Drum legend Terry Bozzio, known for his work with Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck, and UK, along with an extensive solo career, celebrates his latest release “Terry Bozzio Composer Series” with a Sept. 23 appearance at Havana New Hope.
“This is not a bombastic two-hour drum solo,” say promoters. “In most of Bozzio’s work, he accompanies himself with bass lines, while soloing over it melodically on the tuned toms. There is space, classical forms and structures, ambient electronic loops, and atmospheric percussion effects, as well as some exciting and fiery drumming that brings audiences to their feet.”
Bozzio was born in 1950 in San Francisco, and started playing makeshift drum sets at age six. Inspired to take drumming lessons at 13 by the Beatle’s premier performance on the “Ed Sullivan Show,” Bozzio says Mitch Miller and Ginger Baker were his strongest early influences.
In 1972, Bozzio played in the rock musicals “Godspell” and “Walking in my Time.” He also began playing in local jazz groups with Mark Isham, Peter Maunu, Patrick O’Hearn, Mike Nock, Art Lande, Azteca, Eddie Henderson, Woody Shaw, Julian Priester, Eric Gravatt, Billy Higgins, Andy Narell, Hadley Calliman, Mel Graves, and Mel Martin.
He recorded and toured with Frank Zappa beginning in 1975, and appeared, also as a vocalist, on a number of Zappa’s most successful albums, including “Zoot Allures” (1976), “Zappa in New York” (1976), “Sheik Yerbouti” (1979) and “Thing-Fish” (1984), and in the concert movie “Baby Snakes” (1979).
In 1977, Bozzio joined the Brecker Brothers with longtime San Francisco friend and guitarist Barry Finnerty, and recorded the live album “Heavy Metal Be-Bop” (1978). He soon split ways with Zappa, joining Group 87 with Mark Isham, Peter Maunu, Patrick O’Hearn and Peter Wolf. The group was signed to a record deal with CBS, but Bozzio declined membership in the group, and then auditioned unsuccessfully for Thin Lizzy.
Also in 1978, Bozzio joined Eddie Jobson and John Wetton to continue UK as a trio. The trio recorded “Danger Money” (1979) and a live album “Night After Night” (1979), and toured the U.S. twice (supporting the popular progressive rock band Jethro Tull), and in Europe and Japan.
After UK disbanded in early 1980, Bozzio and wife Dale, along with ex-Zappa guitarist Warren Cuccurullo, founded the band Missing Persons. The group released the albums “Spring Session M” (which went Gold), “Rhyme & Reason,” and “Color in Your Life.”
After Missing Persons broke up in 1986, Bozzio joined ex-Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor’s solo band. He also did studio time with Robbie Robertson, Gary Wright, Don Dokken, XYZ, Paul Hyde, Herbie Hancock, Dweezil Zappa, and Richard Marx.
Bozzio also started touring as a clinician/solo drummer and recorded “Solo Drums,” which was his first instructional video for Warner Brothers. He joined Mick Jagger and Jeff Beck for the video “Throwaway”, and teamed up with Beck and keyboardist Tony Hymas to co-write/produce and perform on the Grammy Award-winning album “Jeff Beck’s Guitar Shop.”
“I’ll have some new pieces to play on my big kit, and hopefully some surprises for you in this new show.” said Bozzio in a release.
Tickets for the Sept. 23 show are $30 for reserved tables, bar stools and loft. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m. Havana is located at 105 S. Main St. in New Hope; (215) 862-5501.
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