Tommi Zender is a multi-instrumentalist from Evanston IL, who works and plays regularly in the Chicago/midwest area. Zender wears many musical hats: Singer/Songwriter, Guitarist, Drummer/Percussionist, Producer/Arranger, Ambient Soundscape Improviser, Teacher/Coach, Collaborator, Accompanist, Studio Gun-for-hire, Musical Director, Transcriber, and of course the most important hat: music fan. He currently teaches adult classes at Old Town School of Folk Music, and he has coached music privately in Evanston IL since 1996. He released his last full album “More Songs About Time” in 2019, and a new maxi-single “Let’s Get Lost” in 2022. All his records are available on Bandcamp. Zender has been an accompanist for the likes of Phil Angotti, Steve Dawson (Dolly Varden), Dag Juhlin (Poi Dog Pondering, Expo ’76), legendary 80’s pop-rockers Green, Peter Mulvey, Happy Chichester (Afghan Whigs, Royal Crescent Mob), Al Day, Push Puppets, Jon Brion (yes that guy, at The Hideout) Jason Falkner (yes that guy too, once upon a time at NU’s student union) and many more… in fact it’s now to the point this is simply shameless name dropping. It’s not out of character for Tommi to go up on stage unrehearsed with people he barely knows to accompany them. He currently is a member of the bands Steve Dawson & The Lucid Dreams, Push Puppets and Matt Tiegler Band.  ________ Chicago songwriter, actor and playwright Matt Tiegler returns after a 20 year recording hiatus. “Hands Free Down Hill” Tiegler’s third studio recording, releases October 6th. Produced by multi-instrumentalist Tommi Zender and recorded and mixed by John Abbey at Kingsize Sound Lab in Chicago. The record features a more guitar-driven power pop approach than 2001’s critically acclaimed "Gods & Heroes” (Waterdog Records, produced by Ralph Covert) which used more jazz & world music instrumentation. The band for this record release show features Tiegler & Zender along with the other folks who feature on the record: veteran singer-songwriter Steve Dawson on bass (Dolly Varden, Nora O’Connor) Lawrence Brown on drums (Lucid Dreams, Gerald Dowd) Alton Smith on keyboards (Lucid Dreams, Trigger Gospel). Gerald Dowd (Frisbie, Robbie Fulks) John Abbey (Lucid Dreams, Electric Dirt) & Max Crawford (Poi Dog Pondering, Expo 76) also feature on the new record. Preview the lead single “Dream (Reason for Living)” on BANDCAMP:  https://matttiegler.bandcamp.com/track/dream-reason-for-living Next single “Summer Lover Song” releases Friday Sept 1st; full LP “Hands Free Down Hill” available Friday October 6th.