Wow! Two Zappa alumni playing together on St Patrick's Day!Should be a great time. Played after Preston at Jimmy Carl Black's memorial a couple of years ago and he and the band sounded great. Go see a legend!
DON PRESTON AND BUNK GARDNER
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
7:00pm - 11:30pm
HOLLYWOOD STUDIO BAR & GRILL
DOLORES PETERSEN PRESENTS:
THE DON AND BUNK SHOW
ST. PATRICK'S DAY BASH
Zappa had decided to expand to an eight-piece band. he asked Don Preston to join who brought along Bunk Gardner.....
DON PRESTON
At 12 years old he was thrown out of school for hypnotizing several students and a nun. The nuns used to beat his hands with a big ruler when he made mistakes playing the piano. Because of this weird treatment he began to like strange and dissonant music.
Preston later did a stint in the army, serving in Trieste, Italy. Upon his return to Detroit during the early '50s, Preston associated with pianist Tommy Flanagan. He also sat in with Elvin Jones and others at the city's West End Cafe where Yusef Lateef conducted twice-a-week jam sessions with Milt Jackson's brother, bassist Ollie Jackson.
Preston moved to Los Angeles in 1957 where he hooked up with pianist Paul Bley, bassist Charlie Haden, and others who were hearing jazz in new ways.
Many will recognize Preston from his long collaboration with Frank Zappa as the keyboardist and one of the members of the original Mothers of Invention. Preston performed and recorded with Zappa until 1974.
He is a co-founder of the Grande Mothers and still active with the band, completing an extensive tour in Summer-Fall 2000 and later tours through til 2008.
Preston also appeared on-stage as a guest keyboardist with the Zappa tribute band Project/Object (featuring Zappa Band alumni Ike Willis and Napoleon Murphy-Brock) for several shows in 2001 and 2002.
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BUNK GARDNER
Born John Leon Guarnera in Cleveland, Ohio, Bunk Gardner joined the Mothers Of Invention in early 1967. He recorded and toured with Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention until late 1969.
Shortly after he had left The Mothers, Bunk performed with Menage A Trois, with his brother Buzz and with John Balkin.
Bunk Gardner also toured and recorded with Geronimo Black and with The Grandmothers.
Early 2000, a couple of albums of The Don And Bunk Show got released, the duo that Bunk had formed with Don Preston.
In 2003 he took part in a concert (and recording) of The Grande Mothers Re:Invented. Besides Bunk Gardner, the Grande Mothers Re:Invented also feature Don Preston, Napoleon Murphy Brock and Roy Estrada.
In 2007, the Crossfire Publications record label released Bunk's first solo album, "It's All Bunk!", collecting material from Bunk's entire career.
Admission: $20 plus dinner entree or 2 drinks required
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