"Modern Drum Set Stickings" by Swiss Chris...Book Release Party and Drum Clinic

Aug. 20, 2012 - PRLog -- Swiss Chris just returned via Boston where he finished his second annual Five-Week Summer Teaching Course at Berklee College of Music.

On Sunday August 26, 2012 at the Shakelifter Lab in Brooklyn http://www.shapeshifterlab.com Swiss Chris will have his New York City book signing party hosted by the legendary drummer Mr. Kenwood "Woody" Dennard for Miles/Jaco Pastorius/Wayne Shorter/ Sting/Charles Mingus.

Visuals will be featured by the Marksmen group and The DreamTeam One will perform (Swiss Chris drums,Surya Botafasina keys, Daniel Day bass, Jay Rodriguez sax)

Event is 7pm-10pm

Door $10/$20(with purchase of the book)
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Swiss Chris is an in-demand first-call session drummer/music director. He recently worked with the legendary Gloria Gaynor doing TV appearances and touring for the 30th anniversary “I Will Survive” promo. Swiss is well-known for his work as musical director and drummer for the nine-time GRAMMY® winner John Legend, with whom he worked for four years. He is now concentrating on his own solo career with a forthcoming album. Swiss is also actively involved with his charitable organization, S.W.I.S.S. (Saving With Instruments, Samples and Soundz), dedicated to healing, education, and promoting communication through music for the betterment of the world.

During his tenure with John Legend, Swiss’s unique style was exposed to worldwide audiences—he performed all over the world with numerous tours both in the U.S. and abroad. Swiss performed on John Legend’s first two albums, Get Lifted (three GRAMMYs) and Once Again (two GRAMMYs).

In detail, Swiss played on the GRAMMY Award-winning hit “So High” (Get Lifted) and on the hit single “Save Room” (Once Again). In addition to that, he recorded on the John Legend “So High” (Cloud 9 remix) featuring Miss Lauryn Hill. Also, two classic DVDs were recorded: John Legend: Live at the House of Blues and John Legend: Live from Philadelphia.

Swiss Chris has had the pleasure of being able to work with artists like Sir Elton John, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Common, Wyclef Jean, Miss Lauryn Hill, DJ Dummy, and DJ A-Trak, Corinne Bailey Rae, and many more.

Swiss Chris was also the musical director/drummer for the Home School Records/Bailey’s sponsored Tour 2008 and video featuring “Estelle” Fanta Swaray. Swiss is currently working with Ladell McLin, the Afro hip-hop group Bajah, and the Dry Eye Crew, Zimbabwe Legit, Mazzi with S.O.U.L. Purpose, and his own group, The Dream Team One (Swiss Chris Freestyle Shows).

Swiss Chris stars in the hip-hop/rock video with Talib Kweli’s group, Idle Warship, on the track “Black Snake Moan.” He also recently recorded with the world famous drummer Billy Cobham, DMC, and Chuck D. from Public Enemy.

Coming to New York via Boston, Swiss worked with a local funk band led by the Jewish James Brown, Milo Z. He also worked with hip-hop old school legends like Chubb Rock, Charlie Brown from Leaders of the New School, Slick Rick, Grandmaster Caz, the Rock Steady Crew, and DJ Johnny Juice from Public Enemy.

While in the States, Swiss Chris earned his bachelor’s degree in performance from the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. He further studied at Drummers Collective in New York. He received multiple awards and honors as a marching band field drummer, and as a big band and contemporary jazz drummer in Switzerland.
Swiss has studied with diverse teachers such as Bob Moses, Marvin “Smitty” Smith, Kim Plainfield, Frank Katz, Ian Froman, Ron Savage, Casey Scheuerell, Kenwood Dennard, Skip Hadden, Joe Morello, Jim Chapin, and last but not least, the Drumdoctor Dom Famularo.

Swiss has been on BET in a featured performance as the musical director/drummer for the “Ed Gordon Show” with the Last Poets, Jessica Care Moore, and Mums from the hit HBO show “Oz.”

Swiss performed and/or recorded with conscious MCs like Mos Def, Dead Prez, Acrobatic, Afu-Ra, and Milano.

Swiss was the musical director and house drummer for the legendary Lyricist Lounge. He worked for multiple fundraisers and charity events with the political activist group Earthdriver, and performed at Madison Square Garden for a Mumia Abu-Jamal Benefit.
Swiss Chris was also the musical director/drummer/programmer for Mexicano 777 (featuring KRS-One and Mad Lion) and Bazaar Royale (MTV appearance). He toured Eastern and Western Europe with the legendary James “Blood” Ulmer. He performed at the Apollo Theater with Billy Cox (Jimi Hendrix, Band of Gypsys) and Ladell McLin, Jessica Care Moore, and Imani Uzuri with Burnt Sugar.

Television appearances included MTV’s “Video Music Awards,” “The Soul Train Music Awards,” The Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony at Oslo, Jamaican, and Trinidad Festivals, DTV “Royal Albert Hall Show,” iTunes, Yahoo, and Verizon Promotional Tours, “The Tyra Banks Show,” “Ellen,” “The View,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” “Late Show with David Letterman,” “Jools Holland’s BBC,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “Oprah,” “Good Morning America,” “MTV Music Awards Japan,” “VH1 Super Bowl Pepsi Smash,” and “The CBS Early Show,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “BET Gospel,” Oxygen Network’s “Custom Concert,” MTV and GRAMMY appearances in the US, Europe, and MTV Africa, and the “Vibe Festival” with Common and Kanye West.

Swiss Chris endorses Natal Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Vic Firth Drumsticks, Aquarian Drumheads, Roland, Hansenfutz Foot Pedals, Alesis/Akai Electronics, CAT Mics, Apple, Ableton, and Propellerhead Software.

Most recently, Swiss served as faculty member for Berklee’s Five-Week Summer Performance Program, and performed at Musikmesse Frankfurt for the Drum Company NATAL, at the World Beatbox Championship with Kenny Muhammad and the legendary Rahzel, at the Apollo Soundstage Series, and with legendary rap group Black Moon, Delmar Brown World Pop Experience, and legendary bassist Doug Wimbish.

The Swiss Chris Modern Drum School (Swiss Chris 777 LLC) is located in New York City.
For more information about private instruction, visit http://www.swisschris777.com