| Waka/Jawaka: | vocal on "It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal" |
| Grand Wazoo: | vocals on "For Calvin" |
| earlier albums: | Burnt Weeny Sandwich ("WPLJ"), 200 Motels (film) |
Miss Janet is best known as one of the groupies in 200 Motels. She was also heard on two George Duke albums, I Love The Blues, She Heard My Cry (1975) and Liberated Fantasies (1976). She later married Zappa engineer Paul Hof.
| Grand Wazoo: | "woodwinds" on "Grand Wazoo" and "Calvin" |
| later albums: | Joe's Domage |
Anthony Robert Ortega was born on June 7, 1928. He plays alto and tenor saxophone, clarinet, and flute. He has released three albums, Jazz for Young Moderns (1958), New Dance! (1966), and Rain Dance (1978). He has also played with Jean-Luc Ponty, Johnny Hartman, Lionel Hampton, Don Ellis, and Gerald Wilson.
| Grand Wazoo tour: | soprano sax, alto sax, clarinet |
Charles M. Owens was born on May 4, 1939, in Phoenix, Arizona. He has released three albums, Two Quartets (1979), Charles Owens Plays the Music of Harry Warren (1980), and Eternal Balance (1999). He has also recorded with Buddy Rich, Paul Humphrey, John Mayall, Marvin Gaye, Grover Mitchell, Gladys Knight, John Carter, Miles Davis, Mercer Ellington, and Jeannie and Jimmy Cheatham. He teaches in the Jazz Studies Program in the UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology.
| Grand Wazoo tour: | bass |
| Petit Wazoo tour: | bass |
| later tours: | 1975 (Royce Hall) |
| later albums: | Zoot Allures, Sleep Dirt, Orchestral Favorites, Läther, Frank Zappa Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa, Quaudiophiliac |
David Charles Parlato was born on October 31, 1945, in Los Angeles, California. He has recorded with L. Subramaniam, Paul Horn, Warne Marsh, and Don Ellis. Although he never went on the road with FZ again, Parlato did play in the Royce Hall concerts that were recorded for the Orchestral Favorites album. He also played on two studio recordings: "Zoot Allures" (Zoot Allures) and "Filthy Habits" (Sleep Dirt).
| Waka/Jawaka: | tenor sax on "Your Mouth" |
| Grand Wazoo: | "woodwinds" on "Eat That Question" and "Blessed Relief" |
Joel Peskin has also recorded with Robby Krieger, Weird Al Yankovic, Lowell George, Doobie Brothers, Dr. John, Joe Cocker, Pat Benatar, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, Beach Boys, Diane Schuur, and Natalie Cole. He also played on the soundtrack of That Thing You Do. He is pictured playing the flute on Grand Wazoo. He also plays clarinet, all saxes, and oboe, but I don't know whether he played these instruments on Grand Wazoo. For more information, see Joel Peskin's archived website.
| Waka/Jawaka: | vocal on "Your Mouth" |
Kris Peterson released one single "Mama's Little Baby (Is a Big Girl Now)" (1968) on Capitol and one album A Child's Dream (1972) on Richie Havens' Stormy Forest label. She has also performed or recorded with Jobriath, Parliament-Funkadelic, Detroit Cultural Workers and Artists Caucus, and Blue Spirit Tribe.
| Waka/Jawaka: | piano and mini-moog on "Waka/Jawaka" |
| Grand Wazoo: | mini-moog on "Grand Wazoo" and "Calvin" |
| earlier tours: | 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 (LA Philharmonic concert), 1971 |
| later tours: | 1974 (anniversary tour) |
| earlier albums: | Absolutely Free, Cruising With Ruben And The Jets, Uncle Meat, Burnt Weeny Sandwich, Weasels Ripped My Flesh, Fillmore East, Just Another Band From LA |
| later albums: | Roxy And Elsewhere, YCDTOSA 1/3/4/5/6, Playground Psychotics, Ahead Of Their Time, Lost Episodes, Mystery Disc, Quaudiophiliac |
Donald Ward Preston was born on September 21, 1932, in Flint, Michigan. He joined the Mothers of Invention in 1966, and appeared in the films 200 Motels and Uncle Meat. Preston has released several albums under his own name, including Vile Foamy Ectoplasm (1993), Hear Me Out (1997), and Transformation (2001). He has also recorded with Flo and Eddie, the Grandmothers, the GTOs, Carla Bley, Michael Mantler, Bobby Bradford, John Carter, the Residents, and Robby Krieger. For more information, see Don Preston's archived website.
| Grand Wazoo tour: | vibes, congas, tympani, gong |
| later tours: | 1975 (Royce Hall) |
| later albums: | Orchestral Favorites, Läther, Quaudiophiliac |
Tom Raney played on the soundtracks of Escape From L.A. and The Color Purple.
| Grand Wazoo tour: | tenor sax, clarinet |
| later albums: | Studio Tan, Orchestral Favorites, Läther, Quaudiophiliac |
Ray Reed also recorded with Stan Kenton, Blood Sweat & Tears, Supersax, Ladd McIntosh, Murray Ross, and American Jazz Philharmonic.
| Grand Wazoo: | "woodwinds" on "Grand Wazoo" and "Calvin" |
| earlier albums: | Freak Out!, Lumpy Gravy |
| later albums: | Studio Tan, Läther |
Saxophone and clarinet player Johnny Rotella also recorded with Stan Kenton, Tommy Dorsey, Don & Dewey, Tim Buckley, Steely Dan, Harry Nilsson, Country Joe McDonald, and Pure Prairie League.
| Waka/Jawaka: | trombone and baritone horn on "Waka/Jawaka" |
| Grand Wazoo: | "brass" on "Grand Wazoo" and "Calvin", multiple trombones on "Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus", contractor and spiritual guidance" |
| Grand Wazoo tour: | trombone |
| earlier albums: | Lumpy Gravy |
| later albums: | Quaudiophiliac, Joe's Domage |
Ken Shroyer has also recorded with Stan Kenton, Dizzy Gillespie, Lou Rawls, Ray Charles, James Brown, Carmen McRae, Phil Spector, the Monkees, Mel Tormé, and Michael Franks.
| Waka/Jawaka: | Hawaiian guitar and vocal on "It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal" |
| earlier tours: | 1970 |
| later tours: | 1974 |
| earlier albums: | Chunga's Revenge |
| later albums: | Roxy And Elsewhere, YCDTOSA 1/6, Playground Psychotics |
Jeff Simmons released two solo albums, Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up (1970) and Naked Angels (1971).
| Petit Wazoo tour: | roadie |
Jay "Dunt" Sloatman is the eldest of Gail Zappa's three younger brothers. He is credited ("Technical") on Apostrophe. FZ refers to "Dunt's ex-wife" on Roxy & Elsewhere. The two-headed roadie depicted on the cover of Over-Nite Sensation is Dunt and Paul Hof.
| Grand Wazoo: | "brass" on "Grand Wazoo" and "Calvin" |
Trombonist Ernie Tack has also recorded with Oliver Nelson, Doc Severinsen, Carmen McRae, Louie Bellson, Mike Barone (Gary's brother), Pete Jolly, Jimmy Smith, Ray Conniff, the Beach Boys, Nancy Wilson, and Neil Diamond. He played in the Tonight Show band.
| Grand Wazoo tour: | piano, synthesizer |
| earlier tours: | 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971 |
| later tours: | 1973 |
| earlier albums: | We're Only In It For The Money, Cruising With Ruben And The Jets, Uncle Meat, Hot Rats, Burnt Weeny Sandwich, Weasels Ripped My Flesh, Chunga's Revenge, Fillmore East, 200 Motels, Just Another Band From LA |
| later albums: | Overnite Sensation, Apostrophe, YCDTOSA 1/3/4/5/6, Playground Psychotics, Ahead Of Their Time, Lost Episodes, Mystery Disc, Quaudiophiliac, Joe's Domage |
Ian Robertson Underwood was born on May 22, 1939, in New York. He has also recorded with Flo and Eddie, Jeff Simmons, the GTOs, Essra Mohawk, Jean-Luc Ponty, Ambrosia, Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour, Barbra Streisand, Quincy Jones, Diane Schuur, Chunky Novi & Ernie, Manhattan Transfer, Ernie Watts, and Peggy Lee. He married Ruth Komanoff circa 1970. They are now divorced.
| Grand Wazoo tour: | marimba, bongos, timbales, temple blocks, piccolo snare, field drum, concert bass drum |
| later tours: | 1973, 1974, 1976 (Christmas shows) |
| earlier albums: | Uncle Meat, 200 Motels |
| later albums: | Overnite Sensation, Apostrophe, Roxy And Elsewhere, One Size Fits All, Zoot Allures, Zappa In New York, Studio Tan, Sleep Dirt, YCDTOSA 1/2/3/4/6, Lost Episodes, Läther, Frank Zappa Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa, Have I Offended Someone? |
Ruth Komanoff Underwood has also recorded with Ambrosia, George Duke, Billy Cobham, Alphonso Johnson, Hamilton Face Band, Jasun Martz, and Eye to Eye. She married Ian Underwood circa 1970. They are now divorced.
| Grand Wazoo: | sax solo on "Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus" |
| earlier albums: | King Kong (Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa) |
Ernest James Watts was born on October 23, 1945, in Norfolk, Virginia. He plays tenor saxophone. He has released at least a dozen albums under his own name, as well as recording with the Rolling Stones, John Mayall, Oliver Nelson, Cannonball Adderley, David Benoit, Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Quartet West, Spencer Davis Group, Paul McCartney, James Brown, Ray Manzarek, Carole King, Buddy Rich, Barbra Streisand, Quincy Jones, Joe Sample, Herbie Hancock, Arlo Guthrie, James Taylor, Steely Dan, Dr. John, Doc Severinsen, B. B. King, Alphonse Mouzon, Sadao Watanabe, Tom Scott, Stanley Clarke, and Dave Mason. He played in the Tonight Show band.
| Waka/Jawaka: | guitar on "Big Swifty", "Your Mouth", and "Waka/Jawaka"; percussion on "Big Swifty"; acoustic guitar, electric bed-springs, and uncredited vocals on "It Just Might Be A One-Shot Deal" |
| Grand Wazoo: | lead guitar on all songs, vocals on "Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus", percussion on "Eat That Question" |
| Grand Wazoo tour: | lead guitar |
| Petit Wazoo tour: | lead guitar, vocals |
| Grand Wazoo: | percussion on "Grand Wazoo" and "Calvin" |
Bob Zimitti has also recorded with Sam Harris, Barbra Streisand, David Benoit, Albert King, Tony Williams, and Leonard Cohen.
Wazoo Personnel, Altschul through Migliori