| Waka/Jawaka: | baritone sax and piccolo on "Your Mouth"; piccolo, bass flute, bass clarinet, tenor sax, and baritone sax on "Waka/Jawaka" |
| Grand Wazoo: | "woodwinds" on all tracks |
| Grand Wazoo tour: | piccolo, bass clarinet |
| later albums: | Studio Tan, Orchestral Favorites, Läther, Quaudiophiliac |
Mike Altschul was born on December 27, 1945, in Los Angeles, California. He has also recorded with Carole King, Stan Kenton, Don Ellis, and Gladys Knight.
| Petit Wazoo tour: | trumpet |
Gary Barone was born on December 12, 1941, in Detroit, Michigan. He was the only musician on the Petit Wazoo tour who had not been on the Grand Wazoo tour. His other credits include playing with Stan Kenton, Gabor Szabo, Shelly Manne, Sara Vaughan, Mike Barone (his brother), Supersax, Canned Heat, Sergio Mendes, and Robby Krieger. For more information, see Gary Barone's own website.
| Waka/Jawaka: | trombone and baritone horn on "Waka/Jawaka" |
| Grand Wazoo: | trombone solo on "Grand Wazoo", "brass" on "For Calvin" |
| later albums: | Quaudiophiliac |
William Mitchell Byers was born on May 1, 1927, in Los Angeles, California. He died on May 1, 1996. Byers released three albums, Byer's Guide (1955), Billy Byers (1956), and Impressions of Duke Ellington (1962). He also recorded with Woody Herman, Oliver Nelson, Benny Goodman, Stan Kenton, Sarah Vaughan, Billy Holiday, Gene Krupa, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Jimmy Smith, Buddy Rich, Quincy Jones, Charlie Barnet, Dinah Washington, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Sonny Rollins, Al Jarreau, Lena Horne, Oscar Peterson, Thelonious Monk, and Billy Eckstine.
| Grand Wazoo: | vocals on "Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus" |
Chunky's real name was Ilene Rapaport. She was a member of Chunky, Novi, and Ernie, who released two albums, apparently both titled Chunky, Novi, and Ernie (1973, 1976). Under the name Lauren Wood, she has released two albums, Lauren Wood (1979) and Cat Trick (1981). Her song "Fallen" was used on the soundtrack of Pretty Woman (1990). Chunky's cousin Novi Novog rehearsed with Zappa in 1975, but did not record or tour with the band. For more information, see Lauren Wood's own website.
| Grand Wazoo: | gong on "Eat That Question" |
Your guess is as good as mine.
| Waka/Jawaka: | ring-modulated & echoplexed electric piano on "Big Swifty", tack piano on "Your Mouth" |
| Grand Wazoo: | keyboards on "Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus", "Eat That Question", and "Blessed Relief"; vocals on "Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus" |
| earlier tours: | 1970 |
| later tours: | 1973, 1974, 1975, 7/22/84 (special guest on "Truck Driver Divorce" and "In France") |
| earlier albums: | King Kong (Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa), Chunga's Revenge, 200 Motels |
| later albums: | Overnite Sensation, Apostrophe, Roxy And Elsewhere, One Size Fits All, Bongo Fury, Studio Tan, Sleep Dirt, YCDTOSA 1/2/3/4/6, Playground Psychotics, Läther, Frank Zappa Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa, Have I Offended Someone?, Quaudiophiliac |
George Duke was born on January 12, 1946, in San Rafael, California. He has put out over twenty albums under his own name. He has produced albums by Flora Purim, Al Jarreau, Natalie Cole, Winans, Dells, Sister Sledge, Sadao Watanabe, Melissa Manchester, Hiroshima, and Deniece Williams. He has also recorded with Jean-Luc Ponty, Shuggie Otis, Don Ellis, Cannonball Adderley, Stanley Clarke, Miles Davis, Billy Cobham, Quincy Jones, Anita Baker, Sarah Vaughan, Sonny Rollins, Gladys Knight, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, and the Brecker Brothers.
| Grand Wazoo: | "woodwinds" on "The Grand Wazoo" and "For Calvin" |
| Grand Wazoo tour: | "assorted oboes", sarrusophone |
| Petit Wazoo tour: | oboe, baritone oboe, soprano sax, baritone sax, sarrusophone |
| later tours: | 1975 (Royce Hall) |
| later albums: | Studio Tan, Orchestral Favorites, Läther, Quaudiophiliac |
Earle Dumler has recorded with Tim Buckley, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach, Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Nina Simone, Stan Kenton, John Patitucci, the American Jazz Philharmonic, Diana Ross, J. D. Souther, Robert Palmer, Diane Schuur, Ray Kelley, Judy Collins, Leonard Cohen, Barbra Streisand, Barry Manilow, and the Carpenters. Although he wasn't credited on Orchestral Favorites, he was not only the oboist but also the contractor. His first name is almost always spelled Earl, but the correct spelling is actually Earle.
| Waka/Jawaka: | drums on all tracks, washboard and tambourine on "It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal" |
| Grand Wazoo: | drums on all tracks |
| earlier tours: | 1970, 1971 |
| later tours: | 7/22/84 (special guest on "Chunga's Revenge") |
| earlier albums: | Chunga's Revenge, Fillmore East, 200 Motels, Just Another Band From LA |
| later albums: | Apostrophe, YCDTOSA 1/3/6, Playground Psychotics, Lost Episodes, Quaudiophiliac, Joe's Domage |
Aynsley Dunbar was born on January 10, 1946 in Liverpool, England. He led the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, which released three albums, Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation (1969), Doctor Dunbar's Prescription (1969), and To Mum From Aynsley & The Boys (1970). He also recorded with Flo and Eddie, John Mayall, David Bowie, Jeff Beck, Journey, Jefferson Starship, Sammy Hagar, Pat Travers, Whitesnake, Nils Lofgren, and Donovan.
| Waka/Jawaka: | slide guitar on "Big Swifty", "Your Mouth", and "It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal"; vocals on "It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal" |
| Grand Wazoo: | guitar on "The Grand Wazoo" (bottle neck solo), "For Calvin", and "Blessed Relief" (rhythm guitar) |
| Grand Wazoo tour: | slide guitar |
| Petit Wazoo tour: | slide guitar |
| later albums: | Apostrophe, Joe's Domage |
Anthony Philip Duran was born in Los Angeles on October 14, 1945. He died on December 19, 2011. He was the only musician besides FZ to play on both 1972 studio albums and on both 1972 tours. He was the lead guitarist of Ruben and the Jets, named after singer Rubén Ladrón de Guevara and the FZ album Cruising With Ruben And The Jets. FZ produced their first album, For Real, released in 1973. Former Mother of Invention Motorhead Sherwood played baritone sax and tambourine in Ruben and the Jets. Guevara and Jets rhythm guitarist Robert "Frog" Camarena provided backing vocals on "Cheepnis" (Roxy And Elsewhere), the "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow" suite (Apostrophe), and (Guevara only) "Find Her Finer" (Zoot Allures). Tony Duran himself is heard on "Apostrophe", a studio jam recorded at Electric Ladyland Studios, New York, in September, 1972, during the Grand Wazoo tour.
| Waka/Jawaka: | electric bass on all tracks, vocal on "It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal", fuzz bass on "Waka/Jawaka" |
| Grand Wazoo: | bass on all tracks |
| later albums: | Apostrophe, Lost Episodes, Quaudiophiliac, Joe's Domage |
The real name of Erroneous was Alex Dmochowski. He was a member of the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, and also recorded with John Mayall, Champion Jack Dupree, Michael Chapman, and Country Joe McDonald.
| Grand Wazoo: | percussion on "Grand Wazoo" and "Calvin" |
| later tours: | 1975 (Royce Hall) |
| earlier albums: | Lumpy Gravy |
| later albums: | Studio Tan, Orchestral Favorites, Läther, Quaudiophiliac |
Alan Estes is the younger brother of Gene Estes, who played percussion on Freak Out!, Lumpy Gravy, and Jean-Luc Ponty's King Kong. Alan has also recorded with Don Ellis, the Monkees, Steve Goodman, Boz Scaggs, David Byrne, Barbra Streisand, Elton John, Carly Simon, Barry Manilow, the Tubes, Seals and Crofts, Tom Jones, Firefall, Neil Diamond, Gloria Estefan, and Aaron Neville.
| Grand Wazoo tour: | trombone |
| Petit Wazoo tour: | trombone |
Glenn Arthur Ferris was born on June 27, 1950, in Los Angeles, California. He has recorded with Don Ellis, George Duke, Billy Cobham, Stevie Wonder, Buell Neidlinger, and others. He has released several albums as leader of the Glenn Ferris Trio, the Chrominance Trio, and the Pentessence Quintet.
| Grand Wazoo tour: | trombone |
| Petit Wazoo tour: | trombone |
| later tours: | 1973, 1974, 1975, 7/22/84 (special guest on "Chunga's Revenge"), 1988 |
| later albums: | Overnite Sensation, Apostrophe, Roxy And Elsewhere, Bongo Fury, Studio Tan, Sleep Dirt, Orchestral Favorites, Broadway The Hard Way, The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life, Make A Jazz Noise Here, YCDTOSA 1/3/4/6, Lost Episodes, Läther, Quaudiophiliac |
Bruce Lambourne Fowler was born on July 10, 1947, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He has recorded with Banned From Utopia, the Fowler Brothers Band, Ed Mann, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Captain Beefheart, Woody Herman, Oingo Boingo, Jack Bruce, Brian Setzer, and Harry Connick Jr. He has released two solo albums, Ants Can Count (1991) and Entropy (1993), and another album with Phil Teele, Synthetic Division (1994). He has appeared on-screen in the TV show Chicago Hope and the Robert Altman film Short Cuts (1993). For more information, see the Fowler Brothers' own website.
| Grand Wazoo tour: | drums |
| Petit Wazoo tour: | drums |
| later albums: | Apostrophe, Läther |
Jim Gordon was born in 1945 in Los Angeles, California. He was a session drummer who played with Traffic, B. B. King, Joe Cocker, Harry Nilsson, Nils Lofgren, Delaney and Bonnie, John and Yoko, Alice Cooper, Andy Williams, Leon Russell, Art Garfunkel, Jackson Browne, Joan Baez, Gordon Lightfoot, Gabor Szabo, the Monkees, the Everly Brothers, the Beach Boys, and Steely Dan. He is perhaps best known as drummer for Derek and the Dominos. Their hit "Layla" is credited to Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon. Since Gordon is also credited for playing piano on the album, I suspect that Gordon wrote and played the piano-based ending, while Clapton wrote the main part of the song. Gordon is now committed to a mental institution after murdering his mother. (See Pamela Des Barres' Rock Bottom for details.)
Jim Gordon appeared on only two officially-released Zappa tracks: "Apostrophe" (Apostrophe), for which he is credited as co-composer, and "Down In De Dew" (Läther). He taught FZ the "Bulgarian bagpipe technique" of guitar-playing, which can be heard in "Gee, I Like Your Pants" and "Variations On The Carlos Santana Secret Chord Progression" on Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar.
| Grand Wazoo: | "woodwinds" on "Grand Wazoo" and "Calvin" |
Fred Jackson has also recorded with John Mayall, Ry Cooder, Carole King, B. B. King, Joe Sample, Earth Wind & Fire, and Diane Schuur. He is pictured playing the flute on Grand Wazoo. He also plays tenor, alto, and baritone sax, though I don't know whether he played these instruments with FZ. He is not related to tenor saxophonist Fred Jackson, who played with Little Richard and Lloyd Price.
| Petit Wazoo tour: | soundman |
| earlier albums: | Fillmore East, 200 Motels, Just Another Band From L.A. |
| later albums: | Over Nite Sensation, Apostrophe |
Barrymore Keene engineered albums by the Turtles, Alice Cooper, the Byrds, and Ike & Tina Turner. He also played bass in Spirit. For more information, see his own (archived) website.
FZ often talked to Barry between numbers, especially to alert him to what instruments Tom Malone and Earle Dumler would be playing on the next song. The nickname FZ gave him in the 10/31/72 late show is an allusion to the radio detective program "Mr. Keene, Tracer of Lost Persons" (CBS/NBC, 1937-1955). (The same program was parodied by Bob and Ray as "Mr. Trace, Keener Than Most Persons".)
| Grand Wazoo tour: | cello |
| earlier albums: | Lumpy Gravy |
Jerry Kessler has also recorded with Van Dyke Parks, k. d. lang, Mason Williams, Ella Fitzgerald, Neil Diamond, John Denver, and Earth Wind & Fire.
| Waka/Jawaka: | pedal steel solo on "It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal" |
Sneaky Pete Kleinow was born on August 20, 1934 in South Bend, Indiana. He was a founding member of the Flying Burrito Brothers, and has also recorded with the Byrds, Little Feat, Harry Nilsson, Joe Cocker, Steve Miller, Linda Ronstadt, Golden Palominos, Ringo Starr, Joni Mitchell, Sandy Denny, Leonard Cohen, Jackson Browne, Stevie Wonder, John Lennon, and Fleetwood Mac.
| Grand Wazoo tour: | tuba, trumpet |
| Petit Wazoo tour: | tuba, tenor sax, flügelhorn, piccolo trumpet, trombone, piccolo |
| later tours: | 1976 (Christmas shows: trombone, trumpet, piccolo) |
| later albums: | Zappa In New York, YCDTOSA 6, Läther |
Thomas Hugh Malone was born on June 16, 1947 in Sumrall, Mississippi. He played in the house band on Saturday Night Live for ten years (four as musical director) and now plays trombone, trumpet, bass trombone, tenor sax, baritone sax, flute, piccolo, and alto flute on The Late Show with David Letterman. He appeared as himself in The Blues Brothers. Malone has performed and recorded with James Brown, Blood Sweat & Tears, The Band, Miles Davis, Steve Winwood, David Byrne, David Sanborn, B. B. King, J. Geils Band, Spyro Gyra, and Stanley Clarke. He has also released two albums as leader, Standards Of Living (1991) and Eastern Standard Time (1993).
| Waka/Jawaka: | trumpet on all tracks, chimes on "Big Swifty" and "Waka/Jawaka", vocal on "Your Mouth" and "It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal, flugel horn on "Waka/Jawaka" |
| Grand Wazoo: | "brass" on all tracks, trumpet solo on "Grand Wazoo", "multiple toots" on "Eat That Question", vocals on "For Calvin" |
| Grand Wazoo tour: | trumpet |
| later tours: | 1973 |
| later albums: | Overnite Sensation, Apostrophe, Lost Episodes, Have I Offended Someone?, Quaudiophiliac, Joe's Domage |
Jose Salvador Marquez, Jr., has released an album, One For Dewey (1992). He has also recorded with Robby Krieger, Buddy Rich, Dave Mason, Diane Schuur, Woody Herman, Joe Sample, the Crusaders, and Dave Grusin. He played in the Tonight Show band.
| Grand Wazoo: | "woodwinds" on "Grand Wazoo" and "Calvin" |
| Grand Wazoo tour: | bassoon |
| later albums: | Studio Tan, Läther |
JoAnn Caldwell McNab was born on May 28, 1947, in Los Angeles, California. She studied bassoon with Don Christlieb, who played on Lumpy Gravy and Jean-Luc Ponty's King Kong. She also recorded with Alice Coltrane.
JoAnn Caldwell McNab was married to Grand Wazoo trumpeter Malcolm McNab. According to the liner notes on Grand Wazoo, neither of them is related to engineer Kerry McNab.
| Grand Wazoo: | "brass" on "The Grand Wazoo" and "For Calvin" |
| Grand Wazoo tour: | trumpet |
| Petit Wazoo tour: | trumpet |
| later tours: | 1975 (Royce Hall) |
| later albums: | Studio Tan, Orchestral Favorites, Läther, Quaudiophiliac, Joe's Domage |
Malcolm Boyd McNab was born on March 25, 1943, in Cleveland, Ohio. He has recorded with Jean-Pierre Rampal, Randy Newman, David Byrne, and Van Dyke Parks. He has performed on countless movie and television scores. He was one of the many uncredited musicians on Orchestral Favorites. For more information, see Malcolm McNab's own website.
Malcolm McNab was married to Grand Wazoo bassoonist JoAnn Caldwell McNab. According to the liner notes on Grand Wazoo, neither of them is related to engineer Kerry McNab.
| Grand Wazoo tour: | flute, tenor sax, clarinet |
Getululio Salvatore Migliori was born on November 14, 1930, in Erie, Pennsylvania. He died on September 3, 2001. Migliori released an album Count the Nights and Times (1975). He recorded with Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Tito Puente, Cannonball Adderly, Nat King Cole, Supersax, Phil Spector, Jan and Dean, Beach Boys, Monkees, Wendy Waldman, Leonard Cohen, Harry Nilsson, David Axelrod, Van Dyke Parks, Randy Newman, Manhattan Transfer, and the Tubes.
Wazoo Personnel, Neville-Ferguson through Zimitti