RIP Gary Parra

[Udi Koomran]

Scott Brazieal
"Want to let some folks know that Gary Parra passed this morning after his long fight with cancer.
Gar was one of THE most creative, driven and musically-determined, fun and ETERNALLY positive people I have ever met. Easily.
It's difficult here to convey my appreciation to have made a few records, and music, and played shows with him for so many years, (even up to a month ago, when a few of us packed up a van, and drove 400miles south to spend a weekend together with he and his kids, and Cindy & Kris... improvising music all night...) ... and ... ... I guess, will just finish up here by expressing my own giant buckets of gratitude to have shared some of this brief and "phenomenal" amount of time that we are somehow granted while on this planet together.
Eternal love and peace, Brother Gary "

[Mister Triscuits]

Very sad news. I was fortunate enough to catch PFS 20-something years ago, playing on a bill with Caravan of Dreams in some dingy warehouse in San Francisco.

[GuitarGeek]

Just read on Facebook that Gary Parra, who drummed in Cartoon and PFS back in the 80's, has passed away. This is confirmed by both Craig Fry and Scott Braziel, two of the other musicians from the Cartoon/PFS axis.

Back in the early 90's, when I was just starting to wade into the deeper realms of this thing called "progressive rock", Cartoon were one of the first bands I came across. They had long since broken up by this time, but at the time, a used copy of Sortie, the CD reissue of most of the music from their studio albums, surfaced at Wax Stax. I'm not sure why I bought it, apart from the fact that there was a 12 minute track on it called Shredded Wheat, and the fact that Magma was mentioned in the liner notes in the booklet, I decided to spend the 9 bucks or whatever the asking price was. It was a worthy expenditure, as I liked it immediately. It was also the title that introduced me to Cuneiform Records and which led me to being a customer of Steve Feigenbaum's, which continues to this very day.

RIP Gary and thank you for the music.

[Fracktured]

I'm not familiar with Gary or his work but it's still sad to hear of the passing of a musician. RIP Gary.

[rcarlberg]

Loved his work with Cartoon and PFS though I never had any direct contact with him. Musicians of a certain age... I'm sure Steve F. has some stories.

[Steve F.]

OH, dear fucking God, what a shit thing to learn about here.




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[Steve F.]

I had no idea he was unwell. This is extremely personally sad news for me.


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[Poisoned Youth]

Merged the threads. RIP Gary.

[moecurlythanu]

I bought the s/t Cartoon album back in the 80s from a Goldmine ad. Very sad to read this. The beat goes on, I guess. It's that time, sad though it is.

[Progbear]

Very sad to hear. It had been many years since I’d seen hide or hair of him. He was an extremely...odd character, but undeniably talented. I’d seen him live a few times, with PFS (on their farewell show!) and Trap, and whatever band he was with, he put on a great show. Trap were a cool band that deserves more love. I still have the demo CD-R of tracks for Insurrection that Gary gave me (as well as the woozy cassette release of PFS’ Illustrative Problems). I think the last time I saw them live, they did a version of “Peaches en Regalia.” Great show!

Very sad news. I was fortunate enough to catch PFS 20-something years ago, playing on a bill with Caravan of Dreams in some dingy warehouse in San Francisco.

I bet that was the show I was at! Andy Ward making announcements through the drum mikes? PFS doing “Starless”? All three of the band pitching in to dismantle the CP-70 at the end of the night? Ringing any bells?

[Mister Triscuits]

I bet that was the show I was at! Andy Ward making announcements through the drum mikes? PFS doing “Starless”? All three of the band pitching in to dismantle the CP-70 at the end of the night? Ringing any bells?

That's the one, all right, though what sticks in my mind most is the prodigious amount of beer Andy Ward gulped down during the show while still managing to play like a motherfucker. I hung out with him a bit after the show--and he was drunk as a lord--when he wanted to tell me about every album he'd done as a session, punctuating each one by tapping me on the chest and saying "Don't buy it, it's crap!"

[Old Boy]

Very sad news indeed. Loved his work in Cartoon, PFS and his own Trap project. Still own them all (plus my Cartoon t-shirt which will never fit me again), plus the cassette only release "Bootlegged" and live recordings of the last 2 Cartoon shows in France in May of 1984. I exchanged emails with him many years ago. Very nice guy. R.I.P. Garry.

[rcarlberg]

How are the French shows? I Cd-Red "Bootlegged" a few years ago but have never heard any other live shows.

[GuitarGeek]

Very sad news indeed. Loved his work in Cartoon, PFS and his own Trap project. Still own them all (plus my Cartoon t-shirt which will never fit me again), plus the cassette only release "Bootlegged" and live recordings of the last 2 Cartoon shows in France in May of 1984. I exchanged emails with him many years ago. Very nice guy. R.I.P. Garry.

How is Bootlegged? THat's never been reissued, right?

[Steve F.]

How is Bootlegged? THat's never been reissued, right?

It's never been reissued.

Cartoon weren't a very 'jammy' band. The live versions of the tunes are fairly close to the arrangements of the studio tracks (solos are different).

The main reason for wanting Bootlegged is because you get to hear the tunes they recorded as a 3 piece (s/t 1st album) as performed by the 5 piece band. Those sound quite different!

[Scrotum Scissor]

That awesome Cartoon CD was the very first Cunei I got, and I still absolutely love it. Hot damn, were they ever different from most traits associated with 80s "prog" back then; strictly arranged yet simultaneously bursting with anarchic atmosphere. I completely overplayed it during my student years, as I was in a band myself who'd highlight arrangements for piano that were quite similar to what appears on the debut Cartoon and our classically trained keysman became very taken with the album. The PFS is great as well. I never heard the Trap one.

Sad to hear about his passing.

[Paulrus]

Very sad to hear. It had been many years since I’d seen hide or hair of him. He was an extremely...odd character, but undeniably talented. I’d seen him live a few times, with PFS (on their farewell show!) and Trap, and whatever band he was with, he put on a great show. Trap were a cool band that deserves more love. I still have the demo CD-R of tracks for Insurrection that Gary gave me (as well as the woozy cassette release of PFS’ Illustrative Problems). I think the last time I saw them live, they did a version of “Peaches en Regalia.” Great show!

I bet that was the show I was at! Andy Ward making announcements through the drum mikes? PFS doing “Starless”? All three of the band pitching in to dismantle the CP-70 at the end of the night? Ringing any bells?

Somehow my comment didn't survive the merge...

Anyways, I was also at that SF show. Funky space. It was a spot in a industrial park that had been converted to a performance space. The seating was essentially a couple couches and chairs and there was barely any lighting. I'm sure they had to be careful with the power draw! I wonder whatever happened to the guy who put that gig together? He seemed like he was trying to become a local prog impressario, though the cards were definitely stacked against him.

But that was my introduction to all things Cartoon/PFS/Trap/Gary Parra after reading a great interview/overview printed in Exposé. I was super impressed by Gary and the band. The cover of "Starless" was a treat, since this was before KC's 90s reformation.

They opened for Richard Sinclair/Caravan of Dreams. I'll never forget going out for Mexican afterwards at some taqueria in the Mission and sitting there with Richard as he repeated "Burrito. Bo-ree-toe." over and over. The word just gave him the giggles!

[Old Boy]

How are the French shows? I Cd-Red "Bootlegged" a few years ago but have never heard any other live shows.

The quality is pretty poor on the French show, but when I found about them, I figured I needed to have them due to my infatuation with the band. The setlist is similar to the compilation on "Bootlegged". They did perform "Peaches en Regalia" as the encore at the show in Nancy.

[Progbear]

Anyways, I was also at that SF show. Funky space. It was a spot in a industrial park that had been converted to a performance space. The seating was essentially a couple couches and chairs and there was barely any lighting. I'm sure they had to be careful with the power draw! I wonder whatever happened to the guy who put that gig together? He seemed like he was trying to become a local prog impressario, though the cards were definitely stacked against him.

Club Komotion. Same place where I saw a very drunk Kevin Ayers, who forgot the lyrics to “Lady Rachel.” (“I’ve forgotten the words...and it’s getting worse!”) In fact, was that the same gig?

But that was my introduction to all things Cartoon/PFS/Trap/Gary Parra after reading a great interview/overview printed in Exposé. I was super impressed by Gary and the band. The cover of "Starless" was a treat, since this was before KC's 90s reformation.

Extra points to them for turning in a credible version using just sax, piano and drums!

[Mister Triscuits]

Club Komotion. Same place where I saw a very drunk Kevin Ayers, who forgot the lyrics to “Lady Rachel.” (“I’ve forgotten the words...and it’s getting worse!”) In fact, was that the same gig?

That was a different gig around the same time--I can't remember who, if anyone, was on the bill with Kevin Ayers, I just remember he only played about a half hour.

[spacefreak]

Damn... damn... I've been a bid admirer of the Cartoon/PSF projects.

RIP.

[Philip Sanchez]

I was an early fan of Cartoon from the Binkyville days. I was always in awe of his drumming and was saddened to hear of his passing. My condolences to his family and friends.