the don and bunk show
random notes

     from: patrick neve (splat@darkwing.uoregon.edu
subject: the "necessity is..." album on brain records
this is a cd-r release on brain records, the same label that put out  the grandmothers' who could imagine.  there is no apparant date of release, but i bought it at a grandmothers show in fall of 2000, and since its release coincides the book of the same name, and the pictureson the cover look very recent, i'll hazard to guess it came out his year.
this version of "dolphy", despite being mispelled, is played as a very moody duo.  it's live, and there's lots of reverb and improvisation. this is the "under the street light at midnight" version.  the rest of the album has some interesting stuff as well.  "jazz tune" features john densmore of the doors, he does a drum solo.  jazz tune is a live series of solos.  densmore isn't credited on "dolphy", but i suspect that he does play drums on it. 
also, "horta babies" appears on the 2001 release, "eyeinhand sampler vol. 1".

     from: marty spohr (zoot8@webtv.net)
i saw don preston & bunk gardner play as a duo at the downtown playhouse (l.a.) on oct. 28, 1999. was billed as the "don bunk show" and they both played older mothers material with a few originals. i spoke with don before the show and he said he found billy mundi's e-mail address recently. billy has had no contact with anyone in the band since the late 60's. don said they though he was dead but apparently billy is ok and living in the l.a. area. don and bunk had tried to get roy estrada to play the gig with them but roy declined and said he was way too rusty. roy also lives in l.a. area. i ask about buzz gardner and don said that he's been battling personal demons for a long time.  don said bunk has been helping him along  and that he's doing ok. don said he hasn't had much contact with other members like motorhead, ray collins, tripp, jimmy carl in quite a while.  don also eluded to a possible tour with some of the original members, but it sounded like a big maybe.
       as for the show itself, it was a pleasant and very casual atmosphere in a tiny theatre. i would say there were fewer than 30 people there. they sounded like they hadn't played some of those songs in a while so they were kinda rusty, but they certainly had their moments. even with just the two of them playing you could hear the mothers in there.
the sound system was minimal and could have much better,but like i said it was very low key. it was in a way sad to see two great musician's like don & bunk performing to almost nobody in a crappy little theatre but they seemed to enjoy themselves. the humor of the mother's was alive and well and they did quite a bit of avant-garde type stuff that the mothers were known for. don and bunk are both pushing 70 but they appear to be in good shape. at one point in the show bunk who looks like a old professor jumped down on his knees to play a very noisy sax solo and went crazy. i was kinda worried about this old guy jumping around like that but he jumped back up and played like hell. it was great. in one improvisation don threw a coke can in the piano and was making weird noises, then he unzips his pants and a fake hand comes out and he plays with it then throws it down and shoots it with a fake gun. at the beginning of the show bunk said they were going to perform music written by frank zappa and very solemly said "may he rest in peace" then don casually says "i doubt it"  everyone laughed.  don was wearing a very loud shirt and said " we couldn't arrord a light show so i wore this shirt"  anybody familiar with the mothers would have enjoyed the show.