Update: Jimmy Carl Black
By Bob Saydlowski, Jr.
Jimmy Carl Black was the original drummer for the Mothers Of Invention. During his years with Frank Zappa, he played a huge number of concerts, and recorded the albums Freak Out, Absolutely Free, We're Only In It For The Money, Lumpy Gravy, Ruben & The Jets, Uncle Meat, Weasels Ripped My Flesh, and Burnt Weenie Sandwich before Zappa disbanded the group in 1970. Black was also featured in Zappa's 1971 movie, 200 Motels, a "documentary" of life on the road which also featured Ringo Starr, Aynsley Dunbar, and the late Keith Moon. Ten years later, Jimmy made a cameo vocal appearance on a song from Zappa's You Are What You Is album. He is a founding member of The Grandmothers, a group comprised mostly of ex-Mothers.
Asked about the original Mothers, Jimmy says, "It was the best rock 'n' roll band in the world! A lot of people didn't think so; I mean, we were the 'Kings of the Underground' We got nothing played on the radio, or anything like that. But I think we were playing the most innovative music happening at the time. Frank has made references in interviews that he didn't think much of us as players, but in my opinion, I still think the original Mothers Of Invention was the best band he ever had. They may not have been the best technical band, but I'll tell you right now, as far as putting on a show, we were the best band in the world. We never played the same show twice. The shows he's doing now are not spontaneous, and that's what made the Mothers Of Invention. We rehearsed so often and played so much that we had a telepathic thing happening. Everybody knew what Frank was going to do before he did it. It was magic, and he's never had that since. He just has sidemen with him now. They're great guys, though."
After the original Mothers broke up, Jimmy started a band called Geronimo Black. "That lasted till 1973, and then I moved back to El Paso. I had one band – Big Sonny & The Low Boys – that recorded both a single and an album. It's real hard to get – R&B stuff. In 1980, I did an album called Clearly Classic – a clear, plastic blob-shaped record. I pressed 500 copies, and made them as collector's items. It had eight 1950's R&B songs. Then, I did two albums with the Grandmothers [Rhino Records], and then another Geronimo Black album on Helios Records. Now I'm playing drums in a Gospel group in Austin. This Gospel thing is a really interesting trip for me. I've always wanted to do it, but never had the chance to. They're all good players, and they all sing their butts off! I also have a little quartet – a rhythm & blues thing that I front as a singer. I'm also going to put out a four-song EP this year. I have a version of "Big Leg Emma" that I want to record, along with three of my own songs. I'd like to really get some sort of label thing happening.
"I have the master here of a yet-to-be-released third Grandmothers album. There's a song on it called "What Was Zappa Really Like" that Don Preston wrote. We want to get back together and do some stuff. We do a lot of fusion, plus we do a lot of old Mothers stuff that Frank doesn't do anymore. We've been to Europe about three times so far, but we haven't played much in the States. This time, when we get back together, I'd like to do an intensive tour of the USA. I think there are a lot of fans out there who would really get off on it."