Lex Bronkowitz Orchestra
plays the music of
Frank Zappa
Photo by Steffen Schindler
Today:
Frieder plays the Bridge from "Flakes" to the gand finale of "Watermelon in Easter Hay"
Musicians who will be featured on the new album:
Katharina Debus: Vocals
Peter Peters: Drums
Carl Albrecht: Bass
Daria Mitina: Rhodes
Frieder Loch: Rhodes / Piano / Pipe Organ
Lex Bronkowitz: Guitars / Moogs / Arrangements
Peter Peters, Lex Bronkowitz, Carl Albrecht
Lex Bronkowitz, Philip Mestwerdt, Katharina Debus, Carl Albrecht, Frieder Loch
Photo by Steffen Schindler
Former Band Members:
2010-2013
Peter Thomas: Mallets
Roman Storch: Drums
Guests:
Sebastian Borkowski: Saxophone
Johnny Johnson: Trombone
Philipp Kacza: Trumpet
Peter Thomas, Roman Storch
Photo by Phoebe
Guests in 2002:
Inga Kjer: Trombone - Anna Sevecke: Trumpet - BQuadrat: Raps
"You have a real good thing going, I haven`t heard a band in years playing Zappa like this. I think, Frank would have liked your arrangements, because you personalized his compositions to fit
you, without treating them in the way that they hurt the composer. It was a pleasure to meet you and to play with you!"
Napoleon Murphy Brock – worked with Frank Zappa in the 1970s and 1980s.
"I've been listening to your CD a lot the last few weeks. Its beautifully recorded and performed and I love the arrangements you've made! Very creative
interpretations, especially blending several tunes into new medleys. It certainly lets your CD stand on its own against the original Zappa versions. Well done Lex - definitely a CD to be proud
of."
Phi Yaan-Zek
In fact this is one of the most invigorating and satisfying Zappa tributes I've heard. It stands on its own as excellent music in its own right. Now that's very
cool!"
Gapplegate Guitar and Bass Blog
"Massive respect to you for what you're doing, especially the way you are re-interpreting FZ's music in your own way."
Glyn Bush / Basic FM Radio
"This is top. The arrangements and transpositions are beautiful. The instrumentation is superb. All of it.
And most of all, I like the puzzle. There are little hints and references everywhere. I love it. Highly recommended."
United Mutations
"Great job!"
Bob Harris – worked with Frank Zappa in the 1980s.
- Strictly Gravy -
FZIO / 2013
Photos by Steffen Schindler
Photos by Bazbo
Scroll down for the biography in English.
Lex Bronkowitz war zwölf Jahre alt, als er sich mit dem Zappa-Virus infizierte. Die Alben „Lumpy Gravy“ und „Sheik Yerbouti“ eröffneten dem jungen Gitarristen ein neues musikalisches Universum. Die Komplexität der Kompositionen und die Freiheit von Frank Zappas Gitarrenspiel waren fur ihn Irritation und Offenbarung zugleich.
Bronkowitz, damals Gitarrist der Band -Strange- (u. a. Rock am Ring, Strange Noise Festival), hörte sich durch das umfangreiche Werk Zappas und wollte sich bald noch
eingehender mit der Musik dieses Meisters befassen. Seit 1998 entstanden in seinem Hamburger Homestudio dutzende Re-Arrangements von Zappa-Kompositionen. Damals schon mit von der Partie war
als Sängerin seine Schwester Katharina Debus, die sich später unter anderem durch ihre Zusammenarbeit mit Bobby McFerrin einen internationalen Namen machte.
2011 begeisterte er namhafte Musiker für eine Live Besetzung des Lex Bronkowitz Orchestra: Peter Thomas und Roman Storch (Principals bei Lion King),
Johnny Johnson und Philipp Kacza (Jan Delay & Disko No.1), Sebastian Borkowski (Jazzanova) und Katharina Debus (Slixs).
Mit ihnen entstand die Debut-CD -Strictly Gravy-, die das niederländische Label FZIO 2013 in Europa veröffentlichte.
Frank Zappas Musik wird zerlegt und von Bronkowitz neu kombiniert, reharmonisiert und in einen groove-orientierten Kontext gestellt. Dadurch – und nicht zuletzt durch die unverwechselbare Stimme seiner Schwester – entsteht der charakteristische Bronkowitz-Sound.
Auch fur die aktuelle Besetzung konnte Bronkowitz erstklassige Musiker gewinnen. Seit 2014 gehören neben Philip Mestwerdt am Schlagzeug und Frieder Loch am Rhodes/Moog/Clavinet weiterhin der langjährige Bronkowitz-Bassist Carl Albrecht und die Sängerin Katharina Debus fest zum Lex Bronkowitz Orchestra.
Derzeit arbeitet Bronkowitz am nächsten Album, das Ende 2018 wieder unter dem niederländischen FZIO Label veröffentlicht wird.
Katharina Debus and Lex Bronkowitz
Lex Bronkowitz was twelve years old when he got infected by the Zappa Virus. The albums "Lumpy Gravy" and "Sheik Yerbouti" opened a new musical universe to the young guitarrist. The complexity and freedom of Frank Zappa`s guitar play were irritation and revelation to him at the same time.
Bronkowitz, back then guitarist of the band "Strange" (amongst other things "Rock am Ring", "Strange Noise Festival"), listened through the extensive work of Zappa and then
wanted to occupy himself more closely with the music of the master. From 1998 on there originated dozens of re-arrangements of Zappa compositions in his homestudio in Hamburg. Already at that
time his sister Katharina Debus was in on it; later she internationally made a name for herself by her cooperation with Bobby McFerrin.
In 2011 could elate well-known musicians for a live cast of the Lex Bronkowitz Orchestra: Peter Thomas and Roman Storch
(Principals at Lion King), Johnny Johnson and Philipp Kacza (Jan Delay & Disko No.1), Sebastian Borkowski (Jazzanova) and
Katharina Debus (Slixs). Together with them the debut CD "Strictly Gravy" was developed, which was published in Europe in 2013 by the dutch label
"FZIO".
Frank Zappa`s music has been parted and then new combined, re-harmonized and placed into a groove-oriented context by Bronkowitz. This – and of course
the distinctive voice of his sister – creates the characteristical Bronkowitz sound.
Also for the actual cast Bronkowitz could enlist first-class musicians. Since 2014 besides longtime Bronkowitz bassist Carl Albrecht and
singer Katharina Debus also Philip Mestwerdt on drums and Frieder Loch on Rhodes/Moog/Clavinet belong to the Lex Bronkowitz
Orchestra.
The Lex Bronkowitz Orchestra is currently working on the next album, which will be released under the dutch FZIO label in late 2018
Strictly Gravy / FZIO 2013
Get dressed or arrested / 1998
I´m only on him for the money / 2002
The dangling kitchen session / 2004
Plays FZ / 2005
Great boogly moogly / 2007
Past Concerts:
28. Oktober 2017
Music Made Me Millionaire-Party / Zeisehallen / Hamburg / Deutschland
(geschlossene Gesellschaft)
–
15, Juli 2016
Zappanale #27 / Bad Doberan / Deutschland
–
11. Ferbruar 2016
Salon Hansen / Lüneburg / Deutschland
–
31. Oktober 2015
Zappaloween - Artcafe SamSam / Apeldoorn / Netherlands
–
5. Juni 2015
Lichtung / Köln / Deutschland
–
2. Juni 2012
Moase Zappa / Heerlen / Netherlands
Photo and Rubber Chicken by Bazbo