Monday, November 03, 2008
THE INDIAN OF THE GROUP HEADS FOR THAT BIG BAND IN THE SKY
JIMMY CARL BLACK 1938 - 2008
Those of you who are Zappa fans like me know all about JCB.
He was the drummer in a bar band called the Soul Giants in the early 60s when they needed a guitar player. The guy who answered the call was a rather entrepreneurial and independent soul named Frank Zappa. Zappa persuaded the band that they needed to stop playing "Louie Louie" and "Wooly Bully" and play original stuff -- HIS stuff.
The rest is history. Black was Zappa's drummer in the Mothers of Invention from 1966 to 1970. He was known for his odd sense of humor, his great love of beer, and two expressions that became part of Zappa lore: "Hi, boys and girls, I'm Jimmy Carl Black and I'm the Indian of the Group" and "When are we gonna get paid?"
After leaving the mothers, he continued to work with Zappa occasionally; theirs was a real love-hate relationship. He played Lonesome Cowboy Burt in Zappa's movie "200 Motels," and then, about 10 years later, appeared on Zappa's "You Are What You Is" album, singing the hilarious tune, "Harder Than Your Husband."
In later years, he toured extensively with the Grandmothers, a touring band of former Mothers of Invention whose membership changed pretty much with every tour. Earlier in the decade, he contracted leukemia. He beat it, but later picked up a case of lung cancer, which is what took him on Sunday.
I met Jimmy Carl in 2000 along with fellow Grandmothers Don Preston and Bunk Gardner at the Rhythm Room. He was as funny and genuine as I'd been told he was, and of course, after the show I was one of many to buy him a beer.
Black married a German woman and moved to Germany shortly after Bush II was elected. He swore he'd never come back to the US while Bush was in power and I don't believe he ever did (I could be wrong about that).
Black released quite a lot of music on his own; I'm putting together a tribute show for my "Zappa Universe Program" that will hopefully air soon.
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Speaking of gigs, and when am I going to get paid, this Saturday I have TWO gigs! I'll be at the Grand Avenue Tavern at 7 p.m., and then I'll be in Tempe at the Big Fish Pub at ll:30! Come see me!
------
If you haven't already voted (like me), and you don't go out and vote tomorrow, you are hereby FORBIDDEN to discuss how bad/good/indifferent things are under the new regime until four years from now and you actually go out and VOTE. So VOTE.
------
I can recite all of the presidents in order. Can you? This upcoming administration will be the 11th of my lifetime (Ike, JFK, LBJ, Tricky, Jerry, Jimmy, Ronnie, King George I, Clinton, King George II and whoever wins tomorrow). My dad's dad lived to see the administrations of Cleveland (the second time, he was born in the election year of 1896) through Carter. That's 16 presidents!
Zowie.
TT
JIMMY CARL BLACK 1938 - 2008
Those of you who are Zappa fans like me know all about JCB.
He was the drummer in a bar band called the Soul Giants in the early 60s when they needed a guitar player. The guy who answered the call was a rather entrepreneurial and independent soul named Frank Zappa. Zappa persuaded the band that they needed to stop playing "Louie Louie" and "Wooly Bully" and play original stuff -- HIS stuff.
The rest is history. Black was Zappa's drummer in the Mothers of Invention from 1966 to 1970. He was known for his odd sense of humor, his great love of beer, and two expressions that became part of Zappa lore: "Hi, boys and girls, I'm Jimmy Carl Black and I'm the Indian of the Group" and "When are we gonna get paid?"
After leaving the mothers, he continued to work with Zappa occasionally; theirs was a real love-hate relationship. He played Lonesome Cowboy Burt in Zappa's movie "200 Motels," and then, about 10 years later, appeared on Zappa's "You Are What You Is" album, singing the hilarious tune, "Harder Than Your Husband."
In later years, he toured extensively with the Grandmothers, a touring band of former Mothers of Invention whose membership changed pretty much with every tour. Earlier in the decade, he contracted leukemia. He beat it, but later picked up a case of lung cancer, which is what took him on Sunday.
I met Jimmy Carl in 2000 along with fellow Grandmothers Don Preston and Bunk Gardner at the Rhythm Room. He was as funny and genuine as I'd been told he was, and of course, after the show I was one of many to buy him a beer.
Black married a German woman and moved to Germany shortly after Bush II was elected. He swore he'd never come back to the US while Bush was in power and I don't believe he ever did (I could be wrong about that).
Black released quite a lot of music on his own; I'm putting together a tribute show for my "Zappa Universe Program" that will hopefully air soon.
------
Speaking of gigs, and when am I going to get paid, this Saturday I have TWO gigs! I'll be at the Grand Avenue Tavern at 7 p.m., and then I'll be in Tempe at the Big Fish Pub at ll:30! Come see me!
------
If you haven't already voted (like me), and you don't go out and vote tomorrow, you are hereby FORBIDDEN to discuss how bad/good/indifferent things are under the new regime until four years from now and you actually go out and VOTE. So VOTE.
------
I can recite all of the presidents in order. Can you? This upcoming administration will be the 11th of my lifetime (Ike, JFK, LBJ, Tricky, Jerry, Jimmy, Ronnie, King George I, Clinton, King George II and whoever wins tomorrow). My dad's dad lived to see the administrations of Cleveland (the second time, he was born in the election year of 1896) through Carter. That's 16 presidents!
Zowie.
TT
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