Project/Object – The Music Of Frank Zappa – is back on tour with Zappa vocalist/guitarists Ike Willis and Ray White, Denny Walley, and Don Preston & Bunk Gardner (Feb 22 only) – along with Andre’ Cholmondeley on guitar and vocals,
David Johnsen on bass and vocals,
Eric Svalgard on keyboards and vocals, and introducing Ryan Berg on drums on the following dates and venues in February 2011:
WED 9
Jammin’ Java – Vienna, VA [Willis – Andre’s 46th B-day Show]
THU 10
Visulite – Charlotte , NC [Willis, Walley]
FRI 11
Stella Blue – Asheville, NC [Willis, Walley]
SAT 12
Smith’s Old Bar – Atlanta, GA [Willis, Walley]
MON 14
The Pour House – Charleston, SC [Willis, White]
WED 16
Ram’s Head – Annapolis, MD [Willis, White]
THU 17
Pour House – Raleigh, NC [Willis, White]
FRI 18
Kirk Ave Music Hall – Roanoke, VA [Willis, White]
SAT 19
8×10 – Baltimore, MD [Willis, White]
SUN 20
Sellersville Theatre – Sellersville, PA [Willis, White]
TUES 22
Mexicali – Teaneck, NJ [Willis, White, Preston, Gardner]
It seems every time that I hear Project Object perform, they just get better and better all the time. Check out the following three videos below for yourself. The first, an excerpt from “Cosmik Debris” featuring Ray White and Ike Willis and Project Object performing at Martyr’s in Chicago on January 2nd, 2010. The second, has them opening the show with “Zoot Allures” at The Met in Pawtucket on October 30th, 2010. The last video, features Ed Mann, Don Preston and Ike Willis performing “Filthy Habits” at Papa Pete’s in Kalamazoo, MI, on February 6th, 2009.
If you are in the neighborhood, I’d check out these exceptionally talented Zappa alumni in action. Definitely not to be missed.
So André is 46? And he was 10 when he joined the Zappa band back in´75?
Have I been totally confused when I thought André Lewis and Cholmondeley is the same guy with different names?
Different Andre.
Also, I just saw this incarnation of Project/Object in Asheville, NC, and I’d have to say I was underwhelmed. Denny Walley was very good on slide, but Ike Willis’s voice was just a croak, for whatever reason. As a whole, the band seemed enthusiastic but not very precise in their execution. A second bass player added nothing to the mix and sounded a bit muddy. I think I’ve been spoiled by the quality of Bogus Pomp and Zappa Plays Zappa. These guys aren’t in the same ballpark, not even in the same league.
Virgil, maybe Ike had a bad night?
I’d personally put these guys many rungs above Zappa Plays Zappa. P/O are oozing with ‘eyebrows’ whereas to my ears ZPZ is much more sterile. Not only that, but the harmonizing between Ray and Ike is amazing plus its MUCH cheaper than a ZPZ show.
Nothing will ever compare to Frank, himself, but if you’re a Zappa fan, definitely check these guys out.
Ray White isn’t in this version of PO, and the quality of the playing was miles below either Bogus Pomp or Zappa Plays Zappa. They were certainly trying, and maybe they had the right attitude, but they just didn’t carry the songs in any coherent way. I’ve heard recordings of them from earlier years, and they didn’t sound much better. Too bad. I’ll probably skip them they next time they tour in these parts.
[quote comment=”24639″]Ray White isn’t in this version of PO, and the quality of the playing was miles below either Bogus Pomp or Zappa Plays Zappa. They were certainly trying, and maybe they had the right attitude, but they just didn’t carry the songs in any coherent way. I’ve heard recordings of them from earlier years, and they didn’t sound much better. Too bad. I’ll probably skip them they next time they tour in these parts.[/quote]
Sorry if I didn’t make it more clear in my post – Ray White, Ike Willis, Denny Walley, Don Preston, and Bunk Gardner are featured guests of Project Object at particular gigs and not actual members of the band.
As tribute/cover bands go, though, I believe there is more than enough room for a wide variety of bands to function effectively (and economically) while appealing to Zappa’s large and eclectic fanbase. Indeed, there are different tiers of ability and proficiency – from the bar band format (like PO, Zappatika, the Muffin Men), to the well-oiled, well-rehearsed touring machine like Zappa Plays Zappa, to the semi-orchestral ensembles (Bogus Pomp, Captain Cheese-Beard & the 7 Sisters of Prevention, Ed Palermo Big Band, Le Concert Impromptu). It’s important, at least to me, for these musicians, as well as their alumni guests to have the freedom to explore each of these tiers individually proving, in essence, what I’ve known for a very long time: Zappa’s music belongs not just with the high brow classical crowd, but the slobbering, shouting, beer-bellied, big-tittie crowd and everyone in between…
Yes! Let us deign to allow the “slobbering, shouting, beer-bellied” amongst us to enjoy the magnificent AWFULNESS of just one more P/O performance.
After all, even lowlife jerkoffs need to be lifted from their station with fantasies of being on stage jamming with Andre Cholmondeley.
It’s either that or suicide.
I’m thinking.
[quote comment=”24985″]Yes! Let us deign to allow the “slobbering, shouting, beer-bellied” amongst us to enjoy the magnificent AWFULNESS of just one more P/O performance.
After all, even lowlife jerkoffs need to be lifted from their station with fantasies of being on stage jamming with Andre Cholmondeley.
It’s either that or suicide.
I’m thinking.[/quote]
That’s a tad harsh don’t you think? I mean, one should first listen to Don Preston’s Akashic Ensemble featuring Andre Cholmondeley and his late partner, Cheri Jiosne, before ultimately passing judgement on someone’s ability.
That said, P/O is pure alternative entertainment, the same as Zappatika and the Sheik Yerbouti Band. How I wished that some of the bar bands in my day attempted to play Zappa live. Or perhaps we’ve been spoiled by these touring alumni?