Rare footage of Jean-Luc Ponty from 1972. Performing his only original composition from his album King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa. While the album version goes 7:12 in length, this version (it is surmised that this recording is from a German TV Archive – can anyone confirm this?) goes 10:13. Though recorded under the Ponty name, King Kong is largely considered a Zappa record by fans.
Category: Alumni
Who Do You Think You Arf?!? – The European Grandmothers
I have always been intrigued by the D.I.Y. (Do It Yourself) ethic among bands who cover and interpret Zappa’s music. True, few of these acts have any hope of actually being signed by today’s youth driven music business. In many cases, Demo CDs are given away free of charge through websites, or produced in limited runs by independent labels. In either case, it’s often up to the fan to track down these CDs and order them (if possible).
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You Ef What You Zee — The Eternal Question
In one of the previous posts, “The MOI – Conflicted Histories“, I was struck by one of the questions posed to Jimmy Carl Black:
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Small Screen Zappa – 67/68
On September 16, 1967, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention made a brief 10 minute appearance on Fred Weintraub’s WOR-TV New York show “From The Bitter End”. They lip synched “Son Of Suzy Creamcheese” from Absolutely Free, then performed an improvisation (above) which has come to be known as “In Memoriam, Hieronymus Bosch” which appeared on the bootleg, Apochrypa.
Fraternity Of Man — Oh No I Don’t Believe It
“Fraternity Of Man” was released on Abc Records in 1968 and featured a cover of Frank Zappa’s “Oh No I Don’t Believe It” (which he had yet to release himself). Blues leads were handled by Elliot Ingber, and psychedelic leads were played by Warren Klein. The inclusion of this track on this Fraternity Of Man album is widely attributed to Elliot due to his association with the Mothers.
The Mothers of Invention – Conflicted Histories
As time has passed since the publication of The Real Frank Zappa Book, and more interviews of original band members have emerged whose individual recollections contradict was had been written (and often taken as factual history) — it further sheds light on the complexity of this band, and the need for an ongoing, objective, and scholarly view of the Mother’s history from those who were actually there (well beyond the usual pop culture biographies and rock critic hokum), the musicians themselves.
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Bill Payne Interview
An exclusive 10 part series of interviews with Bill Payne of Little Feat conducted by Living Legends Music, recorded on May 1st, 2008 at The Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, FL. In part 4, above, Payne discusses 1969’s “Summer of Love”, hearing Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention‘s “Uncle Meat” for the first time, how he got introduced to Lowell George (then still a Mother), and his life and experiences with Little Feat (which included former Fraternity of Man member, Richie Hayward, as well as former Mother, Elliot Ingber).
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Whatever Happened To Ray Collins?
Check this bittersweet little piece on the current whereabouts of former Mother, Ray Collins:
He moved to Claremont after a modest legal settlement with Zappa over his and other founding members’ contributions to the band, he says. […] Collins turned down several offers to join the Grandmothers, a band made up of graying ex-Mothers. Instead, he’s lived a hand-to-mouth existence, mostly by choice. His only income is Social Security and twice-annual royalty checks from co-writing the doo-wop song “Memories of El Monte.”
That doesn’t appear to have made him a bitter man though:
“If you just enjoy life,” Collins continues, “it’s conducive to not being successful. You know what I mean? I just enjoy life.”
(via)
News from Andre’ — Project/Object
This just in via email from Andre’ Cholmondeley:
PROJECT/OBJECT – the music of Frank Zappa
featuring IKE WILLIS & DON PRESTON
and special guest RAY WHITE (on July 4 only)
Sat 4th July – Western, Pa
The Church Of Universal Love and Music
Doors: 10 AM – 2 sets – All ages Tickets/Advance: $30 DOS:$ $40
Andre’ Cholmondeley plays guitar in this band, a tribute to the music of Frank Zappa. P/O also has Eric Svalgard (keyboards), Eric Slick (drums), Robbie “Seahag” Mangano (bass). Ray White will join P/O on their July 4 date only.
The Avalon All-Stars
The Avalon All-Stars is a loose-knit house band of the Avalon Ballroom located in San Francisco, CA, and featuring – depending on the night and availability – former members of the Jerry Garcia Band, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, and others. In the first of the two clips from their December 28th, 2003, performance the set opens with some improvisational scratching around that bloomed into a Johnny “Guitar” Watson number, “You Can Stay But the Noise Must Go.” The second clip is a cover of The Jerry Garcia Band’s “Get Out My Life Woman”.