Zappa Recalled. As the year comes to its close, the Frank Zappa fans among us will pause for reflection on the 15 th anniversary of his untimely death from Prostate Cancer on December 6 th . As it approaches, it puts me in mind of two fantastic evenings I spent enjoying Frank’s incredible musical heritage. The first was an evening at the old Dovecot Centre in Stockton-on-Tees to mark the 1 st anniversary of his death, and was a tribute evening which was well attended and well received by all who were there. The poignancy of the evening was deeply felt, but this was a celebration of a quite remarkable musical life – the genius and enigma that was Frank Zappa. The small and intimate venue with about 150 staunch Zappa fans, mainly middle-aged, was highly emotionally charged and stirred by this tribute to the maestro. The evening began with a big screen showing of his film 200 Motels – a spoof on the music business antics of a touring rock band of the late 60s. A controversial film in its day, today appears somewhat dated but which is still highly entertaining, is a stark page from rock history when licentiousness and libido knew no bounds. The music transcends time of course, being a potent and heady combination of classical/orchestral and rock – a hybrid Zappa created magnificently and mastered superbly with his band The Mothers of Invention, alongside the London Symphony Orchestra. Following the screening the excellent and talented 12 piece band, Wagga Jawaka, treated us to a wonderful set of some of Frank’s most memorable pieces. They were replete with burgeoning talent, redolent of musicianship and enthusiastic respect for the maestro and his work. They were not daunted or found wanting in providing a worthy tribute to the great man who was a composer, uniquely talented guitar virtuoso, biting satirist and charismatic band leader – a veritable universal and archetypal man! Remembering that night only reinforced the vast gap that his death created and which will, most probably, never be filled. His vast recorded output remains as his testament, and unheard-before archive material is still being released at regular intervals by the Zappa Family Trust, lovingly produced by his son, Dweezil. I was fortunate enough to see the Zappa Plays Zappa concert at The Royal Albert Hall in June 2006, where sheer virtuosity and musical prowess was the standard from which even greater heights were scaled by the incredible band on that tour led by Dweezil himself. The highlight of the night was when the band on stage played along with a film of Frank from the mid-1970s. The atmosphere was electric and very special indeed and reverential to the great man’s memory. Frank’s music will live on and his genius will never wane nor his musical relevance diminish. We owe him a huge debt of gratitude – thanks Frank! ( Tom plays 2 of Frank’s pieces on his You Tube site: http://www.youtube/gypsykate ) By Tom Cowley (published in The Link, December 2008). http://www.tomcowleymusic.com http://www.myspace.com/tomthegypsy .