Tommy Mars

Tommy Mars (Mariano) was born in Waterbury, CT., started playing piano in his youth, and graduated from the Hartt School of Music in 1974. By the mid 70's, Tommy was "striking out everywhere in the bars; getting fired was my middle name". Mars became a member of The Mothers in 1977 on a recommendation from Ed Mann, who had played with Tommy back in Connecticut. For his audition, Frank put Mars through "the most stringent musical maze that I had ever confronted in my life. Frank had a toothache that day and I could sense that I was sinking lower and lower. My reading was only adequate for what he wanted, but my improvization saved me." Tommy had developped a very unique form of "scatting" to the notes he would play on the piano. This impressed Frank very much during the audition, so much so, he called Gail down to "listen to this guy's pipes". Finally Frank said, "I guess you won't have to work many Holiday Inns any more".

Tommy Mars provided keyboards and/or vocal for Sheik Yerbouti, Joe's Garage Act I, Joe's Garage Acts II & III, Tinseltown Rebellion, Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar set, You Are What You Is, Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch, The Man From Utopia, Baby Snakes, Them Or Us, Thing-Fish, Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers Of Prevention, Uncle Meat '87 re-release, Jazz From Hell, Guitar, You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 1, You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 3, You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 4, You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 5, You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 6, The Lost Episodes, Frank Zappa Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa, Halloween, and Quaudiophiliac; also for the Beat The Boots series disks As An Am (BTB), Anyway The Wind Blows (BTB), Saarbrücken 1978 (BTB), & At The Circus (BTB) - and the unreleased Trance-Fusion.

Tommy's performance can be seen in the Zappa movies Baby Snakes (The Film), Dub Room Special, and Video From Hell.

Tommy Mars is a band member of The Band From Utopia.