Bunk Gardner (born John Leon Guarnera; May 2, 1933 in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

) is an American musician who most notably played for the original version of

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestra ...

Mothers of Invention The Mothers of Invention (also known as the Mothers) were an American rock band from California. Formed in 1964, their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Originally an R&B band ...

until the group disbanded in 1969. He plays woodwinds and

tenor sax The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while ...

Career

Gardner started playing music at the age of seven by taking piano lessons. When he was a teenager he started playing the tenor sax. In 1959 he played with Bud Wattles & his Orchestra's album ''Themes from the Hip''. Later he played with Joanna & the Playboys in 1962. By late 1966 Gardner had joined

the Mothers of Invention The Mothers of Invention (also known as the Mothers) were an American rock music, rock band from California. Formed in 1964, their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Originally an ...

, playing

and other

woodwinds Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and re ...

. The Mothers found success, with ''

Absolutely Free ''Absolutely Free'' is the second album by American rock band the Mothers of Invention, released on May 26, 1967, by Verve Records. Much like their 1966 debut '' Freak Out!'', the album is a display of complex musical composition with politica ...

'' and ''

We're Only in It for the Money ''We're Only in It for the Money'' is the third album by American rock music, rock band the Mothers of Invention, released on March 4, 1968, by Verve Records. As with the band's first two efforts, it is a concept album, and satirizes left-wing po ...

'' entering the charts. In late 1968 his brother

Buzz Gardner Charles "Buzz" Guarnera (March 23, 1930 – February 1, 2004) was an American trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with th ...

joined the Mothers, staying until the group disbanded a year later. Gardner played with Menage A Trois with Buzz and John Balkin. Later he recorded with

Geronimo Black Geronimo Black was a short-lived hard rock band founded in 1972 by drummer Jimmy Carl Black. He named the group for his youngest son Geronimo. The performers included members of other bands, principally from Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention: * ...

and the Grandmothers. In 1980 Gardner and other members from the Mothers of Invention reunited to form the Grandmothers, recording a few albums and reuniting again in 2002. Gardner has done a few projects with

Don Preston Donald Ward Preston (born September 21, 1932) is an American jazz and rock keyboardist. He is best known for being a member of the original version of Frank Zappa's band The Mothers of Invention during the late 1960s. He continued to work with Z ...

, a member of the Mothers, making a few albums and touring with him. Gardner also plays flute,

piccolo The piccolo ( ; ) is a smaller version of the western concert flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" or piccolo flute, the modern piccolo has the same type of fingerings as the ...

clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...

bass clarinet The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common Soprano clarinet, soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B (meaning it is a transposing instrument on which a written C sounds as B), but it plays no ...

bassoon The bassoon is a musical instrument in the woodwind family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuosity ...

, and bass and soprano saxes. Don Preston remains Gardner's close friend. In 2010 he recorded Gardner's autobiography (audiobook) "The Bunk Gardner Story" (featuring

), in

Arthur Barrow Arthur Barrow (born February 28, 1952) is a multi-instrumental musician, best known for his stint as a bass guitar player for Frank Zappa in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Early life Barrow was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1952 and grew up in ...

's lotek studio, produced by Jon Larsen for Zonic Entertainment. From 2003 to 2009, Gardner was a member of the Los Feliz Woodwind Ensemble with founder Kalman Bloch and Michele Zukovsky.

Personal life

Gardner married his wife Bonnie in 1977; the couple have two daughters.

Discography

With Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention

* ''

'' * ''

Lumpy Gravy ''Lumpy Gravy'' is a 1968 solo album by Frank Zappa (credited as Francis Vincent Zappa), written by Zappa and performed by a group of session players he dubbed the Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra & Chorus. Zappa conducted the o ...

'' * ''

Cruising With Ruben & The Jets ''Cruising with Ruben & the Jets'' is the fourth album by the Mothers of Invention, and fifth overall by Frank Zappa, released under the alias Ruben and the Jets. Released on December 2, 1968 on Bizarre and Verve Records with distribution by MG ...

'' * ''

Uncle Meat ''Uncle Meat'' is the sixth album by the Mothers of Invention, and seventh overall by Frank Zappa, released as a double album in 1969. ''Uncle Meat'' was originally developed as a part of ''No Commercial Potential'', a project which spawned thre ...

'' * ''

Burnt Weeny Sandwich ''Burnt Weeny Sandwich'' is the seventh album by the American rock band the Mothers of Invention, and the ninth overall by Frank Zappa, released in 1970. It consists of both studio and live recordings. Following the Mothers' split in late 1969, ...

'' * ''

Weasels Ripped My Flesh ''Weasels Ripped My Flesh'' is the eighth album by the American rock group the Mothers of Invention, and the tenth overall by Frank Zappa, released in 1970. Following the Mothers' late 1969 split, Zappa assembled two albums - '' Burnt Weeny Sandw ...

'' * ''

You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1 ''You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1'' is a double disc live album by Frank Zappa released in 1988 (see 1988 in music) on the Rykodisc label. It was the first of a series of six double CDs of live performances spanning Zappa's career. ...

'' * ''

You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 4 ''You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 4'' is a two-CD set of live recordings by Frank Zappa, recorded between 1969 and 1988, and released in 1991. Track listing All tracks written by Frank Zappa, except where noted. Personnel Music ...

'' * '' You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 5'' * '' Ahead of Their Time'' * ''

Mystery Disc ''Mystery Disc'' is a compilation album by Frank Zappa. It was released on CD in 1998, compiling tracks that were originally released on two separate vinyl records and included in the mail order ''Old Masters'' box sets, which were released in t ...

'' * '' Finer Moments'' * '' Road Tapes, Venue 1'' * ''The Ark'' (BTB) * ''Electric Aunt Jemima'' (BTB) * ''Our Man in Nirvana'' (BTB)

With The Grandmothers

* ''The Grandmothers'' (1981) * ''Fan Club Talk'' (1981) * ''Lookin Up Granny's Dress'' (1983) * ''A Mother of Anthology'' (1993) * ''Who Could Imagine?'' (1994) * ''Eating The Astoria'' (2000)

With Geronimo Black

* ''Geronimo Black'' – Uni – 1972 * ''Welcome Back Geronimo Black'' –

Helios In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Helios (; ; Homeric Greek: ) is the god who personification, personifies the Sun. His name is also Latinized as Helius, and he is often given the epithets Hyperion ("the one above") an ...

– 1980.

Bunk Gardner solo releases

* ''It's All Bunk'' – Crossfire Productions 2007 * ''The Bunk Gardner Story – part one'' - Zonic Entertainment 2011 * ''The Bunk Gardner Story – part two'' - Zonic Entertainment 2011

References

External links

Bunk GardnerDon Preston and Bunk Gardner on Tour
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gardner, Bunk 1933 births Living people Musicians from Cleveland American saxophonists American male saxophonists American rock saxophonists Musicians from Los Angeles American bassoonists The Mothers of Invention members 21st-century American saxophonists 21st-century American clarinetists 21st-century American flautists