Monday, February 15, 2010

Mats Öberg plays with schlager star Carola

Swedish pianist Mats Öberg, who once played on stage with Frank Zappa is now doing some gigs in Sweden with Carola Häggkvist, one of the most famous schlager singers in Sweden. Radio Dupree called Mats up for a short chat about this new project:
Mats: We first met at a Per-Erik Hallin concert at Berns salonger in Stockholm and she told me she would like to call me. I said sure and a while later she did.
Radio Dupree: What is it like to work with her?
Mats: Carola is very pleasant to deal with. She is very open to different kinds of music.
Radio Dupree: What songs do you play?
Mats: We do several of Carola's well known songs, but she has also asked me to suggest songs. She even asked me if we could do a Zappa number! Well, after a while I suggested to do a couple of songs solo...Proppeller Häst and Biggan. (The first one from the Mats/Morgan Band CD Thanks For Flying With Us. The other one from a live CD Mats recorded with saxophonist Jonas Knutsson.)
Radio Dupree: How many shows have you planned to do?
Mats: We played Hotell Lappland in Lycksele on February 13. On the 25th we will do a charity gig for Haiti at The Filadelfia church in Stockholm, and on the 27th we will return to Hotell Lappland in Lycksele for another show there.
Radio Dupree: Will there be anything more coming out of this project?
Mats:
Well, Carola is very enthusiastic about it and wants to do a live recording, but we will have to see about that.

By the way: on March 10 Mats is releasing a new CD featuring Mats Öberg Trio, entitled So Very Mats.

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