THE GRANDMOTHES - THE WEASELS SESSIONS '93

• The Grandmothers: The Weasels Sessions '93
      (2026, download / streaming, --, digital music platforms / muffin records productions)

Featuring Jimmy Carl Black, Don Preston, Bunk Gardner, Roland St Germain, Linda Valdmots, Ener Bladezipper and Sandro Oliva !

1. Progress
2. The Quartet
3. Prelude to the Eric Dolphy Memorial BBQ (Live)
4. I Can't Breath
5. '59 Chevrolet
6. Chest Pain
7. The Austin Chronicle
8. Lady Queen Bee
9. Primal Jazz (Live)
10. Soft Construction with Sharp Interlude (Live)
11. Be All You Can Be
12. Silicone Hump
13. Where Were You (Live)
14. King of My Castle
15. Transitions
16. What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body (Excerpt)
17. My Car
18. Idiot
19. Do You Think My Pants Are Too Tight (Live)
20. Let the Good Times Roll
21. The Eternal Question (Live)
22. Trouble Every Day (Live)
23. Plastic People (Live)
24. Primorial (Hingshammer Version)

Excellent news !!
Check out your digital music platforms for this release !!

DON PRESTON'S EUROPEAN TOUR

We went to see Don Preston in concert about a week ago.
At De Bosuil in Weert, NL.
It was fantastic.

Here's a picture by Moa Boot.

Don played some of his original tunes next to pieces by other composers, not forgetting Frank Zappa, of course.

Contemporary stuff, jazz, blues, Zappa,... and some hilarious improv with his wife Tina.
The perfect mix. I loved it.

Don had brought 3 of his CD's to the merch table.
No new material, and just the CD's in a paper sleeve, but I thought it was a great way to get his music out to those who weren't familiar with it.
At 5 euro a piece, these were a bargain.
(a pity that my copy of "Io Landscapes" is giving a 'blank disc' error, but I assume it's the same version as the copy I have on the shelf somewhere.)

"Hear Me Out"

"Io Landscapes"

"Vile Foamy Ectoplasm"

I was told that Don played a longer set at some of his other concerts.
Probably due to the fact that he was sharing the bill with The Others Of Invention in Weert.
Those guys and girls also did a fine job.

DON PRESTON TOUR DATES

Don Preston will also play at De Bosuil in Weert, NL.
October 2, 2024.
sharing the bill with Frank Zappa tribute band The Others Of Invention.

-- info : Philippe Lamoot

For more dates, check Andrew's Diary
https://www.zappanews.co.uk/

TONY TROMBO'S "TALKING ZAPPA"

I mentioned a little while ago that Podcaster Tony Trombo published a book with a selection of his podcast interviews with several musicians who worked with Frank Zappa.
"Talking Zappa".

The book is now also out in a hard-cover version.
I got my copy from Amazon.

THE GRANDMOTHERS - THE EU GRANDMOTHERS FEATURING CANDY ZAPPA

• The Grandmothers: The EU Grandmothers Featuring Candy Zappa
      (2002, cdr, Germany, inkanish records)

Jimmy Carl Black issued quite a number of CDR albums on his Inkanish Records label between 2000 and 2008.
I had never seen the above pictured one until I picked up a used copy at Zappanale last year.

Subtitled “Promo CD For The 2002 Tour”, this album was a compilation that presented material from The Grandmothers’ “Eating The Astoria” and Nigey Lennon’s “Reinventing The Wheel” albums.

 
The band called themselves The EU Grandmothers and featured Jimmy Carl Black and Sandro Oliva. At the same time, Don Preston, Bunk Gardner, Roy Estrada and Napoleon Murphy Brock presented themselves as the Grandmothers Re:Invented...

To make things even more confusing, the material that was taken from the "Eating At The Astoria" album and that is presented on this disc, featured Jimmy Carl, Sandro, Don & Bunk...

1. Grandmothers Introduction
2. Peaches En Regalia
3. Call Any Vegetable
4. Any Way The Wind Blows
5. Lady Queen Be (J.C. Black)
6. Messin' In The Kitchen (N. Lennon)
7. Hungry Freaks, Daddy
8. Big Leg Emma
9. Yer Wife Don't Like Me (N. Lennon)
10. Brown Shoes Don’t Make It
11. Junk Food (S. Oliva) / Mr. Green Genes / Junk Food (reprise) (S. Oliva)
12. Uncle Meat

BOB SMITH - THE VISIT

 Bob Smith released "TheVisit" in 1970.
The album featured Don Preston on keyboards.

Here's a link to some additional info:
http://rubber-soul-magazine.blogspot.com/2022/09/bob-smith-visit-1970.html

I never got hold of this vinyl album but I do have the CD re-issue.
A quick discogs search showed that the LP had been re-released as well.

If you want to find out what the album is like, there's also YouTube to help you out:

-- link: Jan van Kemenade

VIRTUAL CONCERT BY THE DON PRESTON TRIO

From GlassOnyon PR

Mothers of Invention Keyboard Legend! The Don Preston Trio To Play Virtual Concert at The World Stage on July 2, 2021

Mothers of Invention keyboard legend Don Preston and his Trio will be performing a free-form Virtual Concert at The World Stage on July 2, 2021!

Don Preston leads a life filled with music, innovation, and experimentation. “Groundbreaking” is a phrase that is clearly overused…with Don it rings true. One of the first performers to drag a pile of oscillators and filters onstage, he brought his classical training to the avant-garde. In the early 60s a weird guy named Frank Zappa would come to see Don’s “electronic music with films of bacterial life” shows in Los Angeles. Don was soon in Zappa’s radical new group The Mothers Of Invention, touring and playing on classics like “We're Only In It For The Money” and “Roxy & Elsewhere” from 1966 to 1973.

Don’s played with everyone from Elvin Jones to The Residents, Jack Bruce and Robbie Krieger. His keyboard solos on Zappa albums, as well as countless soundtracks like Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, are considered ground-breaking moments in synthesizer music history.

Still very active in his 80’s, Don was there for the dawn of electronic musical performance, and today grafts new technologies into his experimental palette with software synths & iPhone apps, blending jazz, rock, comedy, magic and ambient synths into a captivating performance.

Don has performed with artists like: Frank Zappa, Lou Rawls, Al Jarreau, Nat King Cole, Billy Daniels, Johnnie Ray, Vaughn Monroe, Connie Francis, Herbie Mann, Elvin Jones, Charlie Haden, Art Davis, Paul Bley, Carla Bley, Joe Beck, Shorty Rogers, Leo Sayer, Charles Lloyd, Nelson Riddle, J.R. Monterose, Flo & Eddie (Howard Kaylan & Mark Volman of The Turtles) Yusef Lateef, Don Ellis, Meredith Monk, Bobby Bradford, Michael Mantler, John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

The Don Preston Trio:

• Don Preston - pianoforte, prepared piano, synths, and what knots
• Anders Swanson - acoustic bass
• Christopher Garcia - El Monstro, percussion

Friday July 2, 2021
THE DON PRESTON TRIO@THE WORLD STAGE

THE WORLD STAGE SITE
 http://theworldstage.org/events.html
THE WORLD STAGE ON FACEBOOK
 https://www.facebook.com/theworldstage/
THE WORLD STAGE YOUTUBE CHANNEL
 https://www.youtube.com/c/TheWorldStage/featured?app=desktop

THE GRANDMOTHERS OF INVENTION

at MorYork, L.A.
January 24, 2020
The Grandmothers of Invention

MICHAEL MANTLER WITH DON PRESTON

In case you don't have the Michael Mantler "Alien" album (on which Don Preston collaborates), you can get extra info here :
http://slowgoesthegoose.blogspot.com/2018/11/michael-mantler-with-don-preston-alien.html

-- info : Jan van Kemenade

A ZAPPANALE NEWSFLASH

Dear Zappafans,
the program of the 30th Zappanale is taking shape.

We‘ve received an above-average amount of applications and the musicians I‘d like to book for this year are demanding some patience from me.

It‘s been your wish over and over again to see one highlight of our memorable 13th Zappanale, Ed Palermo.
Ed Palermo will come to our 30th jubilee in full line-up with all his wind section.
Additionally he will strike up together with Napoleon Murphy Brock.

At the GrandMothers Of Invention concert Ed Palermo will be part of the band with his wind players. More musicians who want to play with GMOI have still to be clarified.
The show from the GMOI will differ from last year‘s concert. I think that with Zappanale #30 they will bid their final farewell to us. It‘s been their great wish to be again part of the 30th Zappanale. We are happy and looking forward to seeing Don and Bunk again, because they have been the first of Frank Zappa‘s companions who performed at the Zappanale. We are united by long years of shared history.

The negotiations with Ensemble Musikfabrik are concluded. Here we will get a program on a very high level, which will be in this vein for the first time at the Zappanale. I‘m actually trying to win Napoleon to fly to Cologne on Thursday before Zappanale to audition together with the Ensemble.

Percussion Under Construction (a branch of the Saarländisches Staatstheater) is going to delight us with 8 musicians playing a Zappa program and later on the Mystery Stage again with a smaller line-up with music from Edgar Varese.

It goes without saying that Jazzprojekt Hundehagen, our house band, must not be missing our jubilee and will be present, too, of course.

Det Skandalose Orkester from Norway will throw the party on Saturday night.

Das Duo Zement will make us happy with sounds à la Cluster and early Kraftwerksound.

Hopefully Ali’N Askin, a former companion of Frank Zappa, is going to escort us into the sunset like 6 years ago.

The AMM-All Stars are going to offer us an interesting version of „Lumpy Gravy“.

And now it‘s time for the second round for all remaining bands.

Music is the best!

Euer Zappanale Team

DON PRESTON

Don Preston did the soundtrack for "Android", the 1982 movie.
Here's the end credits, with music !!

DON PRESTON & ANDREA CENAZZO - ESCAPE FROM 2012

• don preston / andrea centazzo: escape from 2012
      (2011, cd, usa, ictus records ictus 156)

February 2010, Don Preston and Andrea Centazzo did a concert at the South Pasadena Conservatory of Music. About one year later, Don released a recording of this concert on CDR on his Brain Records label. I only recently found out that the actual recording (mixed, edited and produced by Andrea) was released on (a factory pressed) CD as well, on Andrea's Ictus Records record label.

The album presents 9 improvised compositions / tracks and clocks at a bit over 60 minutes.
(The Brain Records version only had 8 tracks and a total time of 56.20 min...)

Andrea plays gongs, cymbals, drums and the mallet kat;
Don is not only featured on keyboards and electronics, but he also plays the double bass !!
Fascinating.

Available from Ictus.
https://www.ictusrecords.com/

THE GRANDMOTHERS OF INVENTION - FREE ENERGY

• the grandmothers of invention: free energy
      (2018, cd, usa, private release) 

The most recent Grandmothers tour had Ed Mann teaming up with Bunk Gardner, Don Preston and Christopher Garcia.
The band did a small number of concerts in Europe in April and came back for a final gig at Zappanale. Unfortunately for the Zappanale audience, Ed Mann hurt his pelvis recently and was unable to make it to Bad Doberan.

"Free Energy" has a lot of the tunes that The Grandmother performed during this recent tour. It is obvious that both Don and Bunk don't play as fluent as they used to, but it's nice to hear Ed perform with The Grandmothers.
Private release. Available from Don.

1. free energy (don preston)
2. the eric dolphy memorial bbq (frank zappa)
3. the eternal question (don preston)
4. modern man (george carlin)
5. king kong (frank zappa)
6. flower punk (frank zappa)
7. silicon hump (don preston)
8. evelynn the modified dog (frank zappa)
9. dark matter (don preston)
10. lament (don preston)
11. dr. know (ed mann)
12. talkin' ruth, chris, don, bunk
13. dupree's paradise (frank zappa), incl. ruth (don preston)

BUNK GARDNER - BUNKMANIA

• bunk gardner: bunkmania
      (2018, cd, usa, private release)

Bunk Gardner joined The Mothers Of Invention in early 1967. Before that happened, he had already participated in the recording of "Themes From The Hip" by the Bud Wattles Orchestra.
After his years with The Mothers, Bunk formed Menage A Trois with his brother Buzz and with John Balkin, and he recorded with Geronimo Black.
Bunk did keep on playing Zappa's music as part of The Grandmothers and with Don Preston as The Don And Bunk Show.
"Bunkmania" collects material from all of these sessions.
In super-fine quality.
Personally, I'm very happy with the Menage A Trois material that can be found on this album.

Beautiful album in a fine digipack.
Essential if you want to know what one of your Grandmothers' career was all about.

THE GRANDMOTHERS OF INVENTION & SHENKAR

Tonight, May 12, in Oslo, Norway :

THE GRANDMOTHERS OF INVENTION, SHENKAR (L. SHANKAR), RONNI LE TEKRØ, and the NORWEGIAN WIND ENSEMBLE

organised by the ZappaUnion team.

Frank Zappa veterans Don Preston, Bunk Gardner, Ed Mann and Christopher Garcia make up the Grandmothers of Invention. May 12 will be the last chance to see them in Norway.

The concert will be unique :
Legend Shenkar (L. Shankar, violin) flies in from India only to perform with The Grandmothers.
On request of The Grandmothers, Ronni Le Tekrø will join the ensemble on the guitar.

Plus, the band will be joined by the Norwegian Wind Ensemble (Norwegian Blåseensemble (DNBE)). The DNBE has played several concerts with Dweezil Zappa and has released albums with Frank Zappa compositions.

I'm assuming that various Zappateers will be attending the concert. Let's hope that an audio or video turns up.

THE GRANDMOTHERS OF INVENTION

I saw The GrandMothers Of Ivention in concert last week. Once in Heerlen and again in Tilburg.

Don Preston, Bunk Gardner, Ed Mann and Christopher Garcia.

The Heerlen concert was quite a disaster, actually. Lots of mixer and monitor sound problems took the vibe away. Not only for the audience, but also for the musicians. Once that the issues had been resolved, the keyboards still sounded saturated... Quite frankly, It was a mess. Despite some fine solos, this concert could not be saved.

Tilburg was quite another story. With no scheduled or unscheduled breaks, the band played for two hours. Tight, or at least more tight then in Heerlen, and with great solos, it was like this was a completely different band. Add a superb sound (tip to the hat for the soundguy) and a fine audience and one gets a great evening.

THE GRANDMOTHERS OF INVENTION - LIVE IN BREMEN

• the grandmothers of invention: live in bremen
      (2018, 2cd, ger, sireena)

Started in the early eighties by Jimmy Carl Black, Don Preston and Bunk Gardner, The Grandmothers have gone through various line-ups and incarnations.
During one or their most recent tours, November 2014, The Grandmothers recorded the concert that they did in Bremen, Germany. Next to the ever-present Don Preston, Bunk Gardner (and Christopher Garcia !!), the line-up included Eric Klerks on bass and vocals and Max Kutner on guitar and vocals.
It's great to have this concert available as on official release, especially since the Grandmothers will be starting their final tour in about a week.
Sure, Don and Bunk are in their seventies and they don't play as fluent as they used to, but the emotional / historical aspect plus the excellent performance by Chris, Eric and Max make up for that.
Love it.

On their final tour, Chris, Don and Bunk will be joined by Ed Mann.
Let's hope they bring a guitar and bass player along as well.

The Grandmothers Of Invention

22 Apr 2018  The Underworld London United Kingdom
23 Apr 2018  The Robin 2 Bilston United Kingdom
24 Apr 2018  Band on the Wall Manchester United Kingdom
25 Apr 2018  Nieuwe Nor Heerlen Netherlands
26 Apr 2018  Blue Notez Dortmund Germany
27 Apr 2018  Paradox Tilburg Netherlands
28 Apr 2018  Jazzclub Nordhausen Nordhausen Germany
29 Apr 2018  Stadttheater Landsberg Germany
01 May 2018  Blue Note Milano Italy
02 May 2018  Burghof Lörrach Lörrach Germany
03 May 2018  Kammgarn Schaffhausen Switzerland
04 May 2018  Mühle Hunziken Rubigen Switzerland
05 May 2018  Treibhaus Innsbruck Austria
06 May 2018  Kino Siska Lublijana Slovenia
07 May 2018  Porgy & Bess Wien Austria
08 May 2018  Metro Music Bar Brno Czech Republic
09 May 2018  Lucerna Music Bar Prague Czech Republic
10 May 2018  Quasimodo Berlin Germany
11 May 2018  Beta Copenhagen Denmark
12 May 2018  John Dee Oslo Norway
13 May 2018  Kulturhuset Stadsteatern Stockholm Sweden
22 Jul 2018  Zappanale Bad Doberan Germany

MORE DATA ON THE NEW GRANDMOTHERS ALBUM

don preston: keyboards, vocals
bunk gardner: sax, flute & vocals
max kutner: guitar, vocals
eric klerks: bass, vocals
christopher garcia: drums, percussion

all compositions by frank zappa, except 'stratus' by don preston

disc 1

1. introduction
2. pound for a brown
3. call any vegetable
4. absolultely free
5. flower punk
6. who needs the peace corps?
7. i'm the slime

disc 2

1. uncle meat
2. the orange county lumber truck
3. trouble every day
4. montana
5. stratus (excerpt)

NEW GRANDMOTHERS ALBUM

The Grandmothers are releasing a live album, recorded in Bremen during the 2014 tour !!

Should be available before their European tour (in a couple of weeks !!)


-- info: Danny Mathys

ZAPPANALE LINE-UP

Wednesday, Zappa spielt für Bach in Hamburg, DE

• Inventionis Mater, feat. Valentina Ciardelli

Thursday, Warming Up in the town of Bad Doberan, DE

• Gabby Zappa Hey!
• Lutopia Orchestra
• Zappnoise

Friday, festival ground, Bad Doberan, DE

• Amon Düül II
• Tante Tofu
• Flat Earth Society
• Tatvamasi
• Fried Dähn & Skin of Clazz

Saturday, festival ground, Bad Doberan, DE

• Jazzproject Hundehagen
• Sex without Nails Bros
• Alex's Hand
• Bozzio - O'Hearn - Cuccurullo power trio
• Coogans Bluff

Sunday, festival ground, Bad Doberan, DE

• Gabba Zappa Hey!
• Monika Roscher Big Band
• Bonnen, Aigui & Burghaus
• The Grandmothers Of Invention  feat. Don Preston and Bunk Gardner
• good-bye session