Terry Bozzio: Frank Zappa’s Drum Solo Virtuoso | Off Beat 

Let me know what your favourite Bozzio track is and if there are any other drummers/musicians you'd like me to cover ✌

Went to high school with him. Saw him play at school dances at 16. He was spectacular even then. Fearless and inspired.

I don't think there will ever be another like him. It seems like everything you can humanly do as a drummer/percussionist, he pushed it to the point of impossible. Absolute legend.

I'm an 80s music guy so I came to know of him with Missing Persons. I thought their performance at the US Festival was one of the best. Terry absolutely killed it and on a minimal kit.

Bozzio caught my eye on the Shiek Yerbouti album and I've followed him ever since. I caught him live at The Iridium in NYC in his solo performance and realized Bozzio is on another level very different than any time drummer out there. Sure, there's Vinnie and Smitty; but no one touches the combined technique with pure energy like Da Boz. Plus he's Italian, how am I not gonna like a guy who grew up on prosciutto & provolone?

My first live show ever was seeing him with Jeff Beck in 1995, when I was 16. Totally mind blowing, even for a guitar playing kid to see.

Had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Bozzio a couple of times times with Frank. Sensory overload!. ❤

Very easily my favorite drummer. Young people should take note

Saw Bozzio live with Jeff Beck on the Guitar Shop Tour. He was incredible then and with Zappa and since Guitar Shop one of my top drummers.

his first instructional video was amazing - definitely established his place as a legend

Brilliant genius man!! Saw him play in a small club. My jaw was on the floor the whole time :D

I saw Terry live with Zappa four times, once with UK, once with Jeff Back, and also with Tony Hymus. The most impressive drummer I've ever seen live and it has been great to know that he's enjoyed such a long, well-regarded, and eclectic career. The last time that I saw him was with Dweezil, drumming with one hand as he'd suffered an injury just before the show. At the Beck show (on that tour with Stevie Ray Vaughn) a large percentage of the crowd could be seen looking right past Beck and air drumming their brains out as Terry laid down the thunder. He was the first drummer who ever saw just take over a show. In the halls and on the way out, he was all anyone was talking about. Having seen him with Zappa, I already knew what they'd just been exposed to. He completely rattled their brains!

I’m a 61 yr old guitar player. UK is my all time favorite Prog rock band (even without Holdsworth) because of TB. Danger Money is a Masterpiece! Without TB it’s just a great record! A straight up MONSTER!

Seen Terry twice. Once in a clinic and two months later, the Louisville Ballet danced to his drumming. Halfway through the Sunday night show, thunderstorm hit and he told everyone come back and we met again the following night. The rain had cooled the air and it was FAR better than the first night.

A school mate back in the 80s let me listen to his cassette copy of Spring Session M by Missing Persons. The drumming on the song U.S. drag blew me away and it remains one of my favorite drum tracks. Bozzio is the man!

Saw him with UK at the LA Forum backing up Jethro Tull. Incredible!!! I auditioned for Missing Persons from an ad placed in the local sales paper the Recycler before they hit it. Terry liked me and we had a bond. His wife was a $#@% hot mess. No wonder they aren't together. When someone asks me for my recommendations for the best drummer, I always lead them to Terry. He's a great player!

Thank you Bozzio, I'm a professional drummer and my life is dedicated to the drums. Know that from the beginning you were an inspiration and an auditory incentive for me to move forward!

Listened for tens of hundreds of hours of Terry with Zappa. Fantastic.

I saw Missing Persons at The Roxy Theatre in LA around '81 or '82. Terry was right at the front of the stage, stage left, audience right. I was was right at the front of the stage to his left so I could see just about everything he was doing. It was incredible. I'm a drummer so I was just blown away

No need to say how great a drummer Terry is. One of my favorite Bozio moments is when he's talking at the end of Rat Tomago as the intro to Bobby Brown! Just fun!

Terry explanation on feeling and playing on stage is so informative and valuable, that information could literally save years for any musician on any instrument

I saw him play with Missing Persons twice in California when he was using his Rototom kit; moments of brilliance,then,a clinic in 86 with Sonny Emory for the now defunct Remo drums. Amazing! Still,his work with UK (Danger Money),and,his Zappa years,are my favorites.

I had the Missing Persons album ' Spring Session M ' back in the 1980s , loved Terrys drumming , had a crush on Dale Bozzio of course , I met her at an Adrian Belew show in Boston in the 1990s , she had a body guard who looked like Sylvester Stallone , she was wearing her trademark transparent plastic bra, I was star struck . Thanks !

Check out Punky's Whips, by Zappa, from the live Baby Snakes concert. Everything you need to know about Bozzio is right there. He's spent the last 40 years developing from there. Absolute masterpiece in playing, composition, humour, and irreverence.

My older brother and his friend were Zappa fans actually spouting his lyrics back and forth at each other and always playing him and many others so I was exposed to Zappa very young. When Zappa came to town in ‘79 he had these two young guys Terry Bozio and Steve Vai. I was blown away by both and being so young myself and being an aspiring guitar player, I was a life long fan fan of Vai since. Saw them both with Zappa the next year as well. A few years later I saw Missing Persons and Terry Bozio once again blew Me away. His wife did as well!! 😮

In the 90’s I Got a chance to see him in in a clinic and meet him after in Cleveland and it is a fond memory. What a nice and super talented guy .

A drummer buddy of mine and I caught a Bozzio clinic in Champaign Illinois in the mid-1980s and it was incredible to watch him play. The fact that he could play all those technically impossible things was not enough. He explained everything he was doing on a headset mic while he was playing it. Obviously, he was one of the most coordinated people that ever lived. As far as another person I would like to see interviewed it would be Dave Weckl.

Bozzio got my attention in Baby Snakes. He is a musical and technical drummer. Very rare breed. Good job Terry.

Hey everybody...There was a low budget movie in the very early 80s called "Lunch Wagon". It featured Terry briefly and his wife, singer Dale Bozzio. Several cable outlets showed it from time to time. Also featured a buxom Louisa Moritz and several Playboy Playmates. I believe it showed Terry playing...not 100% sure. A rare little gem of a movie. I watched it a bunch of times to see Terry and Dale, along with the bevy of babes.

My favorite of all the great Zappa drummers - to me he’s got the richest and most musical approach to the instrument. He’s really a composer/drummer. Most people seem to think that Vinny was the greatest of all the Frank Drummers, which I get totally. But Terry is so distinctive and unique, and continues to develop and enrich his work, even today at 74.

That was very insightful, thank you. I always admired his playing and his music philosophy.

This was great thank you! I've always wanted to challenge Terry (if I knew him) or met him and say, okay here's the deal I just want you to play on a four piece set with a H H, ride, two crashes maybe one or two china's and splashes... Single bass, just to see out of my curiosity. Then I came across a video on YT where he is on a basic four piece lmAO HE FREAKING BLEW ME AWAY!! Far exceeded what I thought he could do, the man is a living legend and a virtuoso -- top tier drummer that very few can get to that level unless one lives to be 200 yrs old + + +. God bless ya Terry what an inspiration! Your attitude, dedication and musicianship, humbleness, too much to list -- not to mention you became and produced YOUR fingerprint not someone else's. Total original! Peace

I saw Missing Persons in the 80s, here in Seattle at the Paramount Theater. I was watching this incredible drummer who set up on stage left... I was fourteen and had no idea about Terry... Phenomenal.

An underrated beast

Fantastic.Thank you for exposing me to Terry this much.

I got to see him play with UK and he immediately moved to the top of my favorite drummers and he's remained there ever since. I was lucky enough to attend a drum clinic he gave, which was sublime!

Great job putting this together!

I liked playing a large kit because the extra toms caught any flying beer bottles before they could smash me in the face...

Wonderful insight into a Great Musician. Thank you.

TY 4 Post -He did a drum clinic here , fantastic ,priceless , would go see Mr. Terry Bozzio any time anywhere , how great to listen , and have him sit down an talk to audience

Danger Money from UK quickly became one of my favorite albums of all time over the last few months, and a lot of that has to do with Bozzio's drumming. Truly an original player!

The end part starting at 13:00 shows why Terry made such an impact... sure you need some good technical drumming skills but all that means shit if you don't have a music/art/expression side as well as some decent professionalism and self-awareness/analytics. Hands With A Hammer!

Great video , love hearing him talk , got to meet him at a clinic

Punky Brewster...Loved Bozzio his whole career; His video "The Drummers of Frank Zappa" is a must watch for any drummer...Funny and profound...Terry's work with U.K is EXEMPLARY...

I never got the knack of matched grip. But that exercise he did on the pad blew me away. I used to work at JPL, designing cameras and telescopes for interplanetary spacecraft. I had my practice pad and sticks in my office and did paradiddles, flams, flamadiddles, and everything else when I was thinking.

The year was around ‘87 and I was a full blown Weckl dude But, I ended up buying his Remo drum kit after his clinic at the old Houston Drum Shop off of 59. Double bass, three rack, two floors, black. The only Wecklish was my piccolo snare. Too bad I couldn’t play as good as either but I sure tried. Very unique, inspirational drummer!

The Halloween shows with Terry are priceless

There's a man with expertise and acoustics ✨😊

Great video very informative what a genius!

I believe what terry brought to Frank was a unique blend of Jazz, rock, punk, new wave… Zoot Allures is a beautifully paced album and I believe it’s the most Zappa/Bozzio direct collaboration of all the Bozzio records. Terrys drumming on the Torture Never Stops is sublime….

A truly amazing and exciting drummer 😊 Mike in Denver

Excellent my friend...Excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love it man

Situation Dangerous? yeah brilliant album, Bozzio, up there with the best👍

Absolutely wonderful post! Thank you so much! Humble suggestions; Buddy Rich, Charlie Watts, Gene Hoglan. Only suggestions to consider. NOT demands! Very well done with this post!!

We played "wind up Working in a Gas Station" at our band's only high school dance...loved seeing the kids dance to the 5/4 time signature. Also " Blue Wind" and "Minstrel in the Gallery" kept them guessing!

Intriguing...i 've loved the way he plays since I bought Zoot Allures 38 years ago....

The music Terry must be available to make on Roland electronic kits must be amazing.

One of the truly greatest percussionists of all time.

Loved Missing Persons, and of course he married the lovely Dale Bozzio singer of MP.

Fascinating player with the long list of achievements that fly on top of the polar caps in beneath the radar awesome technique style and flare

Sin duda, uno de los grandes!

Huge influence ❤

Got to see him and daney Carey jam out on the lateralus tour in Daytona Beach was one of the best shows I've ever seen with over 100 under my belt. About to see tool next month.

good short docu,,,after vinnie, my 2nd fav zappa drummer..Bozzio is simply an animal and that line up was amazing.. anyways, my fav zappa era still is edie & flo with A Dunbar on drums..those times were the funniest.. subscribed

One of the best. Saw him with UK

With EVERYTHING Terry has created and been a part of drum wise, it all boils down to THREE albums for me... 1/ Spring Session M 2/ Rhyme & Reason 3/ Color in Your Life That's it. I'm good with those three. While I completely respect what he's done pre-Missing Persons with Zappa and post-Missing Persons with all the artists, solo and other works, it's his MP work that I go back to time and time and time again. My wish, looking back, is that after Terry and Dale divorced, that they were able to continue with MP as a band and not let it all implode.

Amazing talent.

Love Bozzio's drumming on Ratomago off the Sheik Yerbouti album...& the insane guitaring too.

TB is one of kind drummer,, bringing drum kit up center

Met Terry Bozzio after a Polytown show in Toronto. Such a nice person , a musician of integrity. Was a wonderful experience to hear him play with Mick Karn & David Torn 🌎🌱

My thoughts and suggestions for Terry bozzio are that I think he would be good for me to work with based on his experience with Frank Zappa and the abstract world. Like him, my microcosmic orchestra has amazing musical capabilities and would only be suitable with the same likeness. Thanks for asking

I was running sound for a band (Melvin & the Meateaters) when we got the nod to open for Missing Persons at some club in Dallas. BUT - Dale got sick, they cancelled, boy was I bummed! I was a bass player, but had great admiration for Terry Bozzio. Long time ago, & I still go “Awww, dammit!” about that missed chance to see him play.

Incredible genius level drummer. Boggles my mind.

I saw him play with zappa .. he was first on the stage.. starts playing.. the band comes out.. plays a set.. takes a break.. he keeps playing.. next set.. then he finished by himself.. unbelievable performance

Amazing, simply better than most

Hi, I love your videos! Keep up the great work! Would love to see a video on Urian Hackney.

🎶🎶Dancing with the Moonlit Trilobite🎶🎶

One of the best ever….not my fav feel player…but has my full respect technically speaking

From Bongo Fury, Zoot Allures and Sheik Yerbouti all truly epic

Bozzio you're a fuckin genius! Frank Zappa

His work with missing persons greatly impressed me

Bellroy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did a support gig with Zappa and Terry and George Duke.I felt disoriented by Terry afterwards but Frank finished with Enema Bandit which brought me back into focus.Terry was a tornado.Still is.

Hey man, this is a cool video. Have a good day.

4:37 There are only 4 beats per bar. The 5s, 7s, 11s, etc., are the polyrhythms.

Awesome drummer I first saw him with Jeff Beck on the guitar shop tour along with Stevie Ray Vaughan😮

I wish this dude would do a tour with RUSH !!!

Terry Ted is really sweet, watch the way he keep the beat.... He's so cool he'll make you freeze! - F.Zappa

Great drummer who was able to go pretty much wherever he wanted to go.

Besides his great work with Zappa, UK, Missing Persons and Jeff Beck, there’s a beautiful and little known album called Polytown, with Terry, David Torn and Mick Karn that also deserves to be mentioned.

I can’t believe he’s 73 years old. The guy seems eternally youthful.

Bello/Magnifico.💎💎💎💎💎💎

Saw the thumbnail and wondered why there was a picture of Fabio playing the drums. Relieved to find out it's that MFr Terry Bozzio

Same goes for bass players. One of the first things I learned is to control my emotions. Now if I could get my chops back..

Vinnie's seal disco solo still takes the cake imo.

Dude is really good.

Jon Hiseman played in a similar melodic style in Coliseum

He's on a great instrumental album called 'polytown' with Mick Karn & David Torn.

I missed meeting him 3x at clinics and once at NAMM. One of my all time favorites ever. As a bass player I hope I can meet and jam with him someday.