Ed Palermo Big Band
Encyclopedia
The Ed Palermo Big Band is a big band
that has been active for nearly 30 years playing the compositions and arrangements of their leader and namesake Ed Palermo. They are best known for the arrangements of the music of Frank Zappa
that Palermo has prepared for them. To date they have released two LP
records of original content and three CDs of arrangements of Frank Zappa music.
and the Mothers of Invention. Palermo also discovered a love for the music of Edgar Winter
while in high school. This inspired him to emulate musicians such as Cannonball Adderley, Phil Woods
, and Charlie Parker
. In college he switched from alto saxophone to tenor saxophone due to influences from John Coltrane
, Michael Brecker
, and David Liebman. After graduating college, Palermo moved to New York in order to become a jazz tenor saxophonist. At this point, an album called “Impact” by Charles Tolliver
inspired him to try his hand at arranging. Palermo looked to his friend Dave LaLama, already an arranger, for advice and he began to compose and arrange music. Soon he began playing with Tito Puente
, and during this time Palermo assembled a group which later expanded into the Ed Palermo Big Band.
.
In 1982 the Ed Palermo Big Band recorded their first LP and released it as “Ed Palermo” under a label called Vile Heifer. Later the LP became known as “Papier Mache” after the first song on the album. This LP featured guests such as Randy Brecker
, David Sanborn
, and Edgar Winter. The material on this album was mostly Palermo’s original work, except for a few pieces that were co-written.
Due to the hassle involved in producing an album under one’s own label, the Ed Palermo Big Band did not release another album until a record company showed interest. This happened in 1987. “Ping Pong” was released under the label of Pro Jazz Records and featured much different material from the Ed Palermo Big Band’s first LP. This album featured less complicated music and more swing. From 1987 to 1993 the band alternated shows between the clubs Visiones and the Bitter End.
"Up until then, my own shows at the Bitter End were drawing next to nobody," said Palermo. "For some reason, the word got out about the Zappa show and the place was swamped. And it was incredibly exciting--people there were Zappa fanatics.”
The show had a good turnout however the original idea was for only one tribute concert. However the band was contacted by Alan Pepper of the Bottom Line. This began a nine-year residency for the Ed Palermo Big Band at the Bottom Line. For these shows the Ed Palermo Big Band played primarily arrangements (done by Ed Palermo) of Frank Zappa songs, however each show was different from the one before it. The band often featured special guests at these shows such as Zappa alum Mike Keneally.
In 1997 the Ed Palermo Big Band recorded their first Zappa CD. “The Ed Palermo Big Band Plays the Music of Frank Zappa,” also known as “Big Band Zappa,” was released under the label of Astor Place Records.
After nine years at the Bottom Line (1994 to 2003) the Ed Palermo Big Band took a break from regular shows for a period of about a year. After that they began another series of regular shows at the Iridium in New York City. This series of shows lasted for four years and featured primarily arrangements of Frank Zappa music.
In 2006 the Ed Palermo Big Band released their second CD, “Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance” under the label of Cuneiform Records.
In 2009 the Ed Palermo Big Band released their third, and latest, CD. “Eddy Loves Frank” was released under the label of Cuneiform Records. Recently the band has been playing sporadically about three or four times per year.
In a 2010 interview linked-to at Palermo's official site he states "My main focus now is our next CD which will be a double CD for the price of one. One disc Zappa, the other my original material."
Ed Palermo is also an amazing music teacher at the outstanding school, Hoff Barthelson. He is often seen parading around the school with his alto saxophone, which currently has a photograph of Frank Zappa's head taped onto the bell.
1982 Vile Heifer
Ping Pong
1987 Pro Jazz Records
The Ed Palermo Big Band Plays the Music of Frank Zappa (aka Big Band Zappa)
1997 Astor Place Records
Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance
2006 Cuneiform Records
Eddy Loves Frank
2009 Cuneiform Records
Big 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...
that has been active for nearly 30 years playing the compositions and arrangements of their leader and namesake Ed Palermo. They are best known for the arrangements of the music of 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...
that Palermo has prepared for them. To date they have released two LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
records of original content and three CDs of arrangements of Frank Zappa music.
Ed Palermo
Ed Palermo started playing the alto saxophone and the guitar in high school. By that point he already knew that he wanted to be a musician. Early influences that pushed him in that direction were the BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and the Mothers of Invention. Palermo also discovered a love for the music of Edgar Winter
Edgar Winter
Edgar Holland Winter is an American musician. He is famous for being a multi-instrumentalist. He is a highly skilled keyboardist, saxophonist and percussionist. He often plays an instrument while singing. He was most successful in the 1970s with his band, The Edgar Winter Group, notably with their...
while in high school. This inspired him to emulate musicians such as Cannonball Adderley, Phil Woods
Phil Woods
Philip Wells Woods is an American jazz bebop alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader and composer.-Biography:...
, and Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
. In college he switched from alto saxophone to tenor saxophone due to influences from John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
, Michael Brecker
Michael Brecker
Michael Leonard Brecker was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Acknowledged as "a quiet, gentle musician widely regarded as the most influential tenor saxophonist since John Coltrane," he has been awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer and was inducted into Down Beat Jazz...
, and David Liebman. After graduating college, Palermo moved to New York in order to become a jazz tenor saxophonist. At this point, an album called “Impact” by Charles Tolliver
Charles Tolliver
Charles Tolliver is an American jazz trumpeter and composer. Tolliver was born in Jacksonville, Florida, where, as a child, he received his first trumpet as a gift from his grandmother. He attended Howard University in the early 1960s as a pharmacy student, when he decided to pursue music as a...
inspired him to try his hand at arranging. Palermo looked to his friend Dave LaLama, already an arranger, for advice and he began to compose and arrange music. Soon he began playing with Tito Puente
Tito Puente
Tito Puente, , born Ernesto Antonio Puente, was a Latin jazz and Salsa musician. The son of native Puerto Ricans Ernest and Ercilia Puente, of Spanish Harlem in New York City, Puente is often credited as "El Rey de los Timbales" and "The King of Latin Music"...
, and during this time Palermo assembled a group which later expanded into the Ed Palermo Big Band.
Early years
In 1977 Ed Palermo assembled a nine-piece band to play his own compositions. The band expanded into a big band and began a three year residency at a New York club called Seventh Ave. South. During this time the band played primarily compositions by Palermo as well as his arrangements of other music. After three years the Ed Palermo Big Band was replaced by Gil EvansGil Evans
Gil Evans was a jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader, active in the United States...
.
In 1982 the Ed Palermo Big Band recorded their first LP and released it as “Ed Palermo” under a label called Vile Heifer. Later the LP became known as “Papier Mache” after the first song on the album. This LP featured guests such as Randy Brecker
Randy Brecker
Randal "Randy" Brecker is an American trumpeter and flugelhornist. He is a highly sought after performer in the genres of jazz, rock, and R&B, and has performed or recorded with Stanley Turrentine, Billy Cobham, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, Sandip Burman, Charles Mingus, Blood, Sweat & Tears,...
, David Sanborn
David Sanborn
David Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
, and Edgar Winter. The material on this album was mostly Palermo’s original work, except for a few pieces that were co-written.
Due to the hassle involved in producing an album under one’s own label, the Ed Palermo Big Band did not release another album until a record company showed interest. This happened in 1987. “Ping Pong” was released under the label of Pro Jazz Records and featured much different material from the Ed Palermo Big Band’s first LP. This album featured less complicated music and more swing. From 1987 to 1993 the band alternated shows between the clubs Visiones and the Bitter End.
Recent years
The band had been playing shows of original music at the New York City club the Bitter End. After Frank Zappa’s death in 1993, Palermo decided to play a show of all Frank Zappa music. Before the show, Palermo posted up a notice for the show on an internet Zappa bulletin board. The turnout to the show was the largest that the Ed Palermo Big Band had had to date."Up until then, my own shows at the Bitter End were drawing next to nobody," said Palermo. "For some reason, the word got out about the Zappa show and the place was swamped. And it was incredibly exciting--people there were Zappa fanatics.”
The show had a good turnout however the original idea was for only one tribute concert. However the band was contacted by Alan Pepper of the Bottom Line. This began a nine-year residency for the Ed Palermo Big Band at the Bottom Line. For these shows the Ed Palermo Big Band played primarily arrangements (done by Ed Palermo) of Frank Zappa songs, however each show was different from the one before it. The band often featured special guests at these shows such as Zappa alum Mike Keneally.
In 1997 the Ed Palermo Big Band recorded their first Zappa CD. “The Ed Palermo Big Band Plays the Music of Frank Zappa,” also known as “Big Band Zappa,” was released under the label of Astor Place Records.
After nine years at the Bottom Line (1994 to 2003) the Ed Palermo Big Band took a break from regular shows for a period of about a year. After that they began another series of regular shows at the Iridium in New York City. This series of shows lasted for four years and featured primarily arrangements of Frank Zappa music.
In 2006 the Ed Palermo Big Band released their second CD, “Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance” under the label of Cuneiform Records.
In 2009 the Ed Palermo Big Band released their third, and latest, CD. “Eddy Loves Frank” was released under the label of Cuneiform Records. Recently the band has been playing sporadically about three or four times per year.
In a 2010 interview linked-to at Palermo's official site he states "My main focus now is our next CD which will be a double CD for the price of one. One disc Zappa, the other my original material."
Ed Palermo is also an amazing music teacher at the outstanding school, Hoff Barthelson. He is often seen parading around the school with his alto saxophone, which currently has a photograph of Frank Zappa's head taped onto the bell.
Roster
| Name | Instrument(s) |
|---|---|
| Ed Palermo | Arranger, Alto Saxophone, Guitar |
| Ronnie Buttacavoli | Trumpet |
| John Hines | Trumpet |
| Charlie Gordon | Trombone |
| Joe Fiedler | Trombone |
| Matt Ingman | Bass Trombone |
| Cliff Lyons | Alto Saxophone, Clarinet |
| Phil Chester | Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute |
| Ben Kono | Tenor Saxophone, Flute |
| Bill Straub | Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet |
| Barbara Cifelli | Baritone Saxophone |
| Bob Quaranta Bob Quaranta Bob Quaranta, pianist, received his B.M. in music theory from the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts. For over ten years, he was a member of Mongo Santamaría's band and served as musical director. Additionally, he composed songs for the band, five of which appeared on Mongo's recordings... |
Acoustic Piano |
| Ted Kooshian Ted Kooshian Ted Kooshian is a New York jazz pianist and keyboardist who has performed with artists that include Aretha Franklin, Chuck Berry, Toni Braxton, Marvin Hamlisch, Sarah Brightman, and Blood, Sweat, and Tears. Kooshian has played in many Broadway pit orchestras, and is a member of the Ed Palermo Big... |
Synthesizer |
| Paul Adamy | Bass Guitar |
| Ray Marchica | Drums |
| Bruce McDaniel Bruce McDaniel Bruce McDaniel is an American musician, composer, producer and recording engineer, currently living in New York.Bruce McDaniel was born in Boston, Massachusetts of Mexican and Scottish/American parents on 23 September 1962 and grew up in New York. He was raised by musical parents who met while... |
Guitar, Vocals |
Special Guests
- Napoleon Murphy BrockNapoleon Murphy BrockNapoleon Murphy Brock is an American singer, saxophonist and flute player who is best known for his work with Frank Zappa in the 1970s, including the albums One Size Fits All, Roxy and Elsewhere, and Bongo Fury...
- Gary LucasGary LucasGary Lucas is an American guitarist, a Grammy-nominated songwriter, a soundtrack composer for film and television, and an international recording artist with over a dozen solo albums to date. He has been described as "one of the best and most original guitarists in America" ; a "legendary leftfield...
- Felix Cabrera
- Mike KeneallyMike KeneallyMichael Joseph Keneally is an American guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist and composer. Allmusic says: "With his wide-ranging talents and ability to be creative in almost any musical situation, Keneally is the leading progressive rock genius of the post-Zappa era."Born on Long Island, New York, he...
- Mike SternMike SternMike Stern is an American jazz guitarist. After playing for a few years with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he landed a gig with Billy Cobham and then broke through with Miles Davis' comeback band from 1981 to 1983, and again in 1985. Since then, he launched a solo career, releasing more than a dozen albums...
- Elliott RandallElliott RandallElliott Randall is an American guitarist, most known for being a session musician with popular artists. Randall has played the well-known guitar solos from Steely Dan's hit "Reelin' in the Years" and Fame. Legendary Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page has reputedly said that Randall's solo on...
- John SebastianJohn SebastianJohn Benson Sebastian Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and autoharpist. He is best known as a founder of The Lovin' Spoonful, a band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000...
- Ike WillisIke WillisIke Willis is a singer and guitarist who was a regular sideman for Frank Zappa, first joining Zappa's band for the fall 1978 tour and remaining in the band for several years. He did not tour with Zappa in 1981 and 1982 for personal reasons, but returned to touring with Zappa for his final two...
- Howard LevyHoward LevyHoward Levy is a Grammy Award–winning, American harmonicist, pianist, composer, and producer....
- Carl RestivoCarl RestivoCarl Restivo is an American born musician, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and sound engineer. His unique abilities as a lead singer, multi-instrumentalist , songwriter, producer, and arranger have landed him spots on tour with Perry Farrell's Satellite Party and Tom Morello's...
- Wycliffe GordonWycliffe GordonWycliffe Gordon is a jazz trombonist. He also plays didgeridoo, trumpet, tuba, piano and sings.In 1995, he re-orchestrated the theme song for NPR's All Things Considered...
- Deb Lyons
- George Naha
- Candy Zappa
- Catherine Russell
- Mats & Morgan
- Jimmy VivinoJimmy VivinoJimmy Vivino is an American guitarist, keyboard player, singer, producer, and music director. He is best known as the leader of Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band, the house band for the TBS late night program Conan...
- Russ Bonagura
- John Tabacco
- Rob PaparozziRob PaparozziRob "The Honeydripper" Paparozzi is a grammy nominated American harmonica player and vocalist from New Jersey.He has toured with Dolly Parton, George Jones, and has contributed to works by Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Judy Collins, Cyndi Lauper, and Bobby McFerrin. He is a former member of...
- Tom Bowes
- Denny Walley
- Will Lee
Discography
Papier Mache (Released as "Ed Palermo")1982 Vile Heifer
| Song Title | Featured Soloist(s) |
|---|---|
| Papier Mache | Edgar Winter (Alto Sax and Organ) |
| Complete Control | Ed Palermo (Alto Sax), Kim Plainfield (Drums), Bob Quaranta (Piano) |
| Before Max | Ed Palermo (Alto Sax), Randy Brecker (Trumpet) |
| Dusty | Jim Clouse (Soprano Sax) |
| Different People Differently | Dave Glenn (Trombone) |
| An Escape Nonetheless | David Sanborn (Alto Sax) |
Ping Pong
1987 Pro Jazz Records
| Song Title | Featured Soloist(s) |
|---|---|
| Ping Pong | Rick Savage (Trumpet) |
| All Out | Ed Palermo (Alto Sax) |
| 3 Views of a Secret | Chuck Wilson (Alto Sax) |
| Who's the Goose | Rick Savage (Trumpet) |
| Ratphobia | Bud Burridge (Trumpet) |
| Mood for Maude | Matt Finders (Trombone) |
| Darkness | Tom Malone (Trombone) |
| Perry Mason Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, a defense attorney who was the main character in works of detective fiction authored by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason was featured in more than 80 novels and short stories, most of which had a plot involving his client's murder trial... |
Chuck Wilson (Alto Sax) |
| Goodnight | Al Hunt (Oboe) |
| Bitch's Crystal | Bob Quaranta (Piano) |
| Your Spleen Perhaps | Ed Palermo (Alto Sax) |
| I.G.Y. | Jim Clouse (Tenor Sax) |
The Ed Palermo Big Band Plays the Music of Frank Zappa (aka Big Band Zappa)
1997 Astor Place Records
| Song Title | Featured Soloist(s) |
|---|---|
| Peaches en Regalia Peaches en Regalia "Peaches en Regalia" is an instrumental jazz fusion composition by Frank Zappa. It was released on Zappa's album Hot Rats in 1969 and has been recorded many times since. It was also released as a single in 1970, with "Little Umbrellas" as the B-side... |
Mike Keneally (Guitar) |
| Toads of the Short Forest | Bob Mintzer (Tenor Sax), Ed Palermo (Alto Sax), Ted Kooshian (Organ) |
| Who Are The Brain Police? / Holiday In Berlin (Excerpt) | Mike Stern (Guitar) |
| Twenty Small Cigars | Dave Samuels (Vibraphone Vibraphone The vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family.... ) |
| King Kong | Bob Mintzer (Tenor Sax) |
| Aybe Sea / Inca Roads (Excerpt) | Mike Keneally (Guitar) |
| Waka Jawaka / Son of Orange County (Excerpt) | Chris Potter (Tenor Sax) |
| Sofa #1 | Ed Palermo (Alto Sax), Dave Samuels (Vibraphone) |
| The Little House I Used To Live In / Mother People (Excerpt) | Mike Stern (Guitar) |
| Heavy Duty Judy / Grand Wazoo (Excerpt) | Ray Marchica (Drums), Ed Palermo (Alto Sax) |
| Carnival of the Animals (Finale) | Ted Kooshian (Keyboard), Bob Quaranta (Keyboard) |
| We Are Not Alone | Mike Stern (Guitar), Mike Keneally (Guitar), Ed Palermo (Guitar) |
| wai, fn? |
Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance
2006 Cuneiform Records
| Song Title | Featured Soloist(s) |
|---|---|
| RDNZL | Ed Palermo (Alto Sax), Charles Gordon (Trombone), Bob Quaranta (Piano), Ted Kooshian (Synthesizer), Ray Marchica (Drums) |
| Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance" is a song written by Frank Zappa and first recorded and released by Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention on their 1968 album We're Only In It For The Money... |
Joe Fiedler (Trombone), Ben Kono (Tenor Sax) |
| Dwarf Nebula Procession March & Dwarf Nebula | Cliff Lyons (Alto Sax) |
| Pound For A Brown On The Bus | Ray Marchica (Drums), Ed Palermo (Alto Sax), Ted Kooshian (Synthesizer), Bill Straub (Tenor Sax) |
| Sleep Dirt Sleep Dirt Sleep Dirt is an album by Frank Zappa released in January, 1979 on his own DiscReet Records label. It reached 175 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart... |
Phil Chester (Soprano Sax) |
| Gumbo Variations | Dave Riekenberg (Tenor Sax), Carl Restivo (Guitar) |
| Mom and Dad / Oh No | Carl Restivo (Vocals), Ed Palermo (Alto Sax) |
| Moggio | Ted Kooshian (Synthesizer), Bob Quaranta (Piano), Ray Marchica (Drums) |
Eddy Loves Frank
2009 Cuneiform Records
| Song Title | Featured Soloist(s) |
|---|---|
| Night School | Ed Palermo (Alto Sax) |
| Echidna's Arf (Of You) | Cliff Lyons (Alto Sax), Bill Straub (Tenor Sax), Charles Gordon (Trombone), John Hines (Trumpet) |
| Regyptian Strut | Phil Chester (Soprano Sax), Joe Fiedler (Trombone) |
| Don't You Ever Wash That Thing? | Ben Kono (Tenor Sax), Ray Marchica (Drums), Ted Kooshian (Synthesizer), Ed Palermo (Alto Sax), Bruce McDaniel(Guitar) |
| Dupree's Paradise | Bob Quaranta (Piano) |
| What's New in Baltimore | Bob Quaranta (Piano), Ben Kono (Tenor Sax) |
| Let's Move to Cleveland | Ted Kooshian (Synthesizer), Ronnie Buttacavoli (Trumpet) |
| America the Beautiful America the Beautiful "America the Beautiful" is an American patriotic song. The lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and the music composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward.... |
Ted Kooshian (Synthesizer), Bruce McDaniel (Lead Vocals) |