Buzz Gardner
Encyclopedia
Charles "Buzz" Guarnera was a American trumpet
and flugelhorn
player. He is the brother of Bunk Gardner
, both notably played with Frank Zappa
and The Mothers of Invention
.
and jazz
music. At the age of 16, Guarnera started his music career touring with Midwest and Jack Wilson. By then moved to New York City, study at Mannes School of Music. By 1951 he served in the military being based in Trieste, Italy. He played in a military band with which included flautist Herbie Mann
. Along the way he shared a room with Don Preston
who later played with him in Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. In 1953 Guarnera called it quits and left the military service, and moved to Paris, France. While in Paris he played with René Thomas
and André Hodeir
, recording a couple of albums with them. In 1955 Gardner moved to back New York to study at the Manhattan School of Music
. By 1959 he graduated from Manhattan School of Music
with a BA degree in Music. Four years later, Guarnera graduated with a BA in music. After graduating from Manhattan School of Music, he moved to Los Angeles and played with his brother Bunk. The brothers played in Latin and jazz groups together.
/jazz fusion
music background. In November 1968 Buzz joined Frank Zappa's band the Mothers of Invention playing the trumpet, also reuniting with his brother Bunk. Buzz only appeared in two of the Mothers of Invention's albums, Burnt Weeny Sandwich
and Weasels Ripped My Flesh
. In August 1969, Zappa disbanded the Mothers. Buzz and Bunk went along with to play with John Balkin performed as Menage A Trois from 1969-1972.
The brothers appeared on Tim Buckley
's 1970 Starsailor
and Dominic Troiano's 1972 debut album Dominic Troiano. In 1980, Buzz reunited with some of the Mothers of Invention group members, with Bunk, Jimmy Carl Black
, Jim Sherwood, and Don Preston. The group would be called the Grandmothers. The group recorded a few albums and reunited in 2002.
Buzz died on February 1, 2004, at the age of 72. He was survived by his brother Bunk Gardner.
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
and flugelhorn
Flugelhorn
The flugelhorn is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore. Some consider it to be a member of the saxhorn family developed by Adolphe Sax ; however, other historians assert that it derives from the valve bugle designed by Michael Saurle , Munich 1832 , thus...
player. He is the brother of Bunk Gardner
Bunk Gardner
John Leon "Bunk" Gardner born . Gardner is a American musician who most notably played for Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention until the group disbanded in 1969. He plays woodwinds and tenor sax....
, both notably played with Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
and The Mothers of Invention
The Mothers of Invention
The Mothers of Invention were an American band active from 1964 to 1969, and again from 1970 to 1975.They mainly performed works by, and were the original recording group of, US composer and guitarist Frank Zappa , although other members have had the occasional writing credit...
.
Early life
Born in 1931 in Cleveland, Ohio. Guarnera started playing music at a very young age. He was influenced into Big BandBig band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
music. At the age of 16, Guarnera started his music career touring with Midwest and Jack Wilson. By then moved to New York City, study at Mannes School of Music. By 1951 he served in the military being based in Trieste, Italy. He played in a military band with which included flautist Herbie Mann
Herbie Mann
Herbert Jay Solomon , better known as Herbie Mann, was a Jewish American jazz flutist and important early practitioner of world music...
. Along the way he shared a room with Don Preston
Don Preston
Donald Ward Preston also known as Dom DeWilde or Biff Debrie born September 21, 1932 in Flint, Michigan. Preston is an American jazz and rock and roll musician.-Biography:Preston was born into a family of musicians and began studying music at an early age...
who later played with him in Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. In 1953 Guarnera called it quits and left the military service, and moved to Paris, France. While in Paris he played with René Thomas
René Thomas (guitarist)
René Thomas is considered one of the greatest jazz guitarists of the 1960s, but has remained rather unknown to the general public. After the Second World War, he played with the "Bop Shots", Belgium's first be-bop outfit with Jacques Pelzer and Bobby Jaspar...
and André Hodeir
André Hodeir
André Hodeir was a French violinist, composer, arranger and musicologist.-Biography:André Hodeir was born in Paris. His initial training was as a classical violinist and composer. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he took Olivier Messiaen's analysis class, and won first prizes in...
, recording a couple of albums with them. In 1955 Gardner moved to back New York to study at the Manhattan School of Music
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
. By 1959 he graduated from Manhattan School of Music
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
with a BA degree in Music. Four years later, Guarnera graduated with a BA in music. After graduating from Manhattan School of Music, he moved to Los Angeles and played with his brother Bunk. The brothers played in Latin and jazz groups together.
Career
In 1962 Buzz met up with Don Preston again, playing in Don Preston's Unnamed Experimental Project. By 1968, Buzz changed his style of genre playing in avant-gardeAvant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
/jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
music background. In November 1968 Buzz joined Frank Zappa's band the Mothers of Invention playing the trumpet, also reuniting with his brother Bunk. Buzz only appeared in two of the Mothers of Invention's albums, Burnt Weeny Sandwich
Burnt Weeny Sandwich
Burnt Weeny Sandwich is a live and studio compilation album by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, released in 1970 ....
and Weasels Ripped My Flesh
Weasels Ripped My Flesh
Weasels Ripped My Flesh is an album by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, released in 1970.Given Zappa's already stated penchant for expressing his music in "phases"—We're Only in It for the Money was written up as "phase one of Lumpy Gravy"—conceptually, Zappa fans occasionally label this...
. In August 1969, Zappa disbanded the Mothers. Buzz and Bunk went along with to play with John Balkin performed as Menage A Trois from 1969-1972.
The brothers appeared on Tim Buckley
Tim Buckley
Timothy Charles Buckley III was an American vocalist, and musician. His music and style changed considerably through the years; his first album was mostly folk oriented, but over time his music incorporated jazz, psychedelia, funk, soul, avant-garde and an evolving "voice as instrument," sound...
's 1970 Starsailor
Starsailor (album)
Starsailor is a 1970 album by Tim Buckley , released on Herb Cohen's Straight Records label. It marks the moment Buckley's folk rock origins became invisible as he fully incorporated jazz rock and avant-garde styles in to his music. Although it is often regarded as not being accessible to many...
and Dominic Troiano's 1972 debut album Dominic Troiano. In 1980, Buzz reunited with some of the Mothers of Invention group members, with Bunk, Jimmy Carl Black
Jimmy Carl Black
Jimmy Carl Black , born James Inkanish, Jr., was a drummer and vocalist for The Mothers of Invention.-Career: 1960s-1990s:Born in El Paso, Texas, Black was of Cheyenne heritage...
, Jim Sherwood, and Don Preston. The group would be called the Grandmothers. The group recorded a few albums and reunited in 2002.
Buzz died on February 1, 2004, at the age of 72. He was survived by his brother Bunk Gardner.
Discography
- René Thomas quintet: rené thomas et son quintette 1954
- Bobby Jaspar: bobby jaspar's new jazz vol.2 1954
- Andre Hodeir et le jazz groupe de paris: essais 1955
- Tim Buckley: Starsailor 1970
- Domenic Troiano domenic troiano 1972
- Geronimo black: geronimo black 1972
With Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention
- Burnt Weeny Sandwich (1970)
- Weasels Ripped My Flesh (1970)
- You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Sampler (1988)
- You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 1 (1988)
- You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4 (1991)
- You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 5 (1992)
- BTB I: The Ark (1991)
- BTB II: Our Man In Nirvana (1992)
with Grandmothers
- The Grandmothers 1981
- Fan Club Talk 1981
- Lookin Up Granny's Dress 1983
- A Mother of Anthology 1993