Waiting in my inbox today was a missive from an impressive and interesting chap, to say the very least: one Chanan Hanspal, a composer/guitarist of Welsh Indian extraction from Wales. Who is Chanan Hanspal? Click on his name and discover more about how he dove into the London jazz funk world – played, recorded, and toured with the likes of Kylie Minogue, Geri Halliwell, and Pharoah Sanders to name just a few.
What’s even more impressive, is while on the verge of all this apparent success, he actually moved to Sydney, Australia, in 2003 and spent the next two years studying for his masters degree at the University of New South Wales. On completion of his masters, he returned to the UK and started writing a monthly rock guitar column for Guitarist Magazine while studing for his PhD on the orchestral works of Frank Zappa.
In Chanan Hanspal’s missive to KUR, he announces the upload of his brand new website:
…it is primarily to showcase my music, which some of it is very much influenced by Frank Zappa. However, there is a lot more to the site than immediately meets the eye… my first installment of my monthly guitar column which this month is Frank Zappa… featuring my renditions of Sinister Footwear II and Moggio.
In the Analyses section, I have also included my pitch class analysis of the Be-Bop Tango which shows some interesting musical cellular utilisation, the kind of thing Zappa talked about when listening to Stravinsky in the documentary Peefeeyatko.
Chanan Hanspal’s essay and analysis of Frank Zappa’s compositions is just the sort of academic work I have been awaiting for a very long time. Disposing of the jibber-jabber of so much Zappa-speak which passes itself off as the study of Zappa and his music – Chanan Hanspal concentrates on the essentials: the notes themselves and their place in musical history.
Bravo, Brother, Bravo.
And if that weren’t sweet enough, take a listen to selected excerpts from Chanan Hanspal’s jazz metal project, Mad Jazz Guitar.
Who are the jazz police? Hmmmmm. Sweet, indeed.
