The Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra was a group of

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

s organized by

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...

in 1967 to record music for his first solo album ''

Lumpy Gravy ''Lumpy Gravy'' is the debut solo album by Frank Zappa, written by Zappa and performed by a group of session players he dubbed the Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra. Zappa conducted the orchestra but did not perform on the album. It ...

''. Some of these musicians are thought to have worked together in various combinations under the leadership of Ken Shroyer as far back as 1959. However, it was Zappa who gave them the name several years later. In 1975, Zappa organized another group using the same name which involved a few of the same musicians. This group recorded music for his album ''

Orchestral Favorites ''Orchestral Favorites'' is an album by Frank Zappa first released in May 1979 on his own DiscReet Records label. The album is entirely instrumental and features music performed by the 37-piece Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra. It re ...

'', released in 1979. Dates that each musician performed with the group are contained in parentheses. These dates may be approximate.

Musician credits for ''Lumpy Gravy'' (1967)

*Harold Ayres - violin (1959–1974) *John Balkin - bass (1959–1974) *Arnold Belnick - violin (1959–1974) *Harold G. Bemko - cello (1959–1974) *Chuck Berghofer - bass (1959–1974) *Jimmy Bond - bass (1959–1974) *Dennis Budimir - guitar (1959–1979) *Frankie Capp - drums (also Latin percussion, 1959–1979) *Don Christlieb - bassoon, contra bassoon (1959–1979) *Gene Cipriano - oboe, flute, bass flute, E flat clarinet, bass clarinet, contra bass clarinet (1959–1979) *

Vincent DeRosa Vincent Ned DeRosa (October 5, 1920 – July 18, 2022) was an American hornist who served as a studio musician for Hollywood soundtracks and other recordings from 1935 until his retirement in 2008. Because his career spanned over 70 years, duri ...

- French horn (1959–1974) *Joseph DiFiore - viola (1959–1974) *Jesse Ehrlich - cello (1959–1974) *Alan Estes - percussion (1959–1974) *

Gene Estes The Wrecking Crew was a loose collective of Los Angeles-based session musicians whose services were employed for a great number of studio recordings in the 1960s and 1970s, including hundreds of top 40 hits. The musicians were not publicly rec ...

- percussion (also mallets, tympani, Latin percussion)(1959–1974) *

Victor Feldman Victor Stanley Feldman (7 April 1934 – 12 May 1987) was an English jazz musician who played mainly piano, vibraphone, and percussion. He began performing professionally during childhood, eventually earning acclaim in the UK jazz scene as ...

- percussion (also mallets, tympani, Latin percussion)(1959–1979) *

Bunk Gardner Bunk Gardner (born John Leon Guarnera; May 2, 1933 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American musician who most notably played for the original version of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention until the group disbanded in 1969. He plays woodwinds and tenor ...

- flute, piccolo, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, bass, soprano, tenor saxes (1959–1979)(left after participation in ''

Animalympics ''Animalympics'' is a 1980 animated television film directed by Steven Lisberger and produced by Lisberger Studios for the NBC network. Originally commissioned as two separate specials, it spoofs the Summer and Winter Olympic Games and features ...

'' scoring session) *James Getzoff - violin (1959–1979) *

Philip Goldberg Philip Seth Goldberg (born August 1, 1956) is an American diplomat and government official who has served as United States ambassador to South Korea since 2022. He served previously as ambassador to the Philippines, Bolivia and Colombia and ch ...

- viola (1959–1974) *

John Guerin John Payne Guerin (October 31, 1939 – January 5, 2004) was an American percussionist. He was a proponent of the jazz-rock style. Biography Guerin was born in Hawaii and raised in San Diego. As a young drummer he began performing with Buddy De ...

- drums (1959–1974) *Jim Haynes - guitar (1959–1974) *Harry Hyams - viola (1959–1974) *Jules Jacob - oboe, English horn, flute, piccolo, tenor sax (1959–1974) *

Pete Jolly Pete Jolly (born Peter A. Ceragioli Jr., June 5, 1932 – November 6, 2004) was a two-time Grammy-nominated American West Coast jazz pianist and accordionist. He is known for his performance of television themes and movie soundtracks. Biogr ...

- piano, celeste, electric harpsichord (1959–1974) * Raymond J. Kelley - cello (1959–1974) *Jerome A. Kessler - cello (1959–1974) *Alexander Koltun - violin (1959–1974) *Bernard Kundell - violin (1959–1974) *William Kurasch - violin (1959–1974) *Mike Lang - keyboards (also celeste, electric harpsichord)(1959–1974) *Leonard Malarsky - strings (1959–1974) *

Shelly Manne Sheldon "Shelly" Manne (June 11, 1920 – September 26, 1984) was an American jazz drummer. Most frequently associated with West Coast jazz, he was known for his versatility and also played in a number of other styles, including Dixieland, s ...

- drums (1959–1979) *

Lincoln Mayorga Lincoln Mayorga (born March 28, 1937) is an American pianist, arranger, conductor and composer who has worked in rock and roll, pop, jazz and classical music. Life and career Pop music in the 1950s and '60s Mayorga was born in Los Angeles, Ca ...

- piano, celeste, electric harpsichord piano, celeste, electric harpsichord (1959–1979) *Arthur Maebe - French horn (1959–1974) * Ted Nash - flute, bass flute, alto sax, contra b. clarinet, clarinet, bass clarinet (1959–1974) *Richard Parisi (Perrisi) - French horn (1959–1974) *Jerome J. Reisler - violin (1959–1974) *

Emil Richards Emil Richards (born Emilio Joseph Radocchia; September 2, 1932 – December 13, 2019) was an American vibraphonist and percussionist. Biography Musician Richards began playing the xylophone aged six. In High School, he performed with the Hartfor ...

- percussion (also mallets, tympani, Latin percussion)(1959–1979) *Lyle Ritts (Ritz) - bass (1959–1974) *Tony Rizzi - guitar (1959–1974) *Johnny Rotella - flute, piccolo, baritone sax, E flat contra clarinet, bass clarinet, clarinet, bass and alto sax (1959–1979) *Joseph Saxon - cello (1959–1974) *Ralph Schaeffer - violin (1959–1979) *Leonard Selic - viola (1959–1979) *Ken Shroyer - tenor and bass trombone, bass trumpet (also formed the orchestra)(1959–1974) * Paul Smith - piano, celeste, electric harpsichord (1959–1979) *

Tommy Tedesco Thomas Joseph Tedesco (July 3, 1930 – November 10, 1997) was an American guitarist and studio musician in Los Angeles and Hollywood. He was part of the loose collective of the area's leading session musicians later popularly known as The Wrec ...

- guitar (also bells, bongos)(1959–1974) *

Al Viola Alfred Viola (June 16, 1919 – February 21, 2007) was an American jazz guitarist who worked with Frank Sinatra for 25 years. He played the mandolin on the soundtrack of the film ''The Godfather''. Biography Viola grew up in an Italian fami ...

- guitar (1959–1974) *Bob West - bass (1959–1974) *Tibor Zelig - violin (1959–1974) *Jimmy Zito - trumpet (also flugelhorn, piccolo)(1959–1974) The following performed spoken dialog on ''Lumpy Gravy'' but were not members of the orchestra and did not play an instrument: *

Bruce Hampton Bruce Hampton (born Gustav Valentine Berglund III; April 30, 1947 – May 1, 2017) was an American musician. He was a key figure in the Atlanta, Georgia music scene, mentoring numerous other musicians who became national stars. His own musical ...

- chorus *Harold Kelling - chorus *John Kilgore - chorus *Charlie Phillips - chorus *Ronnie Williams - chorus

Musician credits for ''Orchestral Favorites'' (1975)

*Mike Altschul - flute and clarinet (1975–1988) *

Terry Bozzio Terry John Bozzio (born December 27, 1950) is an American drummer best known for his work with Missing Persons and Frank Zappa. He has been featured on nine solo or collaborative albums, 26 albums with Zappa and seven albums with Missing Person ...

- drums (1975) *Bobby Dubow - violin (1975–1988) *David Duke (musician) - French horn (1959–1979) *Earle Dumler - oboe (1975–1988) *

Bruce Fowler Bruce Lambourne Fowler (born July 10, 1947) is an American trombonist and composer. He played trombone on many Frank Zappa records, as well as with Captain Beefheart and in the Fowler Brothers Band. He composes and arranges music for movies, an ...

- trombone (1975–1988) *Pamela Goldsmith - viola (1975–1988) *Dana Hughes - bass trombone (1975–1988) *Jerry Kessler - cello (1975–1988) *Mike Lang - keyboards (1975–1988) *Joann McNab - bassoon (1975–1988) *

Malcolm McNab Malcolm Boyd McNab is a trumpeter and player of other brass instruments, and a Los Angeles-based session musician who has performed on nearly 2000 film and television soundtracks. Education Raised in the San Gabriel Valley, McNab began studying ...

- trumpet (1975–1988) *Dave Parlato - bass (1975) *Ray Reed - flute (1975–1988) *

- percussion (1959–1979) *David Shostac - flute (1975–1988) *John Wittenberg - violin (1975–1988)

Musician credits for other versions of a group using the same name

John Bergamo John Bergamo (May 28, 1940 – October 19, 2013) was an American percussionist and composer known for his film soundtrack contributions and his work with numerous other notable performers. From 1970 until his death, he was the coordinator of the ...

- percussion (1975–1988) *Arthur E. Briegleb - French horn (1959–1974) *Jock Ellis - trombone (1975–1988) *Gene Goe - trumpet (1975–1988) *Ralph Grierson - keyboards (1980–1988) *Raymond Kelley - cello (1959–1974) *Andre Lewis - keyboards (1980–1988) *Lew McCreary - trombone (1959–1974) *

Bill Mays William Allen Mays (born February 5, 1944), known professionally as Bill Mays, is an American jazz pianist from Sacramento, California. Biography Mays came from a musical family and at the age of 15 became interested in jazz at an Earl Hines co ...

- clavinet (1975–1988) *

Jay Migliori Jay Migliori (November 14, 1930 – September 2, 2001) was an American saxophonist, best known as a founding member of Supersax, a tribute band to Charlie Parker. Biography Migliori started playing the saxophone after he received one as a birthday ...

- woodwinds (1975–1988) *Tommy Morgan – harmonica (1975–1988) *Victor Morosco - flute, clarinet, saxophone (1975–1988) *Lou Anne Neill - harp (1975–1988) *Ray Pizzi - bassoon, clarinet (1975–1988) *Thomas Poole - percussion (1959–1974) *Roy Poper - trumpet, flugelhorn, piccolo trumpet (1975–1988) *George Price - French horn (1959–1974) *Tom Raney - percussion (1975–1988) *Robert Ross - arranger (1959–1974) *Don Waldrop - tuba and contrabass trombone (1975–1988) *Kenneth Watson - percussion (1959–1974) {{DEFAULTSORT:Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra Disbanded American orchestras Frank Zappa Musical groups established in 1967 1967 establishments in California