john guerin

John Guerin was a part of the Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra around 1967 when Frank Zappa recorded the orchestral parts for "Lumpy Gravy".
Later, John Guerin also took part in Zappa's "Hot Rats" sessions, and in the recording of Jean-Luc Ponty's "King Kong" album.

John Payne Guerin was born on October 31^st 1939 . He is one of the great jazz-rock drummers, and has a style that is as distinctive in its own way as that of his peers such as Billy Cobham, Steve Gadd and Harvey Mason. Emerging in the late 1960s and flourishing from the 1970s onwards, the Guerin style of that era featured tasty fills around his single-head concert tom toms, displaced accents, and the frequent playing of three-four over four-four time. A perfect example of the coming-together of all these features is on the Frank Zappa Hot Rats cut It Must Be a Camel.

Guerin worked with Frank Zappa on two main occasions: firstly on the Lumpy Gravy album, sharing drumming duties with Shelly Manne and Frank Capp, and secondly on sessions in the latter part of 1969. The second sessions included (a) the Hot Rats sessions, comprising Willie The Pimp, Little Umbrellas, It Must Be A Camel, Twenty Small Cigars (appearing on Chunga’s Revenge), and Lil’ Clanton Shuffle (appearing on The Lost Episodes), and (b) the Jean-Luc Ponty King Kong sessions, comprising Idiot Bastard Son, Twenty Small Cigars, America Drinks And Goes Home and How Would You Like To Have A Head Like That? On the Hot Rats sessions, Guerin was partnered with his frequent musical colleague, bassist Max Bennett. There was one other 1969 recording, to which I will refer later.

There is an interesting interview with Guerin in the January 1999 edition of Modern Drummer magazine. He shows the interviewer an artefact hanging on his office wall which turns out to be a framed piece of music from Lumpy Gravy. He says, “He (Zappa) laid this on me in the studio … he loved to do this kind of thing to me. What I would do was interpret as much as I could, which is really what he wanted me to do … He was always very serious and intense. He had a sense of humour, but in the studio it was another thing. But he was very easy to work with.” Interviewer: “Did you have to do things a hundred times?” Guerin: “No. Actually, Frank was a genius in the editing room. For instance, on the Hot Rats album, we let the tape run most of the time. There was no music, he just directed different feelings, or we’d establish a groove and he’d cut it off. Then, a few months later, an album with actual songs would come out. That was the beauty of his editing.”

In the Modern Drummer interview, Guerin says, “He (Zappa) once sent me an album and I said, ‘Wait a minute, Frank. My name is on here, but I don’t remember playing this.’ He said, ‘That’s because I took your drum track alone and wrote another song to it.’” Guerin is obviously referring to Apostrophe’, the only other Zappa album on which he has a credit. So which song does he play on? Side one of the original LP is obviously a continuation of the Overnite Sensation sessions with Ralph Humphrey. On side two, Jim Gordon plays on the cut Apostrophe’. Alex Dmochowski told me that Aynsley Dunbar plays on Uncle Remus, and the Zappa Recording Facts service states that Dunbar is also on Stink-Foot. So the Guerin track has got to be Excentrifugal Forz. Zappa probably extracted the drum track from something left over from Hot Rats and then recorded himself on vocals, guitars and bass, with George Duke on keyboards, probably in February 1974, when the finishing touches were put to the Apostrophe’ album, according to Neil Slaven in Electric Don Quixote. The drumming on Forz is typically tricky jazz-funk Guerin. It compares seamlessly to, for instance, his work on the cut LA Expression on the album Tom Scott and the LA Express (1974).

Guerin was born in Hawaii , but was raised in San Diego . Self-taught on drums, he worked with Buddy DeFranco from 1959 to 1960 and moved to LA in 1963. He was with George Shearing from 1965 to 1966, and worked in the late 1960s with other jazz artists such as Thelonious Monk and Donald Byrd. After working with bassist Larry Knechtel, he started to become interested in rock, and toured with The Byrds. From 1968 he was active in TV, film and recording studios, and in 1973 founded LA Express with Tom Scott, touring and recording with Joni Mitchell. Throughout the 1980s he was active as a producer and arranger, but returned to active jazz performance in 1989 with a new version of LA Express. In 1988 he played on the soundtrack of Clint Eastwood’s Charlie Parker biography Bird. By the late 1990s the work slowed down for Guerin, but he was in a position to choose his own projects, for instance with artists like Dianne Schuur. His list of studio credits is amazing and undoubtedly his session career outlasted others’ because he was so musically open-minded.

The Peggy Lee album Close Enough For Love (1979) is odd, but only in the sense that it features Ian Underwood, Max Bennett and John Guerin, and so should, perhaps, be subtitled Hot Rats Meet Peggy Lee. It’s an attempt by Lee to create a more contemporary, smooth jazz-type feel, and highlights some neat jazz piano solos by Ian Underwood.

	1961 defranco, buddy- presenting the buddy de franco-tomm
	1966 kellaway, roger- stride!
	1966 wofford, mike- strawberry wine
	1967 wofford, mike- summer night
	1967 wofford, mike- sure thing
4	frank zappa: lumpy gravy (1967, lp, usa, verve)
	1968 scott, tom- rural still life
	1968 monk, thelonious- monk's blues
	1969 mitchell, blue- bantu village
	1969 jean-luc ponty- canteloupe island
	1969 monkees- monkees present
8	frank zappa: hot rats (1969, lp, usa, bizarre)
	jean-luc ponty: king kong (5) (1970, lp, usa, world pacific jazz st 20172) – incl. various frank zappa compositions
	1970 brady bunch- merry christmas
	1970 scott, tom- paint your wagon
11	frank zappa: chunga's revenge (1970, lp, usa, bizarre)
	1970 nelson, oliver- black, brown and beautiful
	1971 england dan & john ford- fables
	1971 california earthquake- california earthquake
	1971 mama cass- cass elliot
	1971 rhodes, emitt- american dream
	1971 reddy, helen- helen reddy
	1971 hammer, jan- hammer
	1971 mulligan, gerry- age of steam
	todd rundgren: ballad of (1971, lp, usa, ampex)
	1972 parsons, gram- g p
	1972 spring [1] - spring
	1972 battin, skip- skip
	1972 horn, jim- through the eye
	1972 previn, dory- mary c brown
	1972 mitchell, blue- blue's blues
	1972 roberts, howard- equinox express elevator
	1972 longet, claudine- let's spend the night together
	1972 rankin, kenny- like a seed
	1972 seals & crofts- summer breeze
	1972 brady bunch- meet the brady bunch
	1972 brady bunch- kids from the brady bunch
	1972 vaughan, sarah- with michel legrand
	david wagner: d/b/a crow (1972, lp, ??, ??) - feat. jim gordon, john guerin
	1973 mcguinn, roger- roger mcguinn
	1973 parsons, gram- g.p./grievous angel
	1973 seals & crofts- diamond girl
	1973 browne, severin- severin browne
	1973 carlton, larry- singing playing
	1973 edelman, randy- laughter & tears
	1973 harris, shaun- shaun harris
	1973 muleskinner- muleskinner
	1973 taylor, allan- american album
	1973 crow [1] - david wagner d/b/a crow
	1973 everly, phil- star spangled springer
	1973 gates, david- first
	1973 williams, patrick- threshold
	1973 scott, tom- great scott
	1973 scott, tom- tom scott & la express
	1973 brady bunch- brady bunch phonographic album
	1974 batteaux- batteaux
	1974 cunha, rick- cunha songs
	1974 hagers- hagers [elektra]
	1974 horn, paul- visions
	1974 ellis, don- haiku
	1974 harrison, george- dark horse
	1974 loggins, dave- apprentice (in a musical workshop)
	1974 joni mitchell- miles of aisles (percussion, drums)
	1974 streisand, barbra- butterfly
	1974 joni mitchell- court & spark (percussion, drums)
18	frank zappa: apostrophe (') (1974, lp, usa, discreet)
	1974 scott, tom- tom cat (percussion, drums, producer)
	1975 okeefe, danny- so long harry truman
	1975 brooks, elkie- rich mans woman
	1975 edelman, randy- prime cuts
	1975 phillips, shawn- do you wonder
	1975 andersen, eric- be true to you
	1975 blue, david- com'n back for more (drums, vocals, producer)
	1975 mcrae, carmen- i am music
	1975 garthwaite, terry- terry
	1975 fire and rain- living together
	1975 garfunkel, art- breakaway
	1975 joni mitchell- hissing of summer lawns
	1975 rankin, kenny- inside
	1975 baez, joan- diamonds & rust
	1975 brown, ray- brown's bag
	1975 klemmer, john- touch
	1975 triumphant sax- triumphant sax!
	1976 melanie- photograph
	1976 la express- shadow play (drums, keyboards)
	1976 pacheco, tom- swallowed up in american heartland
	1976 sainte-marie, buffy- sweet america
	1976 spheeris, jimmie- ports of the heart
	1976 pedersen, herb- southwest
	1976 la express- l.a. express (drums, keyboards)
	1976 doheny, ned- hard candy
	1976 deardurff & joseph- deardurff and joseph
	1976 bishop, stephen- careless
	1976 franks, michael- art of tea (percussion, drums)
	1976 joni mitchell- hejira
	1976 souther, john david- black rose
	1976 lee, peggy- mirrors (percussion, drums)
	1976 klemmer, john- barefoot ballet
	1977 alessi brothers- alessi
	1977 boylan, terence- terence boylan
	1977 pacheco, tom- outsider
	1977 titus, libby- libby titus
	1977 murphy, walter- rhapsody in blue
	1977 sidran, ben- doctor is in
	1977 feldman, victor- rockavibabe
	1977 hamilton, dirk- at last
	1977 franks, michael- sleeping gypsy
	1977 joni mitchell- don juan's reckless daughter
	1977 ogerman, claus- gate of dreams
	chunky, novi & ernie: chunky, novi & ernie (1977, lp, usa, warner bros) - feat.lauren wood, ian underwood & john guerin
	1978 norman, neil- not of this earth
	1978 mancini, henry- theme scene
	1978 oak ridge boys- room service
	1979 franklin, rodney- in the center
	1979 garthwaite, terry- hand in glove
	1979 raitt, bonnie- glow
	1979 lee, peggy- close enough for love (percussion, drums)
	1980 kunkel, leah- i run with trouble
	1980 hamilton, dirk- thug of love
	1980 rankin, kenny- after the roses
	1980 scott, tom- best of tom scott (drums, producer)
	1981 jackson, milt- big mouth
	1981 robinson, spike- plays harry warren
	1982 joni mitchell- wild things run fast
	1982 mcferrin, bobby- bobby mcferrin
	1983 linda ronstadt- what's new
	1984 linda ronstadt- lush life
	1986 linda ronstadt- for sentimental reasons
	1986 linda ronstadt- round midnight with nelson riddle a
	1988 rankin, kenny- silver morning
	1989 feinstein, michael- m.g.m. album
	1989 lighthouse all stars- jazz invention
	1990 franks, michael- blue pacific
	1990 raitt, bonnie- bonnie raitt collection
	1990 madonna- dick tracy: "i'm breathless"
	1990 labelle, patti- this christmas
	1991 mcferrin, bobby- many faces of bird
	1992 mcguinn, roger- born to rock & roll
	1992 feinstein, michael- pure imagination
	1993 neville, aaron- grand tour
	1993 easton, sheena- no strings
	1993 wilson, carnie and wend- hey santa!
	1993 neville, aaron- aaron neville's soulful christmas
	1993 john, elton- duets
	1993 scott, tom- reed my lips
	1994 kaye, carol- first lady of pop
	1994 bishop, stephen- on & on: the hits of stephen bishop
	1994 muleskinner- potpourri of bluegrass jam
	1994 lemel, gary- romancing the screen
	1994 everly brothers- heartaches & harmonies [box set] (percussion, drums)
	1994 rogers, kenny- timepiece
	1994 pizzarelli, john- dear mr. cole
	1994 miracle on 34th street (1994) [ost]
	1995 raitt, john- broadway legend
	1995 mcrae, carmen- best of carmen mcrae
	1996 shaken not stirred- shaken not stirred
64	frank zappa: the lost episodes (1996, cd, usa, ryko)
	1996 klemmer, john- mosaic: the best of john klemmer
	1996 minnelli, liza- gently
	1996 bread- retrospective
	1996 grace of my heart- grace of my heart (instrumental)
	1996 cole, natalie- stardust
	1996 joni mitchell- hits (percussion, drums)
	1996 joni mitchell- misses
	1996 caldwell, bobby- blue condition
	1996 monk, thelonious- this is jazz, vol. 5 (percussion)
	1996 woman's world- woman's world
	1997 rundgren, todd- very best of todd rundgren
	1997 garfield, david- tribute to jeff porcaro (tom-tom, drums)
	1997 andersen, eric- collection
	1997 frank zappa- strictly genteel
	1997 best of smooth jazz- best of smooth jazz
68	frank zappa: mystery disc (1998, cd, usa, ryko)
	1998 franks, michael- best of michael franks (percussion, drums)
	1998 barone, mike- live at donte's 1968
	1998 scott, tom- priceless jazz
	1999 frank zappa- son of cheep thrills
	david garfield & friends: the stete of things (2005, cd, eur, esc records) - feat. walt fowler, john guerin, vinnie colaiuta, allan holdsworth
	greatest science fiction hits, vol.
	california earthquake- reformation
	wagner, david- d/b/a crow
	madelaine- who is she? (percussion)
	morrison, bob- friends of mine
	nevins, nancy- nancy nevins
	pulver, judy- pulver rising
	baby maker- baby maker
	secret agent file- secret agent file
	norman, neil- greatest science fiction hits, vol.
	bird- bird
	starlight christmas- starlight christmas
	klemmer, john- best of john klemmer, vol. 1: mosai
	rankin, kenny- peaceful: the best of kenny rankin
	the mystic moods orchestra- emotions
104	frank zappa: the crux of the biscuit (2016, cd, usa, zappa records zr20020)

from: unknown
the drummer on joni mitchell's "mingus" is john guerin. john guerin and bass player max bennett were both in tom scotts band that backed joni in the early seventies. they can be heard on "miles of aisles". guerin, bennett and tom scott appear on mitchells solo records from the mid seventies. bennett and guerin appear on "king kong, jean-luc ponty plays the music of fz".

Geoff Wills says:
This is not true. Guerin played at rehearsals for the "Mingus" album, but the actual drummer, and credited on the "Mingus" album, is Peter Erskine.
Also, Max Bennett does not appear with Guerin on Jean-Luc Ponty’s King Kong. The bassist is actually Wilton Felder, from The Crusaders.

from: unknown
if this is the same guy who goes by john guerin, and plays drums, in the mid 70's he played with the la express with tom scott, i believed he was either married to or "going steady" with joni mitchell at this time as he played on several cuts on her "court & spark" album i believe. he also played drums on a very good studio big-band album written by pat williams which contained the oft played by college bands tune entitled "threshold". i believe john was a top call la studio drummer in this era.

from: unknown
john was also in a latter-day version of the byrds (early 70's) formed to fulfill contractual concert obligations.

mike kolesar(mkolesar@aol.com) sez:
john was indeed a member of the l.a. express, and played on a number of joni mitchell albums in the 70's. he may very well have been romantically involved with her at one time (so what? who wasn't!). he was definitely one of the top l.a. studio drummers of the 70's, and i last heard about him in a feature interview in "modern drummer" magazine circa fall, 1978.

shaun guerin(sguerin@midiman.net) said:
my father, john guerin is alive and well and still playing drums on albums and movies. he just got back from playing with bobby caldwell in n.y and he's currently working on a project with roger kelleway. i guess you could say i'm following in his foot steps as a drummer and also a composer. you can hear me on the t.v. show "the naked truth" on nbc thursday nights after seinfeld. also co-wrote the music for a movie called "american tigers" which is an international release.

from: tom tuerff (ttuerff@pros1.com)
i ran across a website for john guerin which has a few pics and general information: http://www.johnguerin.com. he mentions fz in the very first paragraph of his bio.

In the John Guerin discography you missed the Todd Rundgren Lp. Ballad of. (1971 Ampex)

    From: "Richard Friedman"
    Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2004
    Subject: John Guerin (& Zappa)

Sorry to inform you, if you don't already know, that John Guerin sadly passed away on January 5, 2004.
For more information, see http://www.johnguerin.com/