Zappa-T'Mershi Duween arr. Forsthoff (SP)-B/V/X/2M/DS/P

Among his many notable attributes, Frank Zappa was and is still known for the quality of his live bands. One the most popular of the touring lineups was the incredible band of mid-1973 through 1974. T'Mershi Duween was originally written as a short vehicle to feature the ability of this particular stage band to navigate extended passages of tricky multi-meter phrases and unconventional polyrhythms, often in unison. The title comes from the name of a fictional character created by Zappa's daughter Moon. This arrangement for percussion ensemble seeks to faithfully adapt the composition as it is documented on Zappa's Piquantique- Stockholm 1973 and You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Volume 2 albums. An interesting alternate arrangement of the piece can be heard on the Make A Jazz Noise Here album, played by the phenomenally talented but ill-fated 1988 band.
-Kyle M. Forsthoff

Number of players: 7
Difficulty: it's Zappa

Instrumentation

Player 1: Glockenspiel, low tom tom 1
Player 2: Xylophone, low tom tom 2
Player 3: Vibraphone, low tom tom 3
Player 4: Marimba (5 octave, shared with Player 5), low tom tom 4
Player 5: Marimba (5 octave, shared with Player 4), trashy metals
Player 6: Bongos, snare drum, low tom tom, 4 cowbells
Player 7: Drum set