Muffin Men

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The Muffin Men are a British band, based in Liverpool which primarily plays the music of Frank Zappa. The group formed in 1990 (with original members: Ian (Bammo) Bamford, Lead Guitar & Vocals - Paul (Rhino) Ryan, Drums & Vocals - Mike Kidson, Sax and Vocals - Andy (Waco) Jacobson, - Roddie Gilliard, Guitar & Vocals - Naraish Nathaniel, Bass & Vocals - Ian Jump, Lead Guitar & Vocals and Roy Stringer, Apple Macintosh, samples, vocals and noises) for a concert in honor of Zappa's fiftieth birthday and went on to perform his music, and some of their own, worldwide. The band often features guest vocals and percussion by Jimmy Carl Black, former drummer from Zappa's Mothers of Invention, with whom they also perform songs by Captain Beefheart.

In 18 years of operation they have featured no less than six original Zappa band members, along with original Mother Of Invention Jimmy Carl Black, they performed with Don Preston and Bunk Gardner in 1993. In 1994 they played a nine week European tour with guest vocalist Ike Willis. they teamed up with Ike again in 2003 for a special Zappanale show, which also featured Napoleon Murphy Brock. Mike Keneally has also appeared with the band.

Rather than play pieces note for note, they use Zappa's material as a vehicle, often giving the music a new/different slant to the original versions, just as Zappa did with his back catalogue.

Their recordings include:

• Cheese And Thank You (1993)
• Mülm (with Ike Willis ) (1994)
• Frankincense (1997)
• F in Z (1998)
• God Shave The Queen (1999)
• More Songs From The Campfire (2001)
• Live @ The Cavern (2002)
• Baker's Dozen (2003)
• When Worlds Collide (with Ensemble 10:10) (2003)
• "Muffin Moovies (1990-1997) Volume One. A Rockumentary, An Anthology, A Mystery History. DVD" (2005)