Frank Zappa - Everything is Healing Nicely

Everything Is Healing Nicely is a collection of sessions and rehearsals with the Ensemble Modern (the chamber orchestra playing on The Yellow Shark) from 1991-2 that contains some of Frank Zappa's more accessible classical stuff. Even aside the more melodic pieces, some of his more atonal stuff is spiced up with humorous monologues and improvisation. You can tell the players were having fun when they were performing those compositions. Therefore, if The Yellow Shark album was too heavy to take, one might as well go with this album to get some idea about Zappa's work during his final years. Highlights include "This Is A Test", which harks back to some of Zappa's chamber music work from Burnt Weeny Sandwich era, "T'Mershi Duween" in its orchestral glory and two standout compositions which manage to be both experimental and accessible. "Roland's Big Event/Strat Vindaloo" is an improvisation over a brooding slow groove beginning with a rapid fire clarinet solo followed by a low key duet between FZ and the guest violinist Shankar. As the guitarist was already seriously ill, it was obvious that the glory days of fast'n'furious guitar solos was over once and for all for Zappa, so he wisely opts to play minimal notes and dialogue with the violinist. "9/8 Objects" however is one hell of a number: a four-meter reggae-ish drum pattern supports variety of contrapuntal lines played on cello, marimba, brass and woodwinds, several of them in 9/8 time signature which are played against the overall straight tempo. Mind-blowing! Very reminiscent of some hypnotic Eastern music. Shankar again improvises on violin in this number. Even some of the less accessible pieces feature interesting elements in them. "Nap Time" can well work as a mellow ambient composition. "Master Ringo" and "Wonderful Tattoo" have hilarious monologues on them. Recommended if you want to get the idea of Zappa's avant garde classical work.