Cover-bands

Bands playing some Zappa-stuff – some of them are really good. Sometimes there are things to download.

Ban(ne)d From Utopia
Formed in ´94 for a Stuttgart festival, from Zappa alumnis: Arthur barrow, Tommy Mars, Chad Wackermann, Ike Willis, Bruce Fowler, Ed Mann... Their show is available on DVD. The MAN is missing, but not bad.

Bogus Pomp
This group was founded in the eighties, but since ´94 they play exclusively the music of Frank Zappa. Their common guests are Napoleon Murphy Brock and Ike Willis - former became a straight member now. From their homepage you can download 20-30 songs.

Cosmik Debris

Dangerous Kitchen
They have a CD: Hommage ŕ Frank Zappa (1998). There are some songs to download. Check out, I found them to be dull (sorry).

Duo Sonare
A Guitar duo, in their 1993 CD (Duo Sonare Plays Debussy, Albeniz, Piazzolla, Zappa) there are 4 songs from FZ: "Igor's Boogie","Oh No","Idiot Bastard Son" and "Uncle Meat".

Ed Palermo Big Band
This New York-based big band got close to the hearts of Zappa-fans with their CD entitled The Ed Palermo Big Band Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa. This band has great sound, lots of heavy brass, exellent playing and sometimes guests like Mike Keneally or Mike Stern.
For the past nine years, Ed Palermo and a 20+ piece band have paid tribute to the music of Ed's hero, Frank Zappa - but this came to an end now. The Ed Palermo Big Band is not breaking up! They are just going to prioritize Ed's original material. Ed may very well include Zappa compositions in future concerts or CD's, but the focus will be on his own songs.
Note: The Ed Palermo Big Band "Plays The Music of Frank Zappa" is no longer available through CD now!! It's out of print!!
If you have a copy, it's now a collector's item!!!

Elio E Le Storie Tese
Crazy italians - on their 1999 CD (Tutti Gli Uomini Del Deficiente) they play Tell Me You Love Me. On video they play "Why Does It Hurt", "Poodle Lecture" (both in english and italian), and Sofa.

Ensemble Ambrosius
A homepage of a finnish group playing baroque instruments. First success: "The Zappa Album" (2000), liner notes by Ali Askin. Second CD is their own material. 4 songs to download (FZ: Night School, Uncle Meat). REALLY GOOD!!!

Gotan Project
French electric-tango band. REALLY GREAT. They play Chunga`s Revenge on La Revancha Del Tango CD. Check out!

Le Concert Impromptu
Wind Quintet from France- one of their CD-s (Prophetic Attitude - 1997) is dedicated exclusively to the music of Frank Zappa - you can download "Blessed Relief". Their homepage has an english version as well.
(Hungarian "connection": in 2000 they made a recording of Béla Bartók`s "Mikrokosmos")

Michael Hedges (1953-1997)

Ossi Duri

Project/Object

The Grandmothers
Founded as "Grandmothers" in 1980 by Don Preston, Bunk Gardner and Jimmy Carl Black, from the legendary Mothers.
At around 2000 the band was completely re-formed with Napoleon Murphy Brock and Roy Estrada - without Jimmy Carl Black. Now their name is Grand Mothers - see pictures of them from Zappanale 2002.

(About the 1st band see Sandro Oliva's page.)