Frank Zappa solos performed on clarinet and cello

This campaign is to fund the recording of two Frank Zappa guitar solos – Pink Napkins, performed on bass clarinet; and Republicans, performed on cello.

These solos are among the closest Zappa got to creating a spontaneous composition live on stage – Republicans with its repeating motif and variations shaped by the choice bass notes of Scott Thunes; and the beautifully formed and paced Pink Napkins, its intricate rhythms belying its simpler blues/jazz origins.

Pink Napkins is adapted from the Steve Vai transcription, but I created a midi file of Republicans back in the 90s which has been remixed many times on Youtube and I can still hear the parts of the transcription where I'd thought “that’ll do” - this is my opportunity to put that right now my ears are a few decades wiser.

The target of £600 – I’m just some schmuck with a nickel and a dream, but these are professional musicians making a living from their work and whose only interest here is doing a swell job for you. Prepping these pieces for recording will take hours and days, so all of your donations, minus any GoFundMe fees, will go directly to them and allow them the time to learn, rehearse and perform the pieces to the best of their outstanding abilities. Why can’t they do it for free? No-one has recreated a Zappa solo like this for free in the last four decades, as far as I know, so if you want the music on the scene you gotta pony up the green.

The performances will be recorded using professional microphones, videoed from multiple angles and edited together to be hosted on YouTube. If all goes to plan they will be released on Halloween.

Donate what you can to them, whatever it’s worth to you, but I can’t be the only one wanting to hear what these amazing musicians will pull out of the bag.