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Ed Mann
Ed Mann
	Mann in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Edward L. Mann
Born	January 14, 1955; Great Barrington, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	May 31, 2024 (aged 69)
Occupations	Musician; composer; record producer;
Instruments	Mallet percussion; electronic keyboards;
Years active	1975–2024

Edward L. Mann (January 14, 1955 – May 31, 2024) was an American musician best known for his mallet percussion performances onstage with Frank Zappa's ensemble from 1977 to 1988, and his appearances on over 30 of Zappa's albums, both studio recordings and with Zappa's band live. Mann also released a number of CDs as a bandleader and composer.

Life and career

Mann described himself as "a drummer and piano dabbler since childhood."^[1] He formed a band with Tommy Mars in mid 1973; by the end of that year he was studying with John Bergamo at CalArts. In 1977, Frank Zappa asked Bergamo to do some overdubbing on the Zappa In New York album and Bergamo in turn recommended Mann.

A few months later Ruth Underwood told Mann that Zappa was looking for a second keyboard player. When Mann called to recommend Tommy Mars ("At midnight, the only time when you could reach Frank by phone"^{[This quote needs a citation]}), Zappa invited him to come to his house. Mann went to the house, where Terry Bozzio, Patrick O'Hearn, and Adrian Belew were jamming with Zappa. By 2:00am Mann was in the band. He later commented: "It took a few days for that all to sink in."^{[This quote needs a citation]}

Mann can be heard playing gongs on J21's Yellow Mind:Blue Mind album.

Until mid-2014, Mann was a member of The Band From Utopia which had featured many Zappa alumni such as Robert Martin, Chad Wackerman, Albert Wing, Tom Fowler, Ray White and Ralph Humphrey over the years. In 2008, he toured with Project Object and sat in with Agent Moosehead at the New York Harvest Festival and Freedom Rally. In 2013, Mann began performing on percussion and electronics with The Z3, an organ, guitar and drums trio that adapts Zappa music to the Hammond organ-centered jazz-funk tradition. Mann played on The White Album and did a virtuoso performance on the song "Apple A Day". Mann played on two of David Arvedon's albums.

Mann joined Northeast blugrasstafarian jam band Desert Rain for their set at the Wormtown Music Festival in late 2015. From then on he joined the group at clubs throughout the Northeast.

In July 2016, Mann joined Mike Dillon for three dates of Dillon's northeast US tour.^{[citation needed]}

Mann died on May 31, 2024, at the age of 69.^[2]