Mathias Kunzli Celebrates PLAYGROUND Release at Joe's Pub, 10/26

Joe's Pub presents the release show for Playground, the debut album from Swiss-born percussion wizard Mathias Künzli on Sunday, October 26th at 9:30pm.

Having toured the world, recorded and collaborated with artists such as Regina Spektor, John Zorn, Moby, Lauryn Hill, Brooklyn Rider, Yo-Yo Ma's Silkroad Project, Viex Farka Toure, The Paul Winter Consort, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and The Paul Winter Consort, Künzli is geared up for his first ever solo release. Playground is a live recording of an all- improvised solo show in New York City.

Making music from the heart, Künzli draws from what seems to be a pool of endless resources, sound makers and surprises connecting worlds through pure improvisation and weaving effortlessly from playful soundscapes into heavy hitting drum beats. Drumming, singing and transforming any object into an instrument, Mathias Künzli's Playground reminds the listener that music is everywhere.

The release show will feature special guest artist, Sxip Shirey.

Playground is available for purchase from iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon and Bandcamp.

Joe's Pub is located at 425 Lafayette Street, NYC. Tickets: $14 in Advance; $18 at the Door. Call 212-967-7555, visit The Public Theater Box Office (Su-M 2-6pm; Tu-Sa 2-7:30pm) or www.joespub.com.

Track List:

1) Room S

2) Wolves

3) South Wing King

4) Homberg Sunrise

5) Piggeldy Und Frederic

6) Abschtiegerligs

7) We Deserve It

8) Waggle Dance

9) Snow

Mathias Künzli on the evolution of Playground:

"The journey of Playground began when I was a young child. My dad always sang or whistled a tune. I was intrigued by people playing instruments or by the conductor of the local chamber orchestra who I walked up to and imitated in the middle of a concert. I think I was three....at thirteen I got my first drum set.

"Another turning point was when I was first asked to do solo shows. This is only a few years ago. It's always been natural for me to improvise. I love the unknown and it was instinctive for me to just go and play whatever I felt rather than write or prepare a bunch of stuff and try to reproduce it.

"When people ask me what my solo shows are like, my first answer is usually: "Well... it's kind of like my personal playground. I just do what I feel in the moment with whatever I bring or is there. Often I don't even know the exact content of bags that I bring along... surprises are desired!"

"On Playground one can hear lots of influences. I draw from emotions that may spring from various elements: music I hear, styles of music I studied, artists I've toured and recorded with, people, nature, art, moods I'm in -- life in general. It is not my goal to imitate styles or even specific artists I might admire. I like to believe that I draw from the essence of their voice and speak in my own language. I hope to inspire others to do so as well. It's a circle. We all catch and pass the ball.

"If we pay attention, we realize that music is everywhere and that is essentially what Playground is all about."

Mathias Künzli, Drums/Percussion - Hailing from Switzerland, multi- disciplined drummer/percussionist Mathias Künzli has become ubiquitous in the New York City music scene. He can be found most every night of the week in some of Manhattan and Brooklyn's finest concert venues, performing in a variety of styles, with artists and bands of many genres.

Music has guided Künzli's career trajectory for over two decades now. Born in Switzerland in 1975, Mathias started to play drums at age thirteen and soon he got involved with several European rock, pop and folk groups. He attended the Dante Agostini Drum School in Olten, Switzerland, where he won numerous diplomas and awards for his outstanding performances. He also became the drummer for the Swiss Youth Jazz Orchestra, a national group that toured Switzerland and Italy, for five consecutive years.

In 1995, Künzli received two scholarships from Boston's prestigious Berklee College of Music and moved to the States. He graduated in December 1998 and has made New York City his residence ever since.

Mathias is grateful for having had the privilege of studying with a great and diverse roster of teachers including Jamey Haddad, Zohar Fresco, Joe Hunt, Ian Froman, Giovanni Hidalgo, Adam Nussbaum, Danny Gottlieb, Tommy Campbell, Hal Crook, Greg Hopkins, Marco Kaeppeli and Fritz Renold.

Künzli's desire and ability to adapt to a wide range of musical styles have enabled him to tour extensively in six continents and he has appeared in some of the world's most prestigious concert halls, arenas, and festivals including Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Sidney Opera House, Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Outside Lands Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, and many more.

National TV appearances in the US include: Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Colbert Report, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and Good Morning America.

As a drummer and percussionist he has had the chance to collaborate with artists as varied as Regina Spektor, Moby, Lauryn Hill, Yo-Yo Ma Silk Road Project, Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, Vieux Farka Toure, Oscar Castro-Neves, Gary Brown, Randy Brecker, Bob Berg, Marc Ribot, John Zorn's Electric Masada, Alessandra Belloni, Bobby Watson, Jerry Bergonzi, Hal Crook, George Garzone, Jamey Haddad, Mark Soskin, Herb Pomeroy, Bill Pierce, Cecil Bridgewater,John Lockwood, Lenny Hochmann, Yanka Roupkina, Theodosii Spassov, Bakithi Kumalo, Tony Cedras, Oscar Stagnaro, Savina Yannatou, Dave Samuels, The Paul Winter Consort, Mike Richmond, Donny McCaslin, Eugene Friesen, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Matt Dariau, Frank London, Gary Burton, Makoto Ozone, Gina Gershon, Keyhan Kalhor, Mikael Burishnikov, Mark Gould, Mary Wilson, Steve Gorn, Howard Johnson.

PLAYGROUND
Live Recording at The Fridman Gallery in New York City on November 22, 2013.
Recorded with a stereo mic by Kyle Sanna.
Mixed and mastered by Shahzad Ismaily and Kyle Sanna. Artwork and Photography by Mathias Ku?nzli.
Design and Layout by Jon Madof and Mathias Künzli.
All music by Mathias Künzli.
©2014 Chinderschloss Music (BMI) All rights reserved.