by barracuda » Thu Jul 10, 2008 2:34 pm
Frank Zappa - The Black Page
Terry Bozzio - The Black Page
This song seems to have been written as a drum solo in order to scare the LA studio musicians Frank worked with in the late '70's whose greatest fear was coming to work and getting handed a "black page" covered with notes. Terry Bozzio mastered it, then FZ orchestrated it for his band. Steve Vai apparently sent Zappa an unsolicited transcription of the piece as an entree for an audition, so Zappa hired him to transcribe guitar solos. The second video is the incredibly complex drum version, recorded after FZ's death with his son's band, preceded in the first video by FZ presiding over the full band version. The image is page 3 of 4 of a transcription available online.
The most dangerous traps are the ones you set for yourself. - Phillip Marlowe