very wide taste in music. I grew up on three chord rock: Bad Co, Foreigner, Deep Purple, Zep, Van Halen. But I also loved ELP, Yes, Genesis, among others. Sometimes I'll sit and listen to some Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi, Hayden. But when I want to really be challenged intellectually and not just rock out to a riff, I always go to Frank. But Frank didn't care either. The guy would do the three chord rock, doo whop, blues. But at the same time, he'd put out Yellow Shark, London Symphony Orchestra, Thing Fish, End of Civ III. The guy was a machine and could do anything he wanted to musically. Personally, I don't know of anyone of his ilk. Simply singular.
George Duke is so humble . Frank Zappa was a genius in many ways, but especially recognizing great talent that hadn't been fully developed. It was already there George. Frank did it with everyone..Bozzio's Black Page
Yeah, it's like another commenter above who said There ought to be at George Duke Channel, cuz I could just listen to that guy talk all day.. Too bad he left this world..
Funny that George initially thought that Frank's music was beneath him..and then Frank BLEW his mind. George was a wonderful addition and very impactful to the Zappa sound. The 70s lineup featuring George, Chester, Ruth, Nappy, Jeff, Don, Ralph, the Fowler Bros, and Ian was pure magic on vinyl. I'm sharing the info below cuz I know fellow FZ fans share my passion for this one-of-a-kind musician and composer. "One SIze Fits All" is definitely one of my 10 Desert Island discs. The other 9? Also Zappa creations (in no specific order): "Over-nite Sensation", "Apostrophe", "Lather", "Joe's Garage", "200 Motels", "We're Only In It...", "Roxy and Elsewhere", "Tinseltown Rebellion", "You Are What You Is", "Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar", "LSO I", "Them or Us", "Thing-Fish", "LSO II", "Guitar", "Jazz From Hell", "Civilization III", "YCDTOSA"(1-6)..but WAIT, that's MORE than 10 right? In that case, FUCK IT! I'm NOT moving to a Desert Island anytime soon. Desert Islands are WAAAAY overrated despite their Airbnb ratings. Long story short? George was an AMAZING talent and ZAPPA FANS miss him greatly. Love you George.
Thank you George Duke. Great interview ..my friend and I were just reminiscing about the Frank Zappa concert we attended and we both said the same thing. Frank was underrated as a guitar player!!!..🎸.. a tree musical genius
I have a brother and a cousin Oh Lord how many conservatories they have passed.Heared of No I wont tell Duke opened his mind.takes a lot I was not a good student But hell Si can play.Cheerz mr uploader Zappa we met now and then I did not fit in ❤
Be sure to listen to George Duke's 101 North album from 1988. Ya can'ts go wrong with purchasing any off his albums. He is fantastic in his own right and sure lifted FZ's product, otherwise Frank wouldn't have kept asking Duke to work with him. We forget that Frank got a lot from the people he worked with. It gets presented as though it was a one way flow from FZ. Ruth Underwood was another true diamond that Frank got to work with.
Maybe Frank was underrated back then as a guitarist, but not today. Frank is considered one of the most influential guitarist of all time. Many people today can trace their love and passion for the guitar back to Frank Zappa
Hope these two are jamming together again! Hard to put into words the feelings you get when you listen to something like Roxy and Elsewhere. Long live FZ, long live George Duke!
Ryan Eriksson, of course he doesn't mean that, silly! Didn't you ever hear Franks album, "We're only in it for the money"? He was obviously a frustrated, money-grubbing, Teen Idol that just never made it in Showbiz..
