Napoleon Murphy Brock was discovered by Frank Zappa in 1973 while playing R&B covers at a Hawaii nightclub. A few months later Brock was in Zappa's band and stayed on for three years. Napoleon put together Gregarious Movement shortly afterward. This live recording from 1977 captures Napi's band doing what they did best - putting their own imprint on soul classics.
After Frank - 1st Movement is the first CD in Napoleon's archival series of recordings done before or after his time with Frank Zappa.
Brock recorded with Zappa in 1983 and did some live shows in 1984 before leaving music for over a decade. Since 1999 Napoleon has performed Zappa's music with Bogus Pomp, Project Object and many others, and he was featured vocalist on the 2006 Zappa Plays Zappa (ZpZ) tour.
'Besides his stints as lead vocalist, sax player and exotic dancer with the mid 70s incanation of Frank Zappa and the Mothers then later briefly reunited with Zappa in the early 80s the spectacularly
monickered Napoeon Murphy Brock previously had some form as a vocalist and saxophonist of note with San Jose acts the Napoleon 5 and the Soul Committee - the latter featuring his long term collaborators organist Clifford Coulter and drummer Billy Ingram. Despite the grandiose and
ever so prog sounding handle Gregarious Movement the trio were, on the evidence of this previously unreleased and charmingly low key live recording from the C'est Bonne club in Santa Cruz in 1977, a rootsily soulful house band. Throughout the recording Napoleon ( Napi to his
friends ) & Co exhibit a pronounced weakness for the recent output of the Ohio Players with no less than three of the album's five tracks (Skin Tight, Heaven Must Be Like This and Fire ) all covers of OP
originals. One of the chief surprises given his sterling performances with Zappa is the fact that Napi only takes the mic on a cover of Al Green's Let's Stay Together with drummer Billy Ingram covering most of the vocal duties. Cheesy for sure but funky with it.
Grahame Bent (Record Collector)
