Jeff Simmons (musician)

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Jeff Simmons is a musician and former member of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention. Simmons provided bass, guitar, and/or vocal for for the group during 1970 and 1971. He left The Mothers just prior to the filming of 200 Motels in mid 1971. Jeff later returned to the group for a time during 1973. Zappa and Mothers albums he appeared on include Chunga's Revenge (1970), Waka/Jawaka (1972), Roxy & Elsewhere (1974).

Years later Zappa released a number of archival recordings that feature Jeff including You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1 (1988), You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6 (1992), and Playground Psychotics (1992). Jeff also appears in the Zappa movie The True Story Of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels (1989).

Jeff's group Easy Chair was discovered in Seattle by Frank Zappa in 1968. Easy Chair was booked as the opening act for a concert by The Mothers of Invention at the Seattle Center Arena (renamed in 1995 to Mercer Arena.) The band had already released a 3 song 1 sided album in their hometown. The group went to Los Angeles to audition for Zappa's Bizarre and Straight record labels, but after unexpected delays the group broke up before any recordings were released. Only about 1000 copies of locally produced Easy Chair record were pressed. It is now a highly valued collectible.

Simmons released two solo albums on Straight. He co-composed the soundtrack for the biker film Naked Angels (1969). His second album Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up (1970), featured Zappa as producer. Zappa wrote two songs and played lead guitar under the pseudonym La Marr Bruister. The engineer was Chris Huston, who also worked with Led Zeppelin at about the same time. Lucile was voted the 2nd best album on Straight Records by Mojo Magazine. Both albums were re-issued on CD in 2007 by WOrld In Sound Records.

Jeff continued to play music with various groups in the Seattle area during the 1980s. He appeared in the 1988 movie Rock and Roll Mobster Girls which was produced on video tape in Seattle during the very early stages of the Grunge music scene.

Jeff Simmons' most recent work is Blue Universe (2004).