Music / Make a Jazz Noise Here

Make A Jazz Noise Here is a 1991 double Live Album by Frank Zappa. Existing as something of a companion piece to 1988's Broadway the Hard Way and 1991's The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life, the album is similarly compiled from recordings taken from Zappa's 1988 world tour— his last before his death of pancreatic cancer in 1993.

Unlike its predecessors, this record consists primarily of instrumental recordings with prominent brass backings. The album is also notable for featuring many Synclavier performances from the tour, incorporated on-stage after constant infighting among supporting musicians caused Zappa to abruptly fire the majority of them.

The cover was painted by Larry Grossman.

Tracklist

Disc One

1. "Stinkfoot" (7:39)
2. "When Yuppies Go To Hell" (13:28)
3. "Fire And Chains" (5:04)
4. "Let's Make The Water Turn Black" (1:36)
5. "Harry, You're A Beast" (0:47)
6. "The Orange County Lumber Truck" (0:41)
7. "Oh No" (4:43)
8. "Theme From "Lumpy Gravy" (1:11)
9. "Eat That Question" (1:54)
10. "Black Napkins" (6:56)
11. "Big Swifty" (11:12)
12. "King Kong" (13:04)
13. "Star Wars Won't Work" (3:40)

Disc Two

1. "The Black Page (New Age Version)" (6:45)
2. "T'Mershi Duween" (1:42)
3. "Dupree's Paradise" (8:34)
4. "City Of Tiny Lites" (8:01)
5. "Royal March from "L' Histoire du Soldat" (0:59)
6. "Theme From the Bartok Piano Concerto #3" (0:43)
7. "Sinister Footwear 2nd mvt." (6:39)
8. "Stevie's Spanking" (4:25)
9. "Alien Orifice" (4:15)
10. "Cruisin' For Burgers" (8:27)
11. "Advance Romance" (7:43)
12. "Strictly Genteel" (6:36)

Personnel

• Frank Zappa: lead guitar, producer, main performer, vocals
• Paul Carman: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, baritone saxophone
• Kurt McGettrick: baritone saxophone, contrabass clarinet,
• Scott Thunes: bass guitar, mini Moog
• Albert Wing: tenor saxophone
• Ed Mann: vibes, marimba, electronic percussion
• Chad Wackerman: drums, electronic percussion
• Ike Willis: rhythm guitar, synth, vocals
• Walt Fowler: trumpet, flugel horn, synth
• Mike Keneally: synth, vocals, rhythm guitar
• Bruce Fowler: trombone
• Bob 'Mink' Martin: keyboards, vocals

Make A Trope Noise Here

• Album Title Drop: "Big Swifty"
  Make a jazz noise here!
• Call-Back and Continuity Nod:
  • During the opening track Zappa tells the audience whether any of them heard "the great news: Jimmy Swaggart under investigation!" Zappa poked fun at this televangelist who got caught with a prostitute twice before on Broadway the Hard Way (1988) and The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life.
  • Several tracks appeared on earlier Zappa albums: "Stinkfoot" (Over-Nite Sensation), "Let's Make The Water Turn Black", "Harry You're A Beast" (We're Only in It for the Money), "The Orange County Lumber Truck", "Oh No" (Weasels Ripped My Flesh), "Theme From "Lumpy Gravy" (Lumpy Gravy), "Eat That Question" (The Grand Wazoo), "Black Napkins" (Zoot Allures), "King Kong", "Cruising For Burgers", (Uncle Meat), "The Black Page" (Zappa in New York), "T'Mershi Duween" (appeared on You Cant Do That On Stage Anymore, volume 2), "Dupree's Paradise" (The Perfect Stranger), "City Of Tiny Lights" (Sheik Yerbouti), "Sinister Footwear" (You Are What You Is, Them or Us, Guitar), "Stevie's Spanking" (Them or Us), "Alien Orifice" (Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention), "Advance Romance" (Bongo Fury) and "Strictly Genteel" (200 Motels)
• Corrupt Church: Zappa talks about the adulterous televangelist Jimmy Swaggart during "Stinkfoot".
  But meanwhile, did everybody hear the great news today? Jimmy Swaggart under investigation! ... Oh, Jay-ZUS! One day every one of those cock-suckers'll get caught! Now I understand in the case of Mr. Swaggart that he claims that it was not multiple encounters with many prostitutes. Apparently only one sweet young thing, and he did tell Cal Thomas of the Moral Majority that the sex act itself was not fully consummated. However he did admit to doing something pornographic with the girl. Let's use our imaginations, ladies and gentlemen ...
• Cover Version:
  • "Big Swifty" briefly quotes from Lohengrin by Richard Wagner, "Habanera" from Carmen and "1812 Overture" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
  • Zappa covers Igor Stravinsky's "Theme from "The Soldier's Tale" and Béla Bartók's "Third Piano Concerto" briefly.
• Distinct Double Album: The album consist of two discs.
• Epic Rocking: The 7:39 "Stinkfoot", the 13:28 "When Yuppies Go To Hell", the 11:12 "Big Swifty", the 13:04 "King Kong", the 6:45 "The Black Page", the 8:34 "Dupree's Paradise", the 8:01 "City Of Tiny Lights", the 6:39 "Sinister Footwear 2nd mvt.", the 8:27 "Cruisin' For Burgers", the 7:43 "Advance Romance" and 6:36 "Strictly Genteel".
• Gratuitous Foreign Language: During "Theme From Lumpy Gravy" Zappa says "May you never hear "vloerbedekking" again".
• Instrumentals: The album consists largely of instrumentals.
• Jazz: Mentioned in the title.
• Live Album: All tracks are recorded live.
• My Country Tis of Thee That I Sting: "Stink Foot", "When Yuppies Go To Hell", "Fire & Chains" and "Star Wars Don't Work" target the Moral Majority and the Ronald Reagan administration.
• Protest Song and Real Life Writes the Plot: "Stink Foot" targets televangelist Jimmy Swaggart. "Star Wars Won't Work" is aimed at Ronald Reagan's "Star Wars" defense system.
• Singer Name Drop: The band members are mentioned during "Stinkfoot" and "Strictly Genteel".
• Spoken Word in Music: During "King Kong" Bruce Fowler says:
  You know, you know that reminds me of a real sad story. It happened right here in ... lovely Cleveland a long long time ago, 'bout, about three hundred and thirty million years ago in fact, in the Upper Devonian. There was a really nice intellectual kind of a placoderm type of a fish, and he was, he was real creative, and he was a-just having lot of fun living, living his life gently along here in the Upper Devonian Peninsula you've got here, and suddenly, out of nowhere, came a band of religious fanatic sharks. And they organized themselves in crazy, fiendish groups, and just ate everything, leaving nothing for this talented creative placoderm type fish, and ... it just brings tears to my eyes that you may let this happen again, in 1988. I don't know what to do about it! It's driving me wild! I can't hardly stand it no more! I might have to play an out-of-tune note or something! I JUST CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE! OH GOD! OH GOD! OH GOD! OH GOD!
• Take That, Audience!: During "Stinkfoot" Zappa talks about a fan who complained that Ed Mann "fucked up the lick during "Dickie's Such An Asshole".
  Now, Ed had a tragic experience a few moments ago. One of the loyal fans in the audience came up and treated him like a war criminal because he fucked up the lick on "Dickie's Such An Asshole" way back when—who knows?—several weeks ago. But the people who come to these shows listen so carefully to every little detail that this man was deeply offended by Ed's performance. So to make sure that he gets his money's worth tonight, we're gonna dwell on it for a few moments now, and have Ed actually practice, kinda warm up for that big lick that happens in "Dickie's Such An Asshole."
• Time Marches On: Zappa mentions that "Jimmy Swaggart is under investigation" during "Stinkfoot". "Star Wars Won't Work" is a track aimed at Ronald Reagan's "Star Wars" defense system. During "King Kong" Bruce Fowler mentions:
  (...) Out of nowhere, came a band of religious fanatic sharks. And they organized themselves in crazy, fiendish groups, and just ate everything, leaving nothing for this talented creative placoderm type fish, and ... it just brings tears to my eyes that you may let this happen again, in 1988.

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