Mothers

The Mothers, also known as The Mothers of Invention, was a band formed by Frank Zappa in 1964. Initially called "The Soul Giants," the group consisted of Ray Collins on vocals, Roy Estrada on bass, and Jimmy Carl Black on drums. Zappa quickly became the creative leader, and the band changed their name to The Mothers (short for mother-f**kers). After signing with Verve Records, they became The Mothers of Invention at the label's insistence.

Throughout their career, The Mothers had various lineup changes and collaborations with talented musicians. Some notable members included Elliot Ingber on guitar, Bunk Gardner on woodwind instruments, Motorhead Sherwood on saxophone, Don Preston on keyboards, Ian Underwood as a multi-instrumentalist, and Billy Mundi and Art Tripp as additional drummers.

During Zappa's jazz/classical rock period in the late 1960s to early 1970s, he worked with violinists Don "Sugarcane" Harris and Jean-Luc Ponty, percussionist Ruth Underwood, and drummers Aynsley Dunbar and John Guerin. This era produced albums like "Uncle Meat," "Hot Rats," "Weasels Ripped My Flesh," and "Burnt Weeny Sandwich."