Muffin Men

The Muffin Men are a British band, based in Liverpool, England, which primarily plays the music of Frank Zappa and his band, The Mothers of Invention. The group formed in 1990 for a concert in honor of Zappa's fiftieth birthday. They went on to perform his music as a tribute band, along with some of their own compositions, worldwide. Until his death in 2008, the band often featured guest vocals and percussion by Jimmy Carl Black, former drummer and vocalist from Zappa's Mothers of Invention, with whom they also performed songs by Captain Beefheart.

Muffin Men
The Muffin Men with Jimmy Carl Black (left); 12 August 2005
Background information
Origin	Liverpool, England
Genres	Alternative rock, jazz
Years active	1990–present
Associated acts	The Mothers of Invention
Members	Roddie Gilliard Ian Jump Phil Hearn Paul Ryan Denny Walley
Past members	(Original members 1990) Ian (Bammo) Bamford Paul (Rhino) Ryan Mike Kidson Andy (Waco) Jacobson Roddie Gilliard Naraish Nathaniel Ian Jump Roy Stringer Later members: Steve Belger (drums) Andy Frizell (bass, trombone flute etc.) Stefano Baldasseroni (drums) Dave Dominey (bass) Martin Smith (trumpet) Carl Bowry (guitar) Tilo Pirnbaum (drums) Mike Smith (keyboards, saxophone) Tony Whittaker (piano)

Since their debut, the Muffin Men have featured no less than seven original Zappa band members, along with original Mothers Of Invention drummer/vocalist Jimmy Carl Black, as well as performing with Don Preston and Bunk Gardner in 1993. In 1994 they played a nine-week European tour with guest vocalist Ike Willis, and again teamed up with Willis in 2003 for a special Zappanale festival show, which also featured Napoleon Murphy Brock. (Zappanale is a yearly tribute concert festival dedicated to Frank Zappa's compositions.) Mike Keneally has also appeared with the band, along with Ray White, and Robert Martin. Denny Walley has performed on several occasions since 2010.

Rather than play pieces note-for-note, the band plays Zappa's material working to the strengths of the current line-up, often giving the music a different slant to the original versions.

25th anniversary gigs (2015) feature a core line-up of 3 original members - Rhino, Jumpy and Roddie, with Phil Hearn on keys.