Drew Zingg

Drew Zingg - Drew Zingg - 2012 - Ind.

If you haven’t heard of Drew Zingg ’81 (yet), you are not alone. Outside of the music industry and die-hard guitar aficionados, he hasn’t exactly been a household name. But that might be about to change. If a group of Vassar alumnae/i succeeds in its mission, Zingg is about to get his long-due time in the spotlight. They are The Infrangible Syndicate, founded in 2010. The group is “dedicated to supporting the artistic endeavors of the ‘unsung creative genius’ … [to] identify and support active creative artists who have yet to receive the broad based, public acclaim and success they deserve.” In other words, the Syndicate isn’t designed to manufacture stars. Its mission is to find overlooked diamonds and hold them up for the world to see. The Syndicate’s first project? Drew Zingg. After more than three decades as a professional rock and blues guitarist, Zingg has established himself as one of the best in the business. During the mid-1990s, he was lead guitarist and musical director for Steely Dan. He also served as lead guitarist and musical director for New York Rock and Soul Revue, an aggregate of notable artists that included Donald Fagen (of Steely Dan), Walter Becker (also of Steely Dan), Michael McDonald (of the Doobie Brothers), Boz Scaggs, and Grammy winner Patti Austin. He’s played venues from Madison Square Garden to the Grand Ole Opry. He also played Broadway, sitting in the pit as the lead guitarist for shows including Jersey Boys, Spamalot, Mama Mia!, and Hairspray. The New York Times, New York Post, and a long list of others sang very high praises. All of this, and Guitar Magazine still called him one of the 12 “best guitarists you’ve never heard of.” Then along came The Infrangible Syndicate last year. Six Vassar alums comprise the Syndicate’s core: music producer George (Weiss) Petit ’83, Susan (Miller) Copperman ’81, Kerry O’Connell ’80, Robin Skye ’80, Helen Mahoney Pardoe ’80, and Daniel Schneider ’79. They all knew Zingg way back when, and want to see him get the public acclaim he deserves now. A cornerstone of their effort is the Drew Zingg Debut Album Project. Zingg, Petit, and a cadre of musicians and engineers recently finished a major bout of recording in the studio. This month, they’re headed back to wrap up. A DVD behind-the-scenes documentary is also in the works. After decades as one of the most sought after backing musicians around, Drew Zingg is about to arrive.from "The Arrival of Drew Zingg" by & © Peter Bronski © Vassar College http://alums.vassar.edu/publications/newsletter/issues/2011/10/drew-zingg.html

Brilliant album from one of the most underrated guitarists playing today. This album includes lead vocals from Michael McDonald, Boz Scaggs, and Monet Owens. The album also contains a cover of Becker & Fagen's "Megashine City" aka "Talkin' About My Home". Guitar Magazine listed Drew as one the 12 “best guitarists you’ve never heard of.” In Guitar Player magazine, the fabulously talented guitarist, Mike Keneally noted of a Drew Zingg performance, that he “..burned so resolutely, the stars were singed.” Jon Pareles of The New York Times describes Mr. Zingg as “superb”… …and Pat Metheny has said that Drew “..is the best guitar player I have seen in years”. This s/t album is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Please buy it (DETAILS @ http://www.dzdap.com/) and support great music. Listen to the "Steely Dan Alive in America" album which features Drew on “Third World Man” and “Green Earrings" and read an interview with Drew @ http://www.dzdap.com/press/ 

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Megashine City aka "Talkin' About My Home" - Donald Fagen & Walter Becker 5:41 *
2. Easy - Lionel Ritchie 5:35
3. One Off - George Whitty 4:57
4. The Black Dog - George Petit 5:35
5. Save Your Love For Me - Buddy Johnson 4:50
6. Cactus - Don Grolnick 9:36
7. Downstream - George Whitty 6:01
8. Two Steps From The Blues - John Riley Brown / Deadric Malone 6:49
9. Dear Lord, What The Hell Are You Trying To Say? - Will Lee 5:51
10. Tennessee Street - George Walker Petit 7:14
11. You Make It Right When It Rains - George Whitty 5:31
12. Highway 86 - George Whitty 5:14

N.B: * This is an instrumental version of Walt & Don's "Talkin' About My Home" which can be found on the "Gaucho Outtakes" album

MUSICIANS

Drew Zingg - Guitar on all tracks
George Walker Petit - Acoustic & Trem guitars on Track 4
Will Lee - Bass on all tracks
George Whitty - Keyboards on all tracks: Hammond Organ on Track 5: Lead Vocal on Track 7: Background Vocals on Track 11
Vinnie Colaiuta - Drums on all tracks
David Mann - Horns on Track 1: Alto Solo on Track 3
Michael McDonald - Lead Vocals on Track 2
Boz Scaggs - Lead Vocal on Track 5
Christine Lynch - Lead Vocals on Track 8
Monet Owens - Lead Vocal on Track 11: Background Vocals on Tracks 2,7,11
Bob Merrill, David Smith - Trumpets on Track 3
Eric Crystal - Saxophone on Track 3

BIO

Drew Zingg was lead guitarist and musical director of Steely Dan for their reunion tour in 1993 and continued in that capacity through 1995. During this period he toured with the band throughout theUnited States, performing at such venues as Madison Square Garden in New York, the Greek Theater in Los Angeles and the Shoreline Amphitheater in San Francisco, as well as stadiums across the country. A sampling of these appearances were recorded and released as the Giant Records release, “Steely Dan; Alive in America.” His tenure with the band also included a tour throughout Japan in 1994. Drew’s guitar work is featured on the Donald Fagen Box Set, “The Nightfly Trilogy.” Preceeding his work with Steely Dan, Mr. Zingg worked with Donald Fagen as lead guitarist and music director for Mr. Fagen’s “New York Rock and Soul Revue”, an aggregation of artists that included Walter Becker, Michael McDonald, Boz Scaggs, Phoebe Snow, and Patti Austen. “The New York Rock and Soul Revue” toured extensively throughout the States and culminated in the Giant Records release, “Live at the Beacon.” Drew has been touring for the last several years with Boz Scaggs, his work with Mr. Scaggs is prominently featured on the “Greatest Hits Live” CD and DVD. 2010 has found Drew touring the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Far East with Mr Scaggs and Michael McDonald. He has toured and recorded throughout the last 2 decades with David Sanborn, Marcus Miller, Shawn Colvin, Rickie Lee Jones, Gladys Knight. Drew’s work with Michael McDonald was prominently featured in the film “Leaving Las Vegas” starring Nicholas Cage and Elizabeth Shue. Drew delivers a blistering solo on a revamping of the Doobie Brother’s “Minute By Minute”, featured on Michael McDonald’s greatest hits package.In between tours and album dates, Drew has been very busy in the New York studio scene recording commercial jingles, movie soundtracks and TV. He has also done extensive work on Broadway, as lead guitarist in the shows Jersey Boys, Spamalot, Hairspray, Mamma Mia!” (based on the music of Abba), and Smokey Joe’s Café the Music of Lieber and Stoller whose cast album features Drew’s work, and won a Grammy Award for best Broadway soundtrack of 1995. Mr. Zingg has kept a roster of private students all the while he has been busying himself with these various duties. Dan Aquilante, senior music editor of the New York Post wrote the following in his review of a Steely Dan performance. “Topping the list of backup players was Drew Zingg, one of the most outstanding jazz/pop guitarists I’ve ever heard. Whenever he had the lead, the moment soared. He has a knack for bringing a song to climax. His work was often rewarded with applause during a tune, as if Madison Square Garden was a snug jazz club”. Robert Goldberg of the Wall Street Journal has remarked on Drew’s “glistening, dramatic solos” and puts him “in the ranks of Vernon Reid, Larry Carlton and Danny Gatton”. Guitar Magazine listed him as one the 12 “best guitarists you’ve never heard of.” In Guitar Player magazine, Mike Keneally noted of a Drew Zingg performance, that he “..burned so resolutely, the stars were singed.” Jon Pareles of The New York Times describes Mr. Zingg as “superb”… …and Pat Metheny has said that Drew “..is the best guitar player I have seen in years”. Drew attended Buckley School (New York City), Loomis Chafee (Windsor, Ct.), Trinity School (New York City) and has a BA in Art History from Vassar College (Poughkeepsie, New York). He currently resides in San Francisco.© 2012 The Infrangible Syndicate http://dev.dzdap.com/bio/