- Napoleon Murphy Brock
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Napoleon Murphy Brock 
Brock on tour with Zappa Plays Zappa, 2006
Photo: Jazmin MillionBackground information Birth name Napoleon Murphy Brock Genres Experimental music, Rock, R&B, Jazz, pop Occupations Musician, songwriter, record producer Instruments Vocals, Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet, Guitar, Synthesizer bass, Fender Rhodes Associated acts Frank Zappa, Zappa Plays Zappa, George Duke, Captain Beefheart, The Grandmothers[1] Website Official Napoleon Murphy Brock website Napoleon Murphy Brock is an American singer, saxophonist and flute player who is best known for his work with Frank Zappa in the 1970s, including the albums One Size Fits All, Roxy and Elsewhere, and Bongo Fury. His own most memorable vocal accomplishments are illustrated on the songs "Village of the Sun" and "Florentine Pogen."
Contents
Career
Napoleon Murphy Brock's early days numerous performances include the role of the "Evil Prince" on Zappa's Thing-Fish album. He has also performed with George Duke, Captain Beefheart and more recently with Neonfire and [1]. He remains a regular performer at Zappanale.
Brock appeared in the 2005 film Rock School, a documentary about The Paul Green School of Rock Music, an extracurricular music program that he and Project/Object have closely supported for several years.
In 2006, he toured with Frank Zappa's son Dweezil on the latter's Zappa Plays Zappa shows. He also regularly tours with fellow Zappa alumnus Ike Willis and others with Andre Cholmondeley's Project/Object. Other Zappa related projects he's been involved with include the Tampa, Florida based band Bogus Pomp, and the 16 piece Ed Palermo Big Band from New York City.
He is most frequently seen fronting the Grande Mothers Re-Invented with Roy Estrada and Don Preston (the only Frank Zappa alumni from the Mothers of Invention regularly performing the music of Frank Zappa). They have over 91 performances since 2002.
His own most recent release is the 2003 album Balls.
Mr. Brock is mentioned in the 2007 memoir, "My Lobotomy" by Howard Dully and Charles Fleming, which describes Mr. Dully's experiences before and after undergoing an icepick transorbital lobotomy in 1960, at 12 years of age. Mr. Brock, while studying psychology and music at San Jose State University, was employed in the mid 1960's as a counselor at Rancho Linda, a "residential center for special education" where Mr. Dully lived after the having the procedure and being released from juvenile hall and a mental asylum. Mr. Dully had fond memories of Mr. Brock, and described him having "played all kinds of instruments" and as "cool."
Grammy Award
At the 51st Grammy Awards on February 8, 2009, Napoleon won a Grammy for his performance of the song "Peaches en Regalia" with the band Zappa Plays Zappa, which also featured Steve Vai. The song originally appeared on Zappa's 1969 Hot Rats LP.
Film
Brock has appeared in several Zappa documentaries and movies. They include:
- Baby Snakes (background)
- The Dub Room Special
- The Amazing Mr. Bickford (on a television screen in the background)
- The True Story of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels (background)
- 200 Motels
Discography
Solo albums
Year Album Credit 2002 Balls Flute, Piano, Keyboards, Sax (Alto), Sax (Tenor), Vocals, Whistle (Human), Producer, Harmony Vocals, Fender Rhodes, Synthesizer Bass, Screams Appearances on Zappa albums
Year Album Credit 1974 Apostrophe (') Saxophone, Vocals 1974 Roxy & Elsewhere Tenor Sax, Flute, Lead Vocals, Co-writer of Dummy Up 1975 One Size Fits All Flute and Tenor Sax, Lead Vocals on Florentine Pogen and Andy, background vocals on other tunes 1975 Bongo Fury Saxophone, Vocals 1976 Zoot Allures Saxophone, Vocals 1979 Sleep Dirt Saxophone 1979 Sheik Yerbouti Saxophone, Vocals, Background Vocals 1984 Them or Us Guitar, Saxophone, Vocals, Harmony Vocals 1984 Thing-Fish Saxophone, Vocals, Cast 1988 You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1 Saxophone, Vocals 1988 You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 2 Saxophone, Vocals 1989 You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 3 Saxophone, Vocals 1991 You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 4 Saxophone, Vocals 1991 You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6 Saxophone, Vocals 1995 Strictly Commercial 1996 Frank Zappa Plays the Music of Frank Zappa: A Memorial Tribute 1997 Have I Offended Someone? 1998 Cheap Thrills 1999 Son of Cheep Thrills Appearances on George Duke albums
Year Album Credit 1978 Don't Let Go Vocals 1979 Follow the Rainbow Vocals 1979 Master of the Game Vocals Notes
External links
- Official Napoleon Murphy Brock website
- Napoleon Murphy Brock at the Internet Movie Database
- Napoleon Murphy Brock at Allmusic
- Panel Discussion: Brown Shoes Don’t Make It – The Music of Frank Zappa with Bill Milkowski, Michael G. Nastos, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Ed Palermo, Ralphe Armstrong.
Categories:- African American musicians
- American male singers
- American rock saxophonists
- Grammy Award winners
- Living people
- The Mothers of Invention members
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