Dweezil Zappa brings his 'Zappa Plays Zappa: Tour de Frank' to Europe to continue the challenge of keeping alive Frank Zappa's musical heritage to a new generation of listeners as well as the original fans.

Schooled by Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai, and influenced by Randy Rhoads Dweezil was already an established recording artist in his teens before becoming an actor and composer.

It wasn't until 2006 that he set himself the goal of keeping his dad's music alive by learning Frank's music and putting together a tour band.

With a new album of live solos 'F.O.H' to promote and more surprises from Zappa's 60 album back catalogue, ZPZ hits the road again with a dedication that would surely have pleased his dad.

Pete Feenstra talks to Dweezil Zappa about his band, the job at hand and his own career.

In a curious if not unexpected parallel with Frank's own career, you are under pressure to keep a sizeable band and crew on the road. What are the changes for the 2012 tour?

We'll there's less crew and we have a more stripped down rock version at the moment. Frank toured with many different size bands on multiple occasions and in many of those line-ups he didn't have percussion or marimbas.

This band is still able to stretch out the parameters and explore a range of different textures and sounds through the keyboards and guitar.

The line up is me on guitar, Scheila Gonzalez on saxophone, flute, keyboards & vocals, Kurt Morgan on bass, Joe Travers drums & vocals, Ben Thomas on vocals, and Chris Norton on Keyboards

You've been called the 'The Modern face of Zappa music'. Does that mean you've updated the music in terms of technology?

Not in the sense that we actually change the music through technology no, but modern technology does open the possibility of playing some of the material that was out of our reach before, so that's a good thing.

For example, Frank used to experiment with sound all the time. He was always looking to use new technology and he'd try out all kinds of different things in his search for new guitar sounds.

One example of that would be the way he combined 4 or 5 tracks to make one sound. Now when you are in the studio you can work on that and blend different things together.

But in a live situation that becomes a huge challenge and to achieve what you set out to do, you would have to have an extreme guitar rig and mixing equipment etc.

But now I'm using a digital guitar effects processor called Fractal Audio Axe Effects which allows me to access multiple sound sources and better still I'm able to mix them and control them with my foot pedals. What that means is, it gives me the ability to play songs that previously I couldn't do. I can explore more textures and timbres of instrumentation and now I'm able to simulate electric violin sounds for example.

So none of Frank's music actually changes as a result of this technology, but it does open up new possibilities of what we can play live.

I've always been interested in modern technology and have kept up with it. I'm always noodling with the latest device, so now I can do what I need to do and I can adapt what I have to the material I want to play.

The crazy thing about this little box is that it gives you everything in a compact form. Previously in the old analogue days, you would need say 2 to 4 amps and speakers and between 40 to 50 effects, and on top of that they would all have to be wired up. This would equate to 500 or 600lbs of equipment rather than just 6lbs.

So what kind of 'new' material can you approach now then?

Well one example, would be 'The Gumbo Variations' from 'Hot Rats'. On the original version Frank played guitar and there was Don Sugarcane Harris on electric violin. But now I am able to cover the guitar part and recreate the violin sound as well.

We are now able to look at some of the pieces I really liked as a kid and those things that have a bigger scope like say, 'Strictly Genteel' from '200 Motels'. It's a hard one to play but now we can approach those pieces and try and be more ambitious as a band. .

Did you have to change your style of playing to interpret Frank's material?

I had to make some technical adjustments, and it took about 2 years of study before I thought I could play this challenging music.

In some ways I did have to change radically. It really had more to do with certain parts, most obviously the solos.

I'd be playing the parts pretty much as they were written down but when I came to focussing on the solo's I aimed to put my own spin them, that is to try and evoke Frank's playing but to do more than merely copy a solo.

Because of the way Frank wrote, you have to spend the time to learn the structured parts first. He would write structured elements that you have to adhere to, then there might be expansive moments when you can improvise and connect with the audience and then you'd go back to theme.

So my role there would be to try and share the same experience as Frank's solo. And to do that I went back to learn the phrasing of his solos for example, but my approach was just to lean the fragments of solo's as a guitar part and then play it as I felt it.

Was it difficult to assemble a band that could learn the music and the commit to touring behind it?

Yes of course, it was difficult, but I deliberately made difficult auditions to find the right people. And when you've done that, you also have to find a balance between musicians that have the ability and attitude to play the material and are willing to tour.

But you also need to be able to hang out with those people when you are not playing, as you spend a lot of time in each others company. So you have to choose wisely.

How did you approach Frank's catalogue, all 60 or more albums of it?

Initially when I stated playing the material - but before ZPZ hit the road - I simply chose my favourite stuff and the material that made an impact on me.

So the vast majority of stuff I played in the beginning came from the 70's, in fact the 1974-79 era. Since then I tried to find ways to create plenty of variety and bring in different eras.

I thought about calling the new tour, 'The Decades Tour' because we are aiming to draw on the 60's, 70' and 80's and create a bigger landscape with more variety.

On last year's tour you played the whole of the 'Apostrophe' album, what have you got planned for this year?

Funnily enough quite a few people have commented on that. Some people really liked it while others wanted to hear more variety - a bigger scope of Frank's music.

The one obvious problem with doing something like that was that not everyone likes the whole of one particular record and maybe that's not what people expect to see, so we're going with a wider approach this time.

Back in 1988 you recorded your own version of 'My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama'. Will you be playing that at all?

Well I do still play it but back then I did my own updated version of the song, whereas when we play it now, it's the same version Frank used to play it at the time.

As regards your own artistic career, you were a recording artist in your teens, an MTV DJ at 17, an actor and you worked in TV and library music. Did you always have a plan to return to music full time in your own right?

Music yes, but I had no idea that I'd end up touring so much, let alone learning so much of Frank's music. I thought I might be composing music but this project has kept me so busy since 2006.

Interview © September 2012 Pete Feenstra

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