Tommi Zender profile picture

Tommi Zender

whoever you are, come forth

About Me

Producer, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, speedreader, hypnotist, Tommi Zender has this record called "Will Work For Harmony". It was recorded 2003-2005. He plays all the instruments! Just like Prince...and Wesley Willis. Whoopee! Jeff Oliver at Riverbend studios in Chicago recorded & engineered it. It is available through CDBaby and ITunes. TZ's first record Trinkets of Joy "Just Like Mom Used to Make" is now available again, through Not Lame Records. It's mid-fi and it comes with a free pack of Skittles. It has an album cover, with pictures & words, that was done by Worth Wagers...a kind-hearted man.Gig information is posted on this page exclusively. New record being written currently;it should be done by 2010. Thank you for your support, and for listening.Subscribe to my infrequent blog! Go ahead, I dare you.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 12/3/2005
Band Website: tommizender.com
Band Members: Carmine Appice, Izzy Stradlin, Rudy Sarzo, and Greg Guiffria. We call ourselves "Painfully Huge".
Influences: All the people, events & things I remember, and all I hope to someday forget.:-)'........................................Also...Br ian Eno, Meshell N'degeOcello, Kevin Gilbert, Jon Brion, Roxy Music, Horace Silver, Steely Dan, Prince, Daniel Lanois, Todd Rundgren, Joni Mitchell, Thomas Dolby, Los Lobos/Latin Playboys, Bowie, Beatles, Stones, Dylan, Caetano Veloso, Led Zeppelin, mid-70's Aerosmith, Curtis Mayfield, Wendy & Lisa, Billie Holiday, Joe Henry, Tortoise, Sly Stone, Scritti Polliti, Stanton Moore, Steve Reich, Stevie Wonder, David Sylvian, ssssssseriously..................................Ohio Players, Hank Williams, James P. Johnson, Richard Thompson, Lucky Thompson, Beck, Jeff Beck, Peter Gabriel, Earth Wind & Fire, Wes Montgomery, Harold Budd, Bill Nelson, Calexico, Mitchell Froom, Glen Kotche, Nels Cline, Brian Blade, The Who, Placemats, Coltrane, Miles, Afghan Whigs, Adrian Belew, Zappa, Aimee Mann, & her husband, Iron & Wine, Jellyfish, Talking Heads, Marvin Gaye, too many to mention-but I'll keep trying.................... Sakyong Mipham, Bill Hicks, Tom Robbins, PT Anderson, Chuck Klosterman, MOJO, candles, fans & air cleaners, curry powder, yoga, cats...not the musical, the creature!................................................... ............................................................ .... ............................................................ ............... I love to play music with my friends, and teach music to my students. I'm influenced by them and visa versa. So much to hear & learn...so little time it seems. And yet, all the time in the world. Why waste it playing Guitar Hero, when you can learn to play a real instrument?................................................. ...........................Currently, digging lots of 70's Yes. I should point out that Steve Howe was Bob Stinson's biggest guitar hero.
Sounds Like: A compassionate friend? A feather tickling a pinky toe? A freight train running through your living room? You decide. You score extra "friend" points if you say "he sounds like Tommi Zender."
Record Label: Smaller Than Life Records
Type of Label: Major

My Blog

Jellyfish Tribute CD, Jon Brion shows, Life is good...

....Long blog alert. Save it for later if you've got something on the stove eh? Haven't blogged much at all...so this will surely make up for that.What can I say...a fantastic last couple weeks it's...
Posted by Tommi Zender on Sun, 18 Mar 2007 02:01:00 PST

ITunes/CDBaby links

Old news...repackaged for your pleasure/annoyance. For anyone who purchases one of my records (or gives it as a gift to someone who will enjoy it) I will send you MP3 of a bonus track that's not post...
Posted by Tommi Zender on Fri, 13 Oct 2006 07:26:00 PST

Trinkets of Joy record available again

After locating another couple boxes, the Trinkets of Joy record "Just Like Mom Used to Make" (Hear Diagonally Records) is now available again in limited quantities, exclusively from Notlame Records on...
Posted by Tommi Zender on Wed, 11 Oct 2006 10:55:00 PST

How we listen to new music

I've been inspired to try to wax poetic (or wane pathetic). Questions to be answered...or just pondered? I should probably do this more often, eh? I got to thinking about how we experience new musi...
Posted by Tommi Zender on Sat, 03 Jun 2006 10:30:00 PST