I know people obsessed with Frank Zappa. And others—who are otherwise highly knowledgeable music heads—who haven’t bothered to dive into his deep catalog. Let’s be frank; a lot of listeners have heard Zappa at some point in their life and perhaps been turned off or just uninterested in what they heard: likely, some comedic (and oft-problematic) lyrics followed by progressive-rock/free-jazz lines…for, let’s say, over ten minutes per song.
Perhaps a better entry point is Zappa’s many instrumental excursions. As a lover of free jazz (Eric Dolphy!), and a pioneer of progressive rock—with band mates like George Duke—Zappa was in a natural position to experiment with all sorts of instrumental music but really found a groove with some jazz-fusion jams, specifically from the albums Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo, not to mention the beloved Hot Rats.
Without further ado, enjoy.