Ed Palermo Big Band
The Ed Palermo Big Band is a New York City-based ensemble that has been active since the late 70's, playing the compositions and arrangements of their leader, New Jersey born saxophonist Ed Palermo. The band is best known for Palermo's arrangements of the music of Frank Zappa, but they also perform and record compositions by Todd Rundgren, The Beatles, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, The Rolling Stones, Blodwyn Pig, King Crimson, Jethro Tull and many, many other composers from a wide range of genres.
Ed Palermo
Ed Palermo started playing the alto saxophone and the guitar in high school. By that time he knew he wanted to be a musician. Early influences that pushed him in that direction were the Beatles and the Mothers of Invention. Palermo also discovered a love for the music of Edgar Winter while in high school. This inspired him to emulate musicians such as Cannonball Adderley, Phil Woods, and Charlie Parker. In college he switched from alto saxophone to tenor saxophone due to influences from John Coltrane, Michael Brecker, and David Liebman. After graduating college, Palermo moved to New York in order to become a jazz tenor saxophonist. At this point, an album called "Impact" by Charles Tolliver inspired him to try his hand at arranging. Palermo looked to his friend Dave LaLama, already an arranger, for advice and he began to compose and arrange music. Soon he began playing with Tito Puente, and during this time, assembled a group which later expanded into the big band bearing his name.Early years
In 1977 Ed Palermo assembled a nine-piece band to play his own compositions. The small group expanded into a big band and began a three-year residency at a New York club called Seventh Avenue South. During this time the band played primarily compositions by its leader along with his arrangements of other music. After three years, they were replaced by Gil Evans.In 1982 they recorded their first LP and released it as Ed Palermo under a label called Vile Heifer. Later the LP became known as Papier Mache after the first song on the album. This LP featured guests such as Randy Brecker, David Sanborn, and Edgar Winter. The material on this album was mostly Palermo's original work, except for a few pieces that were co-written.
Due to the hassle involved in producing an album under one's own label, the Ed Palermo Big Band did not release another album until a record company showed interest. This happened in 1987. Ping Pong was released by Pro Jazz Records and featured much different material from the first album. This album featured less complicated music and more swing. From 1987–1993 the band alternated performing at the clubs Visiones and the Bitter End.
Recent years
After Frank Zappa's death in 1993, Palermo decided to play a show of all Frank Zappa music. Before the show, Palermo posted a notice on an internet bulletin board. The turnout to the show was the largest that the Ed Palermo Big Band had had to date."Up until then, my own shows at The Bitter End were drawing next to nobody," said Palermo. "For some reason, the word got out about the Zappa show and the place was swamped. And it was incredibly exciting—people there were Zappa fanatics."
The idea was for only one tribute concert. But the band was contacted by Alan Pepper of The Bottom Line which led to a nine-year residency. For these shows they played primarily arrangements of Frank Zappa songs, however, each show was different from the one before. The band often featured special guests at these shows such as Zappa alums Mike Keneally and Ike Willis.
In 1997 they recorded their first Zappa album, The Ed Palermo Big Band Plays the Music of Frank Zappa, also known as Big Band Zappa, was released on Astor Place.
After nine years at The Bottom Line they took a break from regular shows for a period of about a year. After that they began another series of regular shows at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City. Since late 2018 the band acquired a monthly residency at Iridium playing a variety of musical genres and composers with a penchant for Frank Zappa.
In 2006 they released their second CD, Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance under the label of Cuneiform Records. In 2009 the group released their third CD, Eddy Loves Frank, also on Cuneiform. In February 2014, OH NO!! NOT JAZZ!! was released to rave reviews, including a four-star review in DownBeat Magazine. In 2015, the band released the album One Child Left Behind, featuring Napoleon Murphy Brock and Frank Zappa's sister Candy Zappa. In 2016, the band released the albums The Great Un-American Songbook, Volumes 1 & 2, also featuring Napoleon Murphy Brock, which also received a 4-star review from DownBeat Magazine.. Volume 3 will be released in 2020. Eddy Loves Frank, Oh No!! Not Jazz!!, One Child Left Behind, and The Great Un-American Songbook were all produced by the band's guitarist & vocalist, Bruce McDaniel. The next album was another well-reviewed release called The Adventures of Zodd Zundgren, a reinvention of the music Frank Zappa and Todd Rundgren. "The Adventures of Zodd Zundgren is big, irresistible fun." - Karl Ackermann, All About Jazz. The bands latest is a jazz album titled A Lousy Day in Harlem. Palermo returns to his jazz roots with a combination of covers and original compositions. "Twenty-first century big-band music doesn’t get more exciting and impressive than this." - Jeff Tamarkin, JazzTimes
Palermo teaches music at Hoff/Barthelson in Scarsdale, New York.
2018 Ed's band made Downbeat Poll's Rising Star category as 3rd best band on the rise.
Members
CurrentAdditional Musicians/Performers
| Name | Instrument |
| Daniel Pearson | Baritone Sax |
| Bill Todd | Saxophone |
| Dan Glaude | Saxophone |
| Drew Vandewinckel | Saxophone |
| Emily Pecoraro | Saxophone |
| Augie Haas | Trumpet |
| Matt Owens | Trumpet |
| Nick Grinder | Trombone |
| Jim Lutz | Trombone |
| Nina Hennessey | Vocals |
| Mike James | Vocals |
| Susan Palermo | Vocals |
| Lee Finkelstein | Drums |
| Dave Edwards | Bass |
| Nicki Denner | Tap Dancing |
| Anton Denner | Saxophone |
| Kathleen Doran | Trumpet |
| Jack Davis | Trombone |
Former Musicians
| Name | Instrument |
| Laurie Frink | Trumpet |
| John Bailey | Trumpet |
| Joe Fiedler | Trombone |
| John Hines | Trumpet |
| Scott Harrow | Saxophone |
| Allan Firfer | Saxophone |
| Dave Rickenberg | Saxophone |
| Aaron Hyke | Saxophone |
| Tim Sessions | Trombone |
| Joe Meo | Saxophone |
| Michael Boscarino | Trombone |
| Jenny Hill | Saxophone |
| Chris Olness | Trombone |
| Tim Sessions | Trombone |
| Al Hunt | Saxophone |
| Chuck Fischer | Saxophone |
| Tommy Igoe | Drums |
| Dale Kirkland | Trombone |
| Darryl Shaw | Trumpet |
| Liesl Sagartz Whitaker | Trumpet |
| Eugene Rockwell | Vocals |
| Jack Schatz | Trombone |
| Erick Storckman | Trombone |
| Jim Pugh | Trombone |
| Chuck Wilson | Saxophone |
| Bud Burridge | Trumpet |
| Dan Levine | Trombone |
| Jeff Lederer | Saxophone |
| Pete McGuiness | Trombone |
| Jeff Holmes | Trumpet |
| Elaine Burt | Trumpet |
| Taylor Haskins | Trumpet |
| Nick Finzer | Trombone |
| Tony D'Agostino | Drums |
| Ross Pederson | Drums |
| Karl Lyden | Trombone |
| Mat Jodrell | Trumpet |
| Peter Anderson | Saxophone |
| Matt Haviland | Trombone |
| Daniel Linden | Trombone |
| David Smith | Trumpet |
Guests
- Ed Alstrom
- Jimmy Carl Black
- Russ Bonagura
- Tom Bowes
- Napoleon Murphy Brock
- Harvey Brooks
- Felix Cabrera
- Jim Clouse
- Steve Cropper
- Nicki Denner
- Perry Gardner
- Dave Glenn
- Wycliffe Gordon
- Thana Harris
- Nina Hennessy
- Mike James
- Mike Keneally
- John Korba
- Ryan Krewer
- Jimmy Leahey
- Will Lee
- Howard Levy
- Gary Lucas
- Deb Lyons
- Mats & Morgan
- Jenna McSwain
- Mark Naftalin
- George Naha
- Gary Oleyar
- Rob Paparozzi
- Lloyd "Mr. Personality" Price
- Elliott Randall
- Carl Restivo
- Todd Rundgren
- Catherine Russell
- David Sanborn
- Rick Savage
- John Sebastian
- Mike Stern
- Kasim Sultan
- John Tabacco
- Vaneese Thomas
- Jimmy Vivino
- Denny Walley
- Ray White
- Ike Willis
- Edgar Winter
- Candy Zappa
Discography
1982 Vile Heifer
Ping Pong
1987 Pro Jazz Records
The Ed Palermo Big Band Plays the Music of Frank Zappa
1997 Astor Place Records
Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance
2006 Cuneiform Records
Eddy Loves Frank
2009 Cuneiform Records
ELECTRIC BUTTER - ROB PAPAROZZI and THE ED PALERMO BIG BAND "A Musical Tribute to Paul Butterfield and Michael Bloomfield"
2014 Jankland Recording
| SONG TITLE | Soloist and Special Guest |
| Killing Floor | Jimmy Vivino, Bill Straub |
| Walkin' Blues | Jimmy Leahey, Ed Alstrom |
| Another Country | |
| Drivin' Wheel | Mark Naftalin, George Naha |
| Texas | Harvey Brooks, George Naha |
| Walking By Myself | Jimmy Leahey, Bob Quaranta, Cliff Lyons |
| Wine | George Naha, John Korba |
| One More Heartache | Jimmy Leahey |
| You Don't Realize | Steve Cropper, George Naha |
| Lovin' Cup | Ben Kono, Ronnie Buttacavoli, Joe Fiedler, Ted Kooshian |
| Love Disease | Ed Palermo |
| Drifting Blues | Mark Naftalin, Cliff Lyons, George Naha |
| Work Song | Ed Palermo |
| Everything's Gonna Be Alright | Barbara Cifelli, Charley Gordon, John Bailey |
| Buried Alive in the Blues |
OH NO!! NOT JAZZ!!
2014 Cuneiform Records
DISC 1 ZAPPA
DISC 2 PALERMO
One Child Left Behind
2016 Cuneiform Records
The Great Un-American Songbook Volumes I & II
2017 Cuneiform Records
Disc 1 - Vol. I
| SONG TITLE | Featured Soloist |
| Good Morning, Good Morning | vocals: Bruce McDaniel; solo: Bruce McDaniel |
| Open Up Said the World at the Door | solos: John Bailey, Ted Kooshian |
| We Love You | vocals: Bruce McDaniel; solo Katie Jacoby |
| Eleanor Rigby | solos: Ted Kooshian, Katie Jacoby |
| Definitely Maybe | solo: Phil Chester |
| As You Said | solo: Katie Jacoby |
| Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part II | solos: Katie Jacoby, Ben Kono |
| 21st Century Schizoid Man | solo: Ed Palermo |
| Send Your Son to Die | vocals: Bruce McDaniel, Ed Palermo, Katie Jacoby; solo: Ed Palermo |
| Edward, The Mad Shirt Grinder | solos: Ben Kono, John Bailey, Bob Quaranta, Ted Kooshian, Katie Jacoby |
Disc 2 - Vol. II
| SONG TITLE | Featured Soloist |
| America/American Idiot | vocals: Bruce McDaniel, Katie Jacoby |
| Beggar's Farm | vocals: Bruce McDaniel, Ben Kono, John Bailey, Bill Straub |
| Bitches Crystal | solos: Cliff Lyons, Chaley Gordon, Barbara, Bill Straub |
| The Wreck of the Hesperus | vocals: Bruce McDaniel |
| Diamond Dust | Bob Quaranta |
| The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys | vocals: Bruce McDaniel, solos: Cliff Lyons, Michael Boschen |
| Fire | vocals: Napoleon Murphy Brock |
| The Tourist | vocals: Bruce McDaniel |
| Don't Bother Me | solo: Katie Jacoby |
| Nardis | solo: John Bailey |
| Don't Bother Me | vocals: Bruce McDaniel |
| I Wanna Be Your Man | vocals: Mick Starkey; solo: Katie Jacoby |
| Good Night | vocals: Mick Starkey |
The Adventures of Zodd Zundgren
2018 Cuneiform Records
| SONG TITLE | Featured Soloist |
| The Solemn Z-Men Credo | |
| Peaches en Regalia | Cliff Lyons |
| Influenza | Katie Jacoby |
| Yer Fast | |
| Absolutely Free | |
| Breathless | |
| Big Swifty | |
| Kiddie Boy | Bruce McDaniel ; Ed Palermo |
| Montana | Napoleon Murphy Brock ; Ed Palermo |
| Emperor of the Highway | Napoleon Murphy Brock, Bruce McDaniel |
| You Are What You Is | Katie Jacoby |
| Echidna's Arf | |
| Hello It's Me | Bruce McDaniel |
| Big Swifty Coda | |
| Wailing Wall | Bill Straub |
| Florentine Pogen | Napoleon Murphy Brock ; Ted Kooshian ; Charley Gordon ; Ray Marchica |
| Flamingo | |
| Marqueson's Chicken | Ed Palermo |
| Song of the Viking | |
| Janet's Big Dance Number | Ben Kono |
| Broke Down and Busted | John Bailey |
| Breathless | |
| Zoot Allures | |
| Yer Fast |
A Lousy Day in Harlem
2019 Sky Cat Records
| SONG TITLE | Featured Soloist |
| Laurie Frink | Phil Chester ; Bill Straub |
| Affinity | Cliff Lyons |
| Brasilliance | Bob Quaranta ; John Bailey ; Bill Straub |
| Sanfona | Phil Chester |
| Like Lee Morgan | John Bailey |
| The One with the Red Balloon | Charley Gordon ; Nicki Denner |
| Minority | Ed Palermo |
| The Cowboy Song | Phil Chester |
| Well You Needn't | Ed Palermo ; Charley Gordon ; and John Bailey |
| Giant Steps | Bill Straub and Ben Kono |
| Next Year | Ed Palermo ; Gary Oleyar |
| Gargoyles | Ben Kono ; John Bailey |
| This Won't Take Long | Ed Palermo |