Hi,
Dweezil's work on his own is not as good as one would think. I tend to have the silly idea that he is too far ingrained in the whole star thing about his dad, and coming out of it, the only real thing he has going for him, is some dexterity with his fingers, none of which make his own music better, or improve his dad's work at all.
That said, the ZPZ stuff is very good. The family has been preventing the play or use of Frank's music, to help ensure that ZPZ can sell some of it, and while not fantastic, or super great, they are very good, and the musicianship, is above average and then some.
There is a sad side to it, though ... that is strange and sad. Their ability to get beyond a certain point and improve is totally limited, and I think that this is on account of Dweezil not having the ability to see between the lines and allowing the team to add an inch in the middle that stretches things some and makes them better. Thus, the best you can get is a nice oiled machine that can play this and that ... and that is it.
The example here is this ... look, go listen to Karajhan's version of Stravinsky. Then go listen to Bernstein's, then go listen to Ozawa's ... and you will find different details that do NOT change the BASIC music, but they add the slightest touch that makes this part or that part more lively, and for one's brains, it adds a different sight and vision, which, in the end, makes the music more lively, and above all ... slightly different ... you exercised the left foot this time on the run, instead of the right foot ... still the same person, the same music, the same track, the same everything, but a different accent in various spots. Dweezil, is not capable of finding these points and improve on them, because he does not have the wide perspective as mentioned above (as an example -- there is no formula!) to take the music further. His idea is that his dad's version is the furthest it can go. Heck, we would not be listening to any composers of the past 500 years, then ... because we already know, them, right?
This was very clear ... and super visible, when I saw them opening for "Return to Forever" ... and they ended up looking like a garage band that didn't know what they were doing, and tried to show off a guitar hieroglyph or slick this and that with Dweezil, to show that they were just as good, with the exception that the attitude was vacuous and the music was not his own ... which made it harder to improve ... or change. RTF blew them off the stage, and showed what a band can do, and Corea, White, Ponty, Clarke and company simply ... shone as the other group faded into oblivion.
To me, I think Dweezil has to wake up ... and stop being a professor of chords and notes! But by the time he does, many of these things will be gone, and the work of his dad ... hopefully will have a kinder appreciation.
For a GREAT comparison, watch the Roxy DVD, and appreciate the freedom and intensity that Frank gets from his folks ... and he can sit back and just enjoy it! Dweezil is nowhere near that freedom and appreciation!