ArtistInfo

The Mothers

Band,
Rock
A.k.a. Ruben And The Jets (4)

The Mothers or The Mothers Of Invention. Frank Zappa teamed with gigging R&B group 'The Soul Giants' in 1964. The band included vocalist Ray Collins, bassist Roy Estrada and drummer Jimmy Carl Black. Zappa emerged as their creative leader and the band became 'The Mothers' (as in mother-f**kers = good musicians). After signing to Verve Records this was appended to 'The Mothers Of Invention' at the insistence of the label. Until Zappa founded his own label the appendage was usually added in mock deference and the band were usually referred to as 'The Mothers'. Guitarist Elliot Ingber then joined and, for much of their seminal 1960's albums, the group also included woodwind player Bunk Gardner, saxophonist Motorhead Sherwood, keyboardist Don Preston, multi-instrumentalist Ian Underwood and additional drummers Billy Mundi and Art Tripp. Most of these artists appeared on "Freak Out!" (1966), "Absolutely Free" and "We're Only In It For The Money" (1967), "Cruising With Ruben & the Jets" (1968) and "Uncle Meat" (1969). During Zappa's jazz/classical rock period of 1969-1970, his works were augmented by violinists Don "Sugarcane" Harris and Jean-Luc Ponty, percussionist Ruth Underwood and drummers Aynsley Dunbar and John Guerin. Most of these artists appeared on "Uncle Meat", "Hot Rats", "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" and "Burnt Weeny Sandwich". From 1970-72, Zappa formed a new line-up with former The Turtles members Flo & Eddie and bassist Jim Pons. Preston, Underwood and Dunbar remained in the line-up, along with additional keyboardist George Duke. This line-up was disbanded, after Zappa was pushed from the stage by a fan in 1972. (He could not tour for the next year). Two more jazz rock albums, "Waka Jawaka" and "The Grand Wazoo", were recorded with much of the previous jazz-rock group including Preston, Ian and Ruth Underwood, Dunbar, Ponty, Huerin and Duke. Trumpeter Sal Marquez was also added. Zappa and the band went back to vocal rock songs with jazz elements in 1973 on "Over-Nite Sensation", then 1974's "Apostrophe" and 1975's "One Size Fits All". Much of the same band remained, along with new members Bruce Lambourne Fowler (trombone), Tom Fowler (bass) and Napoleon M. Brock (saxophone). In 1975 Zappa called a halt to this backing band. By the late '70s an entirely new support band was formed, with only occasional participation from past members, including a re-appearance of Captain Beefheart. Beginning in the 80's, past 'Mothers' members Collins, Black, Gardner, Sherwood, Preston, Tom and Bruce Fowler occasionally played in a mock Zappa band, 'The Grandmothers'. In 1985 Zappa adroitly used 'The Mothers Of Prevention' in his assault on American censorship aspects of the music industry. Please visit this thread: https://www.discogs.com/forum/thread/773699?page=1#7674203

Members

	Norma Jean Bell voc, sax
	George Duke key, voc 1946-2013 US
	Fred Jackson ts *1929 US
	Frank Zappa voc, g 1940-1993 US
	Ike Willis voc, g *1955 US
	Don Preston syn, ep *1932 US
	Jean-Luc Ponty vn *1942 FR
	Joel Peskin sax US
	Chester Thompson dr *1948 US
	Ernie Watts ts *1945 US
	Kenny Shroyer tb
	John Guerin dr, perc 1939-2004 US
	Ian Underwood *1939 US
	Don "Sugarcane" Harris vn, voc *1938 US
	Aynsley Dunbar dr *1946 GB
	Art Tripp dr *1944 US
	Don Van Vliet voc, h *1941 US
	Ruth Underwood perc, vib, mar *1946 US
	Andre Lewis org 1948-2012 US
	Roy Estrada b, voc, eb *1943 US
	Arthur Barrow g, b, voc *1952 US
	Alan Estes perc US
	Mark Volman voc *1947 US
	Howard Kaylan voc *1947 US
	James William Guercio *1945 US
	Anthony Ortega as, fl *1928 US
	Billy Byers tb 1927-1996 US
	Lowell George voc, g 1945-1979 US
	Napoleon M. Brock voc, fl, ts US
	Ed Mann perc *1954 US
	Elliot Ingber g *1941 US
	Chad Wackerman dr *1960 US
	Bunk Gardner ts *1933 US
	Ray Collins voc, tam, h 1936-2012 US
	Jimmy Carl Black dr, voc 1938-2008 US
	Denny Walley s-g, voc, g *1940
	Motorhead Sherwood tam, bs 1942-2011 US
	Moon Zappa voc, bvoc *1967 US
	Earl Dumler ob, bs GB
	Janet Ferguson voc
	Tony Duran g, voc 1945-2011 US
	Jeff Simmons voc *1949 US
	Sal Marquez tr, voc
	Mike Altschul cl, bs, bcl, fl US
	Jim Pons voc, b *1943 US
	Billy Mundi dr, voc 1942-2014 US
	Suzy Creamcheese voc
	Bobby Martin key, voc FR
	Tom Fowler b *1951 US
	Kurt McGettrick bs US
	Ralph Humphrey dr *1944 US
	Ernie Tack tb
	Robert 'Frog' Camarena voc US
	Bob Zimmitti perc US
	Alice Stuart eg *1942 US
	Jim Fielder b, ep *1947 US
	John Rotella sax, as 1921-2014 US
	Joanne Caldwell McNabb US
	Alex Dmochowski eb, b US
	Peter Wolf key *1952 US
	Henry Vestine g 1944-1997 US
	Chunky voc
	Malcolm McNab tb, ss, tr US
	Bob Harris key, voc *1943
	Ruben Ladron De Guevara voc, tam
	Steve Mann g, voc, acg 1943-2009 US
	Tommy Mariano p, key *1951 US
	Bruce Fowler tb *1947 US