Essra Mohawk developed her distinctively reedy and expressive voice jamming with such jazz luminaries as Eddie Gomez and the Brecker Brothers. In 1966, she penned hits for the Shangri-Las and the Vanilla Fudge, and soon after became the first female member of Frank Zappa’s Mothers Of Invention. She recorded her debut album for Verve Records in '69. The excellent follow-up, PRIMORDIAL LOVERS, was hampered by poor distribution and the sale of Reprise Records. Despite moving to Elektra Records for her self-titled third album, further critical acclaim was again hampered by poor promotion. Her career was boosted when Cyndi Lauper took "Change Of Heart" to number three in '86, and after a ten-year hiatus she resumed her solo career with several well-received albums.