-Brad Walseth, jazzchicago.net
“The rhythm players dominate Zing!, with Kirchner’s tough rock-jazz drumming and Miller’s protean guitar sound driving the discussion. What distinguishes the challenging and captivating music on Magnetic Flux, though, is the role played by the horns. Their nuanced, predominantly acoustic interplay creates a provocative tension with the rhythm section—much of what the Davises are doing would sound normal in a conventional jazz band, but juxtaposed against the blunt instrument of the Zing! back line it becomes something slightly strange.â€
-Neil Tesser, Chicago Reader
Zing! was originally formed for a one time performance on May 22nd, 2006 celebrating the birthday of one of the band members. After this first performance it was a mutual understanding that this Chicago-based group of musicians would soon become a new group. ZING! draws on the traditions of both acoustic improvised music, electronica and ambient music, with members contributing personal musical identities and backgrounds including a wide range of musical styles.
Although all members of ZING! are steeped in the jazz tradition, all have ventured into other musical dimensions through study and performance with groups playing latin, rock, funk, drum ‘n bass, free jazz, classical, punk and many other styles of music. In live performance, this musical collective balances wholly improvised pieces with pre-composed ones, always freshly approaching the music.
Zing!’s distinctive “improv-meets-rock-meets-jazz†sound is produced with all members experimenting with their natural acoustic sounds and the employment of pedals and electronics of various kinds. If you can’t catch up with ZING! at one of its live performances, you can also check out sounds of the band on the 2007 release on ears&eyes Records, “Magnetic Flux.†(Now Available!!)