NEW DVD OUT:
FiDOplaysZAPPA on the Dental Floss
AVAILABLE ON WWW.FiDOplaysZAPPA.COM
Recorded Live August 2008 on the Kulturfloss in river Rhyne, Basel.
Including subtitles in English & Baseldytsch.
Total Running time: 72 mins.
FIDOplaysZAPPA are a swiss ten-piece-band coming from a wide background ranging from classical, jazz to rock. Each of the ten musicians brings essential abilities and ingredients to this project. Both of which are important to do justice to the huge variety within the repertoire of Frank Zappa. From the mind-blowing high-speed-lines of «Inca Roads» to the funky grooves of «Zomby Woof», from the relaxed laid-back-feel of «Cosmic Debris» to the over-the-top humour of «Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance», FiDOplaysZAPPA  in the middle of the river Rhyne - perform an hour of Zappa classics as well as some rare gems. This DVD lets you witness that special summerevening in 2007 when FpZ turned the «kulturfloss» into the «dental floss» and answered the omnipresent question «does humour belong in music?» with a loud and proud YES!
In 1987, bass player Pascal Grünenfelder was immediately captivated by hearing Frank Zappa's ironic jaw crushing and intricate rock-fusion for the first time, as he was confronted with the compositional geniality and preposterous humour of such songs as "Zomby Woof", "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow" or "Dinah-Moe Humm".
Overwhelmed by musical brilliance and the disrespectful ironic concept of the master of all fusions, the bassist began to explore Zappa's universe with ears full of wonder. Inspired by the experimental soundscapes of the early Mothers Of Invention, the colourful jazzrock imagery of the 70ies, the pompous 80ies rock big bands with Wackerman, Bozzio and Colaiuta, and the modern orchestral works of a Varese-admiring Zappa, the decision was made to reinterprete selected gems from Frank's sheer endless repertoire with the help of a bunch of like-minded musicians.
Grünenfelders ten piece rocking teenage combo invites you to a breakneck big dipper ride through the big Z's nutty cosmos, celebrates obscure polyphone sounding stories of talking dogs, stinking feet, sad eskimos and all kinds of curiousities of life. Unafraid of unorthodox handling of the compositions, the ten musicians interprete Zappa's classics with virtuosity and verve for the present time and answer his question "Does Humor Belong In Music?" with a zealous and resounding "YES!" Improvisational freespace is utilised shamelessly, stylistic frontiers are broken down, the musical multiplicity and hilarious humour of Zappa's work is exploited to the max.
Discography
- FiDOplaysZAPPA on the Dental Floss, August 2007, DVD
- Live @ Sudhaus Basel, September 2006, 19 Songs, Limited Handmade Red-Sofa Edition, CD
LineUp:
Dave Muscheidt - Lead Vocals, Stupid Sunglasses
Stef Strittmatter - Guitar, Vocals
Oli Friedli - Keys & Smoking
Martin Medimorec - Vibrafon, Marimba, Percussion
Pascal Grünenfelder - Bass, Vocals, Arrangements & Babysitting
Remy Sträuli - Drums, Vocals
And the Horns:
Dave Blaser - Trumpet
Alex Hilbe - Alto-/Baritonesax
Ueli Pletscher - Tenorsax
Christof Huber - Trombone