DON INTERRUPTS
When the Ant-Bee told me that Don had a new
album coming out and suggested I might like to contact him for an interview, I
wasted no time.
IB: Tell me about ‘Transformation’, the
new album from your jazz trio.
DP: The trio consists of myself on piano, Joel Hamilton on bass, and
Alex Cline on drums. The material is: 2 songs by Carla Bley; 2 songs by John
Carter; 1 song by Zappa; 1 song by Cole Porter; and 3 songs by me – one of
which is in the sonata form and is actually 6 songs. The other musicians are
fantastic and there is a harmonious blend to the entire CD.
IB: You mentioned you were also working on
an album of archival material: any plans for a CD release of ‘Eye Of Agamoto’
or ‘I Can’t Breathe’?
DP: No plans, but not out of the question.
IB: After the break up of the original
Mothers, how did you personally feel about being selected to go back and join
the Flo & Eddie line-up?
DP: I was living in NY and working with Gil Evans. I got a call from
Zappa saying the band would be in NY and would I like to come down and sit in.
I did, and after the concert Mark and Howard told me that they were having
trouble with the keyboard player and would I consider joining the group. I had
a tour in Europe with Gil, but after that I was free. My feeling was that I
knew band this would never replace the original band. To me I was just joining
a different band with no comparison. The fact that the band had the same name
and same leader didn’t occur to me.
IB: Tell me a little about the Montreux
incident.
DP: That incident was very strange to me. First of all the tour
schedule was printed on a box of matches. Second, on the day before the fire,
in the middle of my solo on ‘King Kong’, someone ran out on the stage and
issued a fire warning. On the next night, in the middle of my solo on ‘King
Kong’, some one threw a firecracker up to the ceiling, which was covered with
dry palm leaves, and started the fire. While that was happening Zappa¹s sewer
backed up in his LA home and the entire basement studio was flooded with piss
and shit.
IB: Do you remember Nigey Lennon? In Being
Frank she says you played an improvised synthesizer section on a song of
hers called ‘Moto Guzzi’; do you recall this, or her presence on the tour?
DP: I don’t remember.
IB: You mean you don’t remember recording or touring with Nigey? I thought
she was yours and Tina's rent paying roommate in Echo Park for several months
in 1972 – and remained friends with you right up until she left for Europe.
DP: Of course I remember Nigey very well.
And I respect her very much
IB: Okay, thanks for clearing that up.
What were the subsequent ‘Waka/Jawaka’ and ‘Grand Wazoo’ recording sessions
like?
DP: Nothing unusual. I was in the studio by myself with Zappa and the
engineers in the control room. I laid down my tracks and went home.
IB: And your recollections of the 10th
Anniversary tour?
DP: I mostly remember how great the band was and getting to know
George Duke who was an exceptional musician.
IB: Who was the best: the Roxy, Vaudeville,
or original Mothers?
DP: My heart says the original band, but my mind says the 88 band.
IB: The Best Band You Were Never In, then.
I have just been reading Greg Russo's excellent book, Cosmik Debris,
which implies that you hooked up with Frank in 1981 to record a track called
‘On The Throne Of Saturn’ for the ‘Music From The 21st Century’ compilation.
DP: Completely wrong.
The Mothers were recording ‘Burnt Weeny’ and I had all my gongs set up. I
arrived at the studio first and Zappa suggested that we record some free
improvisation with the gongs. So he engineered and I played. That is all Zappa
had to do with that piece. Another error to do with that piece is the name. I
originally called it ‘The Thrones Of Saturn’ based on a book The Inner
Realities Of Evolution by Rudolf Steiner. In the book he describes beings
that live on Saturn called Thrones. That track is available on the CD ‘Io
Landscapes’ [available from Don’s
Store] which is mostly electronic or ‘music
concrete’ in style. Most of the material on ‘Thrones’ was done with a large
modular Moog.
IB: Thanks for clearing
that up, too. So when and why did you finally fall out with Frank?
DP: You know, I really don’t know. Probably when I formed the first
Grandmothers. I got a call from Frank saying, "Get rid of the doll.” (see my
web site)
IB: Can you tell me how the pseudonyms
'Dom DeWild' and 'Biff Debris' came about?
DP: My ex-wife’s name was DeWild before we married, and I used it on
occasion. Biff Debris was a product of Frank used in the movie Uncle Meat
which was supposed to be loosely based on the movie John And Mary with
Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow.
IB: When did you last cry, and why?
DP: Day before yesterday when I watched Galaxy Quest.
IB: What’s that sample at the start of
‘Moon Unit’ on ‘Vile Foamy Ectoplasm’?
DP: It’s not a sample; it’s a modular Moog where 3 voices are tracking
one keypress. Sawtooth waveforms going through a low-pass filter.
IB: Right. What have you got in your
pockets right now?
DP: I don’t have any pockets.
IB: What magic tricks did you perform with
the Muffin Men in the summer of 1993?
DP: I made two cans become magnetic, and I made my leg disappear.
IB: And your pockets too, presumably. Are
the Grandmothers going to tour again?
DP: We will do some limited touring this summer. Roy Estrada and Billy
Mundi will be joining the band.
IB: Wow! Jimmy talked about how the
Grannies were recording a new studio album of all original material – will it
include ‘New Age Mumbo Jumbo’ and ‘The Great Generic Side Show’? Tell me more.
DP: No plans as of now.
IB: Shame. What about a re-recording of
‘I’ve Fallen And I Can’t Get Up’?
DP: No comment.
IB: Thought not. How’s ‘The Don & Bunk
Show’ album coming along?
DP: It’s coming along great. Right now we’re working on ‘Little
House’.
IB: How important are spoons in your life?
DP: Where did you get these questions?
IB: I used to have a set of spoons with
the heads of the Apostles on – they were important to me. What are your plans
for the future?
DP: I am starting a musical series here in Los Angeles at The Downtown
Playhouse to promote New Music and Avant-Garde Jazz with artists like Bobby
Bradford and Vinni Golia. I want to do a recording with a group I formed last
year called The Akashic Ensemble, with Alex Cline and Nels Cline. I also want
to tour with ‘The Don And Bunk Show’ – possibly doing our lecture "The
Evolution Of Frank Zappa’s Music."
IB: Do you think Chelsea will qualify for
Europe this year?
DP: The only sport I like is tennis.
IB: Okay. So what was Zappa really
like?
DP: Ask Gail.
***
A fredited
version of this interview will no doubt appear in a future edition of T’Mershi
Duween. Photo of Don reading Issue 32 outside the Subterania, Ladbroke
Grove 9.8.93 taken by the Idiot Bastard.