Episode 8 with Dweezil Zappa (solo artist ,Zappa plays Zappa)

The Riff Raff with Shane Theriot

My guest today is Mr. Dweezil Zappa. I first met Dweezil a few years back at the Crown of the Continent Guitar Festival- an amazingly beautiful locale next to Glacier Lake in Bigfork, Montana where we were both teaching and performing. We hit it off and did a lot of jamming and trading ideas together in between our classes. Fast forward to this year and we’re at it again, teaching a weeklong master class together to a small group of students.

I consider Dweezil to be a musician of the highest level who is constantly striving for perfection and originality. I’ve always thought he was a great guitarist- I had his solo record Confessions in the early 90’s and listened to it over and over. Frank Zappa was a big influence on me, and although he left a huge set of shoes to fill, I feel Dweezil has not only continued to carry on the legacy of his fathers music, but also leave his own footprint as one of the great guitar voices of our time. His many solo records and projects have proven this.

Dweezil has probably done hundreds of interviews but this was probably a different kind of interview for him in that I just let him go- two guitar players who grew up sharing the same influences, just talking shop.

It wasn’t my intention to talk so much about Eddie Van Halen, Frank Zappa stories, 80’s shred guitar, and not as much about Dweezil’s amazing band, his own projects and current tour- Cease and Desist tour- it’s just that well…you’ll hear!

Great stories, growing up with the guitar legends in the 80’s,the challenges of playing the “Black Page” on guitar, some fun jamming at the end and you’ll hear about how I won a “Wiggy” amp in a guitar contest that Dweezil was a judge in 12 years ago before we met….( it was 12 years ago Dweezil- I checked!) funny- and an insight into what it was like growing up Zappa. We could have easily went another hour but just ran out of time! Enjoy!

Interview took place in Big Fork, Montana- Sept 2016

(Special thanks to Joe Guzzo for use of his quiet cabin to do this interview and Dennis Webster from Yamaha for use of the amps! Photos by Shiho Theriot)

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