the abnuceals emuukha electric symphony orchestra

There were two versions of the Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra:

• 1967 Lumpy Gravy Incarnation
   

• 1975 Orchestral Favorites Incarnation
   

4	frank zappa: lumpy gravy    (1967, lp, usa, verve)
65	frank zappa: läther    (1996, 3cd, usa, ryko)
74	frank zappa: quaudiophiliac     (2004, dvda, usa, dts entertainment 69286-01125-9-9)
83	frank zappa: one shot deal     (2008, cd, usa, zappa records)

• March 14, 15 and 16, 1967 the Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sid Sharp, recorded the orchestral parts for Frank Zappa's "Lumpy Gravy" album.
  

•      From: Patrick Neve (splat@darkwing.uoregon.edu)
  
  The first version of the AEESO served as the ensemble backing much of the orchestration on Lumpy Gravy. Until now, it wasn't clear whether the orchestra was recorded in 1966 or 1967.
  There were two conflicting FZ quotes:
  FZ: (in Jan. 1974 Melody Maker) ...there was a thirteen month litigation that held up the release. (which was December, 1967)
         or
  FZ: (From Civilization Phaze III booklet) In 1967, we spent about four months recording various projects (Uncle Meat, We're Only In It For The Money, Ruben and The Jets  and Lumpy Gravy)
  
  In any event, most of the musicians and chorus were accounted for in the Lumpy Gravy liner notes;  (and whatever happened to them?)
  
  HOWEVER... in November of '00, Greg Russo comes to the rescue with information straight from the Local 47 Musicians Union, in the form of contracts for the Lumpy Gravy Sessions.  The following information is by kind permission of Greg.
  
       From: Greg Russo (grusso2787@aol.com)
  
  Thanks to Local 47, I have copies of the contracts for the Capitol "Lumpy Gravy" sessions.  Contrary to the recording date listed on the album (February 1967), the original version of the album was recorded on March 14, 15 and 16, 1967.  The personnel listings for each date are too long to list here.  If anyone cares, Capitol paid for the sessions on April 7, 1967!
  All sessions took place at Capitol Studios, 1750 North Vine Street, Hollywood, CA
  All sessions were paid by Capitol on April 7, 1967.
  
  All listings are as shown.  If something is wrong, that's how it was listing on the session sheet!

  • MARCH 14, 1967
     

  • Capitol Master #: 57290

  • Titles: none shown, but this is the first part of the original "Lumpy Gravy" LP.  It also includes "Sink Trap."

  • Recording Time: 8PM to 12AM (1 hour overtime)

  • Musicians:

    • Frank Zappa

    • Sidney Sharp (contractor)

    • Ted Nash (4 doubles) - flute, alto sax, contra b. clarinet, clarinet, bass clarinet

    • Jules Jacob (4 doubles) - oboe, English horn, flute, piccolo, tenor sax)

    • Johnny Rotella (4 doubles) - flute, baritone sax, E flat contra clarinet, B.clarinet, clarinet

    • John L. "Bunk" Gardner (4 doubles) - flute, clarinet, bassoon, bass, soprano, tenor saxes

    • Emil Radocchia (= Emil Richards) (3 doubles) - mallets, percussion, tympani,Latin

    • Gene P. Estes (3 doubles) - mallets, percussion, tympani, Latin

    • James C. Zito (2  doubles) - trumpet, flugelhorn, piccolo

    • Thomas J. Tedesco (2 doubles) - guitar, bells, bongos

    • Kenneth Shroyer (1 double) - tenor and bass trombone

    • Frank Capp (1 double) - drums, Latin

    • Don Christlieb (1 double) - bassoon, contra bassoon

    • Michael A. Lang

    • John Balkin

    • Alfred Viola

    • Robert West

    • Dennis Budimir

    • Arthur E. Briegleb

    • George F. Price

    • Lyle Ritz

    • Joan Steele

    • Robert M. Calderwood (copyist)

    • Russell N. Brown (copyist)

    • Vincent Bartold (copyist)

    • Jack DuLong (copyist)
       

  •  MARCH 15, 1967
     

  • Capitol Master #: 57320

  • Titles: Lumpy Gravy (13:00) - this is the second part of the original "Lumpy Gravy" LP.  It also includes "Gypsy Airs."

  • Recording Time: 8PM to 12AM (1 hour overtime)

  • Musicians:

    • Frank Zappa

    • Sidney Sharp (contractor)

    • Ted Nash (3 doubles) - flute, bass flute, alto sax, clarinet

    • Johnny Rotella (3 doubles) - E flat clarinet, flute, piccolo, clarinet, E flat contra clarinet

    • John L. "Bunk" Gardner (4 doubles) - piccolo, flute, bassoon, b. clarinet

    • Gene P. Estes (3 doubles) - typani, Latin, percussion, mallets

    • Victor Feldman (3 doubles) - tympani, Latin, percussion, mallets

    • Gene Cipriano (3 doubles) - oboe, flute, bass flute, E flat clarinet

    • Kenneth Shroyer - tenor and bass trombone, bass trumpet

    • James C. Zito (2  doubles) - trumpet, flugelhorn, piccolo, trumpet

    • Thomas J. Tedesco (2 doubles) - guitar, bells, bongos

    • Don Christlieb (1 double) - bassoon, contra bassoon

    • Robert West

    • John Balkin

    • Charles Berghofer

    • Lincoln Mayorga

    • George F. Price

    • David A. Duke

    • Alfred Viola

    • Trefoni Rizzi

    • Shelly Manne

    • Leonard Malarsky

    • William Kurasch

    • Arnold Belnick

    • Ralph Schaeffer

    • Jerome A. Kessler

    • Raymond J. Kelley

    • Leonard Selic

    • Joseph DiFiore

    • Harry Hyams

    • Philip Goldberg

    • Joseph Saxon

    • Jesse Ehrlich

    • Tibor Zelig

    • Harold Ayres

    • Jerome J. Reisler

    • Robert Ross

    • R.D. McMickle (copyist)

    • John Donahue (copyist)

    • Robert Calderwood (copyist)

    • C.D. Goodwin (copyist)

    • Russell N. Brown (copyist)

    • Joan Steele (copyist)
       

  • MARCH 16, 1967
     

  • Capitol Master #: 57336

  • Titles: Lumpy Gravy Unit 3A - the sheet incorrectly lists this as #57320.  This number was already signed to the previous day's session.  Capitol's files show this session as 57336.  This session is not part of the original Capitol album.

  • Recording Time: 8PM to 12AM (1 hour overtime)

  • Musicians:

    • Frank Zappa

    • Sidney Sharp (contractor)

    • Johnny Rotella (5 doubles) - bass and alto sax, flute, E flat clarinet, bass clarinet, E flat contra clarinet

    • John L. "Bunk" Gardner (4 doubles) - flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon

    • Gene Cipriano (3 doubles) - oboe, flute, bass flute, bass clarinet, contra b.clarinet

    • Ted Nash (3 doubles) - flute, bass flute, bass clarinet, contra b. clarinet

    • Alan Estes (3 doubles) - tympani, mallets, percussion, Latin

    • Victor Feldman (2 doubles) - tympani, mallets, percussion

    • Thomas Tedesco (2 doubles) - guitar, bells, bongos

    • Don Christlieb (1 double) - bassoon, contra bassoon

    • James C. Zito (1 double) - trumpet, flugelhorn

    • Lew McCreary

    • John Balkin

    • Lincoln Mayorga

    • Dennis Budimir

    • Robert West

    • Trefoni Rizzi

    • Vincent DeRosa

    • Arthur Maebe

    • Shelly Manne

    • Harry Hyams

    • Joseph DiFiore

    • Harold G. Bemko

    • Jerome A. Kessler

    • Joseph Saxon

    • Jesse Ehrlich

    • Alexander Koltun

    • Tibor Zelig

    • Ralph Schaeffer

    • Bernard Kundell

    • William Kurasch

    • James Getzoff

    • Philip Goldberg

    • Leonard Selic

    • Arnold Belnick

    • James E. Bond, Jr.

    • Robert H. Ross (arranger)

    • John Donahue (copyist)

   

•  Ok, this is some amazing information, but it doesn't account for the following musicians credited on the album:

  • The Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra & Chorus:

    • Piano, celeste, electric harpsichord

      • Paul Smith

      • Pete Jolly

    • Drums

      • Johnny Guerin

      • Frankie Capp

    • French horns

      • Vincent De Rosa

      • Richard Parisi

    • Trumpet

      • Jimmy Zito

    • Trombone

      • Kenneth Shroyer

    • Guitars

      • Jim Haynes

      • Tommy Tedesco

      • Tony Rizzi

      • Al Viola

      • Dennis Budimer

    • Bass

      • Bob West

      • John Balkin

      • Jimmy Bond

      • Lyle Ritts

      • Chuck Berghofer

    • Strings

      • Alexander Koltun

      • Tibor Zelig

      • Ralph Schaeffer

      • Bernard Kundell

      • William Kurasch

      • James Getzoff

      • Philip Goldberg

      • Leonard  Selic 

      • Arnold Belnick

      • Leonard Malarsky

      • Harold Ayres

      • Jerome J. Reisler

      • Harry Hyams

      • Joseph DiFiore

      • Jerome A. Kessler

      • Raymond J. Kelly

      • Joseph Saxon

      • Jessa Ehrlich

      • Harold G. Bemko

    • Chorus

      • Louie The Turkey (Kuneo)

      • Ronnie Wiliiams

      • Dick Barber

      • Foon The Younger

      • Roy Estrada

      • Spider

      • Jim Motorhead Sherwood

      • J.K. Adams and Tony

      • Gilly and the girls from Apostolic (Maxine, Becky, Monica)

      • All Night John (Kilgore)

      • The Other John

      • Cal Schenkel

      • Pumpkin

      • Larry Fanoga

      • Eric Clapton & Charlotte

      • Jimmy Carl Black

      • Sammy

      • Harold

      • Charlie

      • Bruce

      • and the rest of the guys from Atlanta.
         

•       From: Pat Buzby (pbuzby@surfnetcorp.com)
  Col. Bruce Hampton contributed to the dialogue on Lumpy Gravy (anyone know which dialogue?).
  Glenn Phillips mentions in his liner notes to the Hampton Grease Band CD reissue of Music To Eat that FZ recorded a conversation involving Bruce and Glenn's brother Charlie that he used on Lumpy Gravy.  I'm not sure where - it might be the conversation in the background during the long Motorhead monologue about his job switches in the middle of the first side (after the orchestral Oh No).
   

•      From: Charles Ulrich (ulrich@sfu.ca)
  Ms. Sill appears to spell her first name Judee. Her 1973 album Heart Food featured erstwhile Mothers Gene Cipriano, Jesse Ehrlich, William Kurasch, Leonard Malarsky, Emil Richards, Ralph Schaeffer, Tibor Zelig, Vincent DeRosa, Jim Gordon, and Ray Kelley.
  You already list her self-titled debut album on your Jim Pons page.

   
  

• September 1975, the abnuceals emuukha electric symphony orchestra (37 musicians), conducted by michael zearott, did two concerts playing the music of frank zappa.  terry bozzio played drums and zappa played guitar on a few pieces.

  take a look at <http://users.cableaz.com/~lantz/pages/emuukha.html> for more info !
   

  • the concerts
    • 1975/09/17    concert 'royce hall', university of california, UCLA, los angeles, usa
      • bogus pomp (world premiere)
      • revised music for low budget orchestra
      • pedro's dowry (world premiere)
      • rollo (the middle section of st. alfonzo's pancake breakfast, with fz on guitar)
      • dog meat
      • naval aviation in art (world premiere)
      • string quartet in the style of bartok (an improvisation)
      • duke of orchestral prunes
      • lumpy gravy (sink trap section)
      • strictly genteel (with tommy morgan on harmonica)
         
    • 1975/09/18    concert 'royce hall', university of california, UCLA, los angeles, usa
      • bogus pomp
      • revised music for low budget orchestra
      • pedro's dowry
      • rollo (the middle section of st. alfonzo's pancake breakfast, with frank zappa on guitar)
      • black napkins (an 'improvised' world premiere with frank zappa on the guitar)
      • dog meat
      • naval aviation in art
      • lumpy gravy
      • duke of orchestral prunes (with tommy morgan on harmonica)
         
  • A review & history of the pieces can be read in 'FZ at royce hall; the making of Orchestral Favorites"; An article by Zomby Woof in 'Mother People' magazine issue no.21, 1983.
     
  • The recordings were originally meant to be released as a seperate album, later on "Läther". Eventually they found their way to:
    • frank zappa: studio tan (24)
         (1978, lp, usa, discreet)
    • frank zappa: orchestral favorites (27)
         (1979, lp, usa, discreet)
    • frank zappa: lather (65)
         (1996, 3cd, usa, ryko)
  • Some of the recordings were released on:
    • frank zappa: quaudiophiliac (74)
          (2004, dvda, usa, dts entertainment 69286-01125-9-9)
    • frank zappa: one shot deal  (83)
          (2008, cd, usa, zappa records)
       

  •      From: Patrick Neve
    We know precious little about the second incarnation of this orchestra. However there are few important sources from which we can glean something of a personnel list.  The first is an essential interview with Pamela Goldsmith, who was lead violist.  Via the Ocker interview, and Bill Lantz's correspondence with Pamela we learned that many of the following people played the Royce Hall concert.  Add to this the recent surprise e-mail from Jock Ellis who informs us of additional personnel, and an anecdote of Captain Beefheart showing up late, and we have the following working member list:

    • Andre Lewis- organ

    • Bobby Dubow- violin

    • Bruce Fowler- trombone

    • Dana Hughes- bass trombone

    • Dave Parlato- bass

    • David Duke- french horn

    • David Shostak- flute

    • Don Waldrop- trombone

    • Don Van Vliet- soprano sax

    • Earle Dumler- oboe

    • Emil Richards- percussion

    • Frank Zappa- guitar

    • George Duke- keyboards

    • Glenn Ferris- trombone

    • Jerry Kessler- cello

    • Jock Ellis- trombone

    • John Wittenberg - violin

    • Malcolm McNabb- trumpet

    • Gene Goe - trumpet

    • Roy Poper - trumpet

    • Marty Perellis?

    • Mike Altschul-flute, trumpet

    • Mike Lang- keyboards

    • Pamela Goldsmith- viola

    • Ray Pizzi- reeds

    • Ray Reed- flute

    • Terry Bozzio- drums

    • Tommy Morgan- harmonica

    • Tom Raney- percussion

    • Alan Estes- percussion

    • John Bergamo- percussion

    • Lou Anne Neill- harp
       

  •      From: Patrick Neve (splat@darkwing.uoregon.edu)
    This is looking like a Wazoo reunion, isn't it?  (thanks to  Bill Lantz (lantz@cableaz.com) You should recognize Earle Dumler, Malcolm McNabb, Ray Reed, and Glenn Ferris from the Grand Wazoo and Petit Wazoo touring orchestras, and Emil Richards was in the original Emuukha Orchestra back in '67!  Couple that with the fact that several members of the original members of of the '67 Emuukha Orchestra show up in the Grand and Petit Wazoos, and I'd say there's a strong likelyhood that the '75 Emuukha Orchestra was comprised of other '67 alumni as well.
     

  •      From: Jasper Leach (jasperleach@metawire.com)
    Don played soprano sax at the very end of one of the concerts, according to Matt Groening. He reports that at the end of the concert, after all the musicians had left, Don appeared, sax in hand. He played freely for a few minutes.
     

  • Here is the excerpt from the David Ocker interview which is specific to the Royce Hall concert. (reprinted with kind permission of Bill Lantz. Also check out his AEEO page for more information on the '75 incarnation)
    
    GREGGERY PECCARY
     

  • BL -- Do you have any idea when and with whom Greggery Peccary was recorded?
    ==

  • DO -- I remember going through the folders (leatherette with gold lettering) which held the parts for the Abnuceals Emulkha Electric Orchestra (I never knew what that title meant - I'm probably not spelling it correctly) which played the famous Royce Hall concert. That was before my time. It was a very large big band, essentially - 4 or 5 winds (all multi-doublers), 4 or 5 each of trumpets and trombones, horns & tuba (maybe), 3 keyboards, an amplified string quartet, loads of percussion, plus guitar, bass and drums (of course). I used those parts when I reorchestrated Bogus Pomp for large orchestra. Also in the folders were the parts to Greggary Peccary - actually the G.P. music was in sections, a few of the titles were Big Swifty, Brown Clouds, something about Billy the Mountain.
    Anyway, in one of the folders was a list of the players - all studio people, good ones. I remember only a few of the names - Pam Goldsmith was the violist (she had to play the fiendish viola solos in Bogus Pomp). Her part to that piece had been run over by a tire of some sort - like a car or motorcycle tire. I met her once and asked if the part had been run over intentionally. She denied it. Other names that I remember are Earle Dumler (an oboist who was also the contractor), Emil Richards (percussionist) and Malcolm McNabb (trumpet). 
    Chances are good that that list - and all those folders - are still sitting up at the house, maybe someone knows who to ask to get access to it.
    Another way of going would be to look for the contracts filed at the Musicians Union here in LA - although I have absolutely no confidence that such a thing would still be accessible or be any easier to find than the list up at the Zappas. All I can do for you is promise to ask questions in case I ever run into some of these people - I have very little contact with studio types, many of whom are probably close to retirement by now.
    I'm sure these people would have gotten appropriate credit on any album Frank was in charge of. They certainly deserve it.
    Did I mention that Greggery Peccary is my FAVORITE FZ piece?