Gary Lucas and Nona Hendryx

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In: Magic Band people, Music, Tributes
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The World of Captain Beefheart is a special concert featuring Gary Lucas with the 60 piece Metropole Orchestra performing symphonic Beefheart. Date: Sunday 17th February 2013 Venue: the main hall of Amsterdam’s Paradiso Special guest vocalist for the night is legendary Nona Hendryx (pictured below with Gary), who is also a big Beefheart fan. This event has been put together by Co de Kloet (the Dutch radio presenter who did the last lengthy interview with Don on the phone in the early 90’s). It will be broadcast live on Co’s radio show on national Dutch radio, NTR. It is also being filmed for possible broadcast. ViewRead More →

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In: Magic Band people, Magic Band reunion, Music, Tributes
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Updated: 26 Jan 2013 Woo hoo! Yes, prepare to be booglarized again … the guys are back in the UK for another tour. So far the following dates have been set up: March 2013 1 – Concorde 2, Brighton 2 – Arts Centre, Colchester 4 – The Fleece, Bristol 5 – Robin 2, Bilston, Wolverhampton 6 – The Continental, Preston 7 – Band On The Wall, Manchester 9 – Arches, Glasgow 10 – HMV Picture House, Edinburgh 11 – The Cluny, Newcastle upon Tyne 13 – Erics, Liverpool 14 – The Duchess, York 15 – Sub89, Reading 16 – Under The Bridge, Fulham, London ForRead More →

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In: Memorabilia, Music
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If you haven’t got a copy of the Beefheart/Zappa Commemorative box set put together around Freddy Banister’s book “There Must Be A Better Way” then there are perhaps further reasons to get a copy. Two more stealth recordings of Frank Zappa concerts have now been added to the set: 1970 Frank Zappa at the Bath Festival and 1978 Frank Zappa at the Knebworth Festival. This makes it a total of 10 CDs (7 Captain Beefheart and 3 Frank Zappa), plus the T shirt and poster which are still included … and the price remains £49.99.Read More →

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In: By or about Don Van Vliet
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Paperback : 300 pages No publisher Published 2012 Overview by Steve Froy The title pretty much says it all about this book. This is a collection of around 40 articles, reviews and interviews about and with Don van Vliet over nearly five decades. From the 1966 ‘Great Gnome Biography’ press kit by Derek Taylor to the text of Bono’s chat on the phone with Don in 2001 (don’t let put off you though!). Originally published in music magazines, some well known and others more obscure, all of the pieces are available on this website or on others around the net but they’ve now been convenientlyRead More →

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In: Magic Band members
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A number of musicians have played on various Beefheart albums but have not necessarily been members of the Magic Band. They have been session players brought in to provide a particular instrument or sound. Here’s a brief list of who they were, what Beefheart albums they contributed to and other albums they may have released. The Blackberries backing vocals on Clear Spot A trio of female backing vocalists for hire who seem to have been busy doing session work during the 1970s, often 2 or 3 sesions a day. The mainstay of the group was former Ikette Venetta Fields. A number of other girls wereRead More →

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In: Robert Williams
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Robert was still in high school when he first met Don and became his roadie for a week in Boston during the Tragic Band days. At one particular club they played Dr John was auditioning drummers and Robert put on a display of what he could do. Although he didn’t get the gig with Dr John he seems to have impressed Don. When Robert moved out to California he managed to get Don’s phone number and spoke to him for hours on end. One day Ed Mann, Zappa’s percussionist called him to let him know Don was auditioning drummers. And as Robert told us: WhenRead More →

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In: The Music of Captain Beefheart Live
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Track list Grow Fins Nowadays woman’s gotta hit a man When it blows it stacks Sun zoom spark Tropical hot dog night Bat chain puller Ice cream for crow China pig Lick my decals off baby Harry Irene Big eyed beans from venus 1996 Sweden CD Ultimate Audio Entertainment UAE disc3 www.morganagren.com Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11 recorded in Umea 2nd April 1995; Tracks 6 – 10 recorded in Stockholm 4th May 1995. Background “This project was put together in collaboration with the travelling exhibition [Stand Up To Be Discontinued] of Don van Vliet’s paintings. The art gallery wanted to have Don’s musicRead More →

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In: Denny Walley
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Denny Walley was born in Pennsylvania and lived for a time in New York before his family moved him to Lancaster when he was about 12 (around 1955) – his father was transferred with his job in an aircraft company. At this time Denny was playing the accordion for which he’d found a natural affinity and which his parents had allowed him to take lessons. In high school Denny hooked up with Frank Zappa through Frank’s brother Bobby often driving them to music rehearsals despite being only 14 or 15. Although he knew of Don Vliet he wasn’t acquainted with him at this time. DennyRead More →

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In: Art Tripp
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Arthur Dyer Tripp III grew up in Pittsburgh, he was a drum major at Mt Lebanon High School and in 1962 became percussionist for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. After moving to New York he met up with Frank Zappa and joined the Mothers of Invention. When John French left the Magic Band in 1969 Art was asked to join as drummer. (Unintentionally he had played on Trout Mask Replica when Zappa used a Mothers track as backing to ‘The Blimp’). Drumbo returned to help out on the Lick My Decals Off Baby album which enabled Beefheart to make use of Art’s skills on the marimbaRead More →

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In: Michael Traylor
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Michael took on the daunting task of drumming for the Magic Band reunion tours when Robert Williams was unable to carry on playing with them. This allowed John French to take on vocal duties. Michael’s introduction to the band came from Mark Boston. The two of them had played together for many years in a band called Duck which toured US military bases around the world. He’s also played with country singer Leon Everette (as did Mark) and Denny King (another famous Lancaster musician). Michael had auditioned for the drum slot in the Magic Band in 1976 after having met Don but wasn’t able toRead More →

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In: Michael Traylor
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Michael Traylor is the new drummer for the reformed Magic Band. He provided a brief biography and agreed to answer some questions about himself and his work. By Derek Laskie As a Florida teenager from the swamps Michael Traylor played in the rock group “Purple Passion” which released two “regionally popular” singles on Atlanta’s Vevour label in 1969 and recorded an unreleased album in Nashville in 1971. He studied classical composition and theory at Chipola College and Florida State where he became interested in different types of 20th century composers. It was at this time that he first became aware of Captain Beefheart. During hisRead More →

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In: The Tragic Band
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Fuzzy Fuscaldo – guitar Ty Grimes – drums Dean Smith – guitar Michael ‘Bucky’ Smotherman – keyboards; vocals Del Simmons – saxophone; flute Paul Uhrig – bass When the Magic Band decided they’d had enough and left Don high and dry in March 1974 (or, according to another version of the story, were fired by Don) just weeks away from a US and European tour I doubt they realised who would take their place (not that they particularly cared!). Brothers, Andy and Augie DiMartino, were managing Don and pushing him (albeit willingly) into a more commercial style of music. But, give them their due, atRead More →

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In: Moris Tepper
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Moris met Don sometime in 1974 when he was still an art student. He was asked to join the Magic Band on guitar in 1976 and went straight into recording ‘Bat Chain Puller’ (which was eventually released in 2012). He then stayed in the band until 1982 (working with four different second guitarists) which makes him one of the longest serving (without a break) Magic Band members. Since the demise of the Magic Band Moris Tepper has divided his time between music and painting. Apart from working in the studio and on stage with Tom Waits and Frank Black he has found time to releaseRead More →

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In: Rick Snyder
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Turned onto Don’s music by his friend and long time bandmate, Ace Farren Ford, Rick became a devoted fan and doggedly learned to play these intricate songs. In the band Ace & Duce he was able to incorporate versions of some Beefheart songs into the free jazz workouts that made up their repertoire. In the late ’70s he played in a power-pop band called The Shake Shakes but quit them when he successfully auditioned as guitarist in the Magic Band on the ‘Doc At The Radar Station’ tour. John French had played guitar on that album but wasn’t interested in touring as a guitarist. ForRead More →

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In: Alex Snouffer
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Alex was a fine slide, lead and rhythm guitarist. He could also play drums and trumpet. In the mid to late 1950s he hung out with Frank Zappa and played in an R&B group called The Omens. In 1964 he pulled together the musicians that would become Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band. To all intents and purposes Alex was the original ‘Captain’! It was his determination, organisation and leadership that made this an exciting blues band. But as time went on Don took control of the band and grew into the persona of Captain Beefheart marginalising Alex’s influence. Alex quit the band in 1968Read More →

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In: Alex Snouffer
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It was with great sadness that I heard Alex had died from a massive heart attack. He was 64. One of the original Magic Band guitarists, Alex can justifiably be known as the original ‘Captain Beefheart’, being the prime mover to get the band together and the musical director and organiser in the early days. In an interview in 1973 Don was asked how it all started and he had this to say:- Alex St. Claire called me – you know, the fellow who was on ‘Safe As Milk’. He had a great influence on Jimi Hendrix when he was in England. Anyway, he callsRead More →

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In: Gary Marker, Rising Sons, Ry Cooder
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Rising Sons were a band that included Ry Cooder, Gary Marker, Taj Mahal, Kevin Kelley and Jesse Lee Kincaid. Their various 1964-66 recordings for CBS were never released. As a live band they drew the attention of Don Vliet who berated Doug Moon saying he should play slide like Ry Cooder. The 20 year old Cooder played slide and bass on the Safe As Milk album as well as arranging several songs most notably ‘Grown So Ugly’. Taj Mahal played percussion on ‘Yellow Brick Road’. Gary ‘Magic’ Marker was involved in the early production work on Safe As Milk, as well as playing occasional bassRead More →

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In: Richard Redus
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Richard Redus, known as Rick, was friends with Eric Drew Feldman and Jeff Moris Tepper in Portola Junior High in Tarzana, CA and Taft High School in Woodland Hills, CA). So, it was somehow inevitable that when the Magic Band needed a new guitarist it was him that the other members of the band thought of. He joined the Magic Band in 1978 replacing Denny Walley on guitar. He also played accordion (as Denny had also done). He was from a ‘hippy’ background, his parents ran The Third Eye head shop on Ventura Boulevard, Encino. According to a former high school friend Rick was aRead More →

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In: Jeff Cotton
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MU was a band formed by Jeff Cotton (aka Antennae Jimmy Semens) after he left the Magic Band in 1969. Cotton hooked up with friends Merrell Fankhauser, Larry Willey and Randy Wimer from his old band The Exiles. The band developed a subtle and mellow sound which was lifted above the average by Cotton’s fine slide work and some interesting rhythms. Their first single and debut album were released on very small labels and were not given the distribution and advertising they deserved. The band moved to Hawaii in 1973, Willey replaced by Jeff Parker on bass but the band fell apart the following yearRead More →