morgan ågren

Having played in Hot Rats (a band he had formed with Mats Öberg) in the early eighties and in Zappsteetoot (an 8-piece band that played Frank Zappa's music) in the late eighties, Morgan Ågren ( & Mats Öberg) sat in with the Zappa band in 1988 during the Stockholm performance. Since then Morgan (& Mats) have released and contributed to a fine bunch of albums.

In 1991 Morgan took part in the "Zappa's Universe" concert series.

Between 1994 and 1996, Mats & Morgan performed Zappa's music as Frank Zappa Memorial Barbeque.

In 2000 he performed with the Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest, playing Frank Zappa's "200 Motels Suite".

June 2003, he played Frank Zappa compositions with Lotsberg, Pajunen, Ågren & Tengstrand, with Denny Walley's Zappa Corner Band and with Ed Palermo's Big Band at The Umeå Internationella Kammarmusik Festival.

September / October 2003, he was featured as a special guest at the "Frank Zappa Memorial Barbecue" concerts in France, by the Ensemble Imaginaire.

July 2004, the Mats / Morgan Band performed at the "Zappanale" festival in Bad Doberan, Germany. Shortly thereafter, the band toured the USA.

September 2006, the MusikFabrik performed music by Zappa and by Varèse. The band had been gathered by Ali N.Askin, and included keyboardist Mats Öberg and drummer Morgan Ågren as special guests.

http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Morgan_Agren.html

selective discography

videography

concerts

As part of the "Rock Group" in "Zappa's Universe"

•  1991/11/07 - 1991/11/10    "zappa's universe" - a tribute to frank zappa in his 50th birthday year
      at 'the ritz', nyc, ny, usa
      organised by joel thome
      concert by the orchestra of our time (cond.joel thome), rock group, persuasions, rockapella and guests

"en akustisk afton med musik av frank zappa" (an acoustic evening with the music of fz)

• 1994/05/22 concert 'malmö konsthall', malmö, sweden

  • "en akustisk afton med musik av frank zappa" (an acoustic evening with the music of fz)

    • hans annéllsson, mats & morgan & others...

    • twenty small cigars, number 6, sheik yerbouti tango, treacherous cretins

    • an excellent 13-minute soundboard recording of this performance circulates

The Umeå Internationella Kammarmusik Festival

• 2003/06/10 Lotsberg, Pajunen, Ågren & Tengstrand: “Music For One”

  • Geir Inge Lotsberg: violin * Anne Pajunen: vocals, viola * Morgan Ågren: drums * Per Tengstrand:  piano

  • Program
    • Nicolay Apollyon: Épisème, for violin solo. (urframförande)
    • Performance med Anne Pajunen
    • Frank Zappa: The Black Page Drum Solo
    • Franz Liszt: Sonat för piano h-moll
      
• 2003/06/13 The Ed Palermo Jazz From Hell Band
  • The Ed Palermo Jazz From Hell Band
    • Ed Palermo: sax * Mike Keneally: guitar * Mats Öberg: keyboards * Morgan Ågren: drums * Paul Adamy: bass * Bob Quaranta: piano
  • Guest: Napoleon Murphy Brock: sax
  • Setlist
    • Toads Of The Short Forest
    • Little Umbrellas
    • Blessed Relief  (with Napoleon Murphy Brock on sax, solo by Ed)
   
• 2003/06/13 The Zappa Corner band: "The Zappa Corner #1"
  • The Zappa Corner Band
    • Denny Walley: slide guitar, vocals * Mats Öberg: keyboard * Morgan Ågren: drums * Tommy Thordsson: bass * Napoleon M Brock: vocals, sax * Mike Keneally: guitar * Ed Palermo: sax * Paul Adamy: bass
  • Setlist
    • Magic Fingers (Tommy Thordsson on bass, sung by Denny and Mike, without Napi)
      Advance Romance (Paul Adamy on bass, sung by Napi)
      City of Tiny Lites (Tommy on bass, sung by Denny, incredible keyboard solo by Mats, without Napi)
       

• 2003/06/14 The Ed Palermo Big Band: "Big Band Zappa"

  • The Ed Palermo Big Band

    • Ed Palermo: director & sax * Magnus Ekholm, Bosse Strandberg: trumpet * Magnus Puls, Gunnar Walldén, Björn Hängsel: trombone * Peter Lindqvist, Petri Kivimäki, Peter Nordvall, Sigurd Löf, Jonas Knutsson: sax * Bob Quaranta, Mats Öberg: keyboards * Morgan Ågren: drums * Paul Adamy: bass * Mike Keneally: guitar * Napoleon M Brock: vocals & sax

  • Program

    • Regyptian Strut * Cleetus Awreetus Awrightus * King Kong / Transylvanian Boogie * Sleep Dirt * The Grand Wazoo * Uncle Remus * Pygmy Twylyte * Village of the Sun * Echidna’s Arf (of you) * Don’t You Ever Wash That Thing * Sofa #1 * Oh No * The Idiot Bastard Son * Peaches en Regalia * Andy
      

• 2003/06/14 The Ed Palermo Jazz From Hell Band

  • The Ed Palermo Jazz From Hell Band

    • Ed Palermo: sax * Mike Keneally: guitar * Mats Öberg: keyboards * Morgan Ågren: drums * Paul Adamy: bass * Bob Quaranta: piano

  • Setlist

    • The Gumbo Variations

    • 20 Small Cigars

    • Toads Of The Short Forest
       

• 2003/06/14 The Zappa Corner Band: "The Zappa Corner #2"

  • The Zappa Corner band:

    • Denny Walley: slide guitar, vocals * Mats Öberg: keyboard * Morgan Ågren: drums * Tommy Thordsson: bass * Napoleon M Brock: vocals, sax * Mike Keneally: guitar * Ed Palermo: sax * Paul Adamy: bass

  • Setlist

    • Montana * (Paul Adamy on bass, sung by Napi, without Denny, but with four invited young girls - three on backing vocals, one on trombone - from Zappa Graduates

    • City of Tiny Lites (Tommy on bass, featuring a long wah wah solo from Zappa Graduates young guitar player, without Napi)

    • Magic Fingers (Tommy on bass, solo passing between Mike, Denny and the young guy from Zappa Graduates, without Napi)

    • Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance (Tommy on bass, Napi on lead vocals)

    • What's The Ugliest part of your Body (same)

    • Advance Romance (Paul Adamy on bass, Jimmy Ågren on Harmonica, Napi on lead vocals)
      encores :

    • The Black Page #1 (played spontaneously by Mike, Mats & Morgan on the rhythm of the hand claps of the audience !)

    • Inca Roads (Paul Adamy on bass, Napi on flute, sung by Mike who also played the piano during Mats' keyboard solo, without Denny)

    • Amerika Drinks (with Mike on drums ! the whole thing ending up into a frenzy in the Absolutely Free style)