" data-original-title="" title="">Frank Zappa decided, in its own words, "Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar," his performances equaled, if not surpassed, those done by any of the most renowned official fusion guitarists. There is no need to insist on their numerous albums that can be fully classified under the label "jazz-rock," nor on the multitude of songs that, scattered—and sometimes sandwiched—between material and performances that are not at all jazzy, exude that dark, thick sap. The jazziest Zappa is not only the creator of albums like Hot Rats (Bizarre/Reprise 1969) or The Grand Wazoo (Bizarre/Reprise, 1972), or the inspiration for King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa (World Pacific/Liberty, 1970), but he is also the unstoppable propagator of that musical drive (one among his many) through numerous themes such as those included in later works like Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar (Barking Pumpkin, 1981), Them Or Us (Barking Pumpkin, 1984) or Make A Jazz Noise Here (Barking Pumpkin, 1991). However, all this baggage is still not enough for the author of "Twenty Small Cigars," "Zoot Allures" or "Sinister Footwear" to appear in certain highly respected jazz guides, which do include other jazz-rock performers who undoubtedly once looked with admiration at many of his creations. It is not the case for this site, which contains an extended and well-deserved portrait of this musician, as well as various articles examining the promiscuous relations of Zappa with jazz, as, e.g., Zappa and Jazz.

"Murder By Numbers" comes from one of three official albums (plus at least one unofficial, captured on In Barcelona) that document the brief existence— from February to June of '88—of a 12-member big band that, unfortunately, spent almost more time rehearsing than touring. It is not one of Zappa's best albums, nor is it one of the most representative of his fusionist side, but its reading of one of