A belated happy 77th to Sal Marquez

Must wish a late happy birthday for Mr. Sal Marquez, trumpet player for Frank Zappa, Woody Herman, and Dave Mason among others who turned 77 on Monday.

Though his time with Frank wasn’t too extensive, he certainly made the most of his time. As a star player of the Wazoo sessions and era, Sal took part in a very exciting era as Frank rebounded from the Rainbow Theatre incident and showed just what he could do with a big band-style ensemble. And peppering this colorful sound was Mr. Marquez, adding a Spanish flamenco-flavored trumpet that added another dimension to the Zappa palette. Needless to say, Frank had no shortage of great talent in his band, and by extension many great brass players. But if I have to choose my favorite trumpet player that Frank worked with, it has to be Sal. Let me not forget to acknowledge his role in suggesting the sink and HOT-RATS faucets on the cover of Waka/Jawaka as well as being a solid singer and fun stage personality. Overall, releases like Waka/Jawaka, The Grand Wazoo, and Over-Nite Sensation, already great records, are that much greater thanks to Sal.

Topping off his time with Frank, you have his work with Woody Herman’s Light My Fire, the 1968 edition of the One O Clock Lab Band (with fellow future Zappa alumni Bruce Fowler, Tom “Bones” Malone, and “Blue Lou” Marini), Robby Krieger of Doors fame, Buddy Rich’s Buddy & Soul, and his solo album One For Dewey, recorded in tribute to the great Miles Davis. And as a little cool tidbit, played in the early days of the Tonight Show with Leno, where he’d occasionally do a song about his departure from Zappa’s band.

He contributed to one of my first and favorite records in the Zappa canon, not to mention my first Zappa vinyl. He is a super cool guy, and easily one of the most pleasant surprises of this year was finding him on Facebook. Happy birthday to Mr. Sal Marquez, may he enjoy a safe and happy holiday season and enjoy many more good years. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ep9rBohXEAUKOdO?format=jpg&name=large