TUNNELS

New York premier fusion band
hailed as one of the best in their genre. 

Their latest release, ÒNatural Selection,Ó is their most sonically sophisticated yet. The nine compositions on ÒNatural SelectionÓ reveal a hard-hitting collective on an aural odyssey, driven by their intricate interplay and inexhaustible energy. Known for their ferocious live performances, Tunnels has toured widely in the US and Europe, and has had great success at festivals such as Prog in the Park in Rochester, NY and the Malta Jazz festival.

Percy Jones Ð fretless bass
Marc Wagnon Ð midi vibes
Adam Walker - drums

Contact: U.S.: 800 823 0635 World: 1 212 333 5812
tunnels@buckyballmusic.com
For high resolution pictures, track downloads and more, go to: 
http://buckyballmusic.com/press

PRESS

ÒThis maddeningly creative, wild, and sometimes experimental trio makes no bones about its desire to carry on in the hardcore jazz fusion tradition.Ó Jonathan Widran All Music Guide
ÒTunnels' often delirious songs range from Zappa-esque meter frivolity, to electro-jazz, to atmospheric free funkÉ.these are ferocious performers.Ó
Ken Micallef  Modern Drummer
ÒÉMr. Jones is certainly one of the finest electric bassists the music world has ever witnessedÉThe key ingredient here is the sustained and altogether gratifying entertainment value, featuring loads of impact!Ó 
Glenn Astarita allaboutjazz.com
ÒA stellar second outing by Percy's post-fusion quartet...Percy packs a real groove punch, from the angular funk ... to his hard-swinging walking line.Ó
Chris Jisi Bass Player Magazine
ÒTunnels clearly has influences in older Brand X yet sounds modern and fresh.Ó Erik Feder Aquarian Magazine
ÒTunnels is teeming with a kind of gung-ho fierceness and risk taking that hasn't been heard too much since fusionÕs heyday..Ó
Bill Milkowski Tower Pulse
ÒI will never be tired of listening to this genius jazz rock.Ó 
Volkmar Mantei Ragazzi (Germany)
ÒA trioÉfronted by the amazing Marc Wagnon on midi vibes. His vast array of sound samples made his electronic vibes sound at times like a marimba, mini-moog synthesizer, cowbell, kalimba, conga, glockenspiel, dulcimer, and even a real vibraphone!Ó
David Aschcraft Expose Magazine
ÒTunnels itself is a breath of fresh air and their dedication to bringing new energy and ideas to fusion should only help win further converts in the future.Ó
--Martin Kasdan Jr, Louisville Music News


BIOGRAPHIES

Percy Jones

Considered one of the greatest bass players in the world by Bass Player Magazine, Percy first found fame with the English band Brand X. He has since collaborated with an impressive roster of artists including Brian Eno, Bill Frisell, Suzanne Vega, Elliot Sharp, Bobby Previte and Sarah Pillow. With a career spanning over three decades, from the Liverpool Scene to Tunnels, Percy continues to be a pioneer and innovator of new sonic territories. He demonstrates his virtuoso playing technique on his instructional video ÒBass ExplorationsÓ. Percy summarizes his unique approach to the fretless bass as follows: ÒI'll try anything to make the bass sound like it usually doesn't.Ó

Marc Wagnon

Born in Switzerland, Marc studied classical percussion at the Geneva Conservatory and later moved to the United States to study vibraphone and percussion at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Upon moving to New York City, where he currently resides, Marc founded the group Shadowlines, which included such prestigious musicians as Dave Kikoski, Ray Anderson, Dave Douglas, drummer Mike Clark and bassist Paul Jackson. Marc has performed and recorded extensively in the United States, South America and Europe with his sextet Shadowlines, the avant-rock group Dr. Nerve, Brand X, Gongzilla, and Tunnels. In addition to teaching percussion, improvisation and electronic music in New York and Europe, Marc is the founder of Buckyball Music, which dedicates itself to the publishingÊ & recording of creative and innovative music.

Walker Adams

Heralded as Òa young and very impressive drummerÓ by Louisville Music News, Walker has been exploring the subtleties and complexities inherent in the art of modern drumming since the age of twelve. His versatility, sensitivity, and impressive technical ability made him stand out at Berklee College of Music, from which he graduated magna cum laude in 2004. A change of pace from his rustic upbringing in rural Vermont, Walker now lives in New York City where, in the words of legendary drummer Kenwood Dennard, he Òbrings a fresh, new funk to the music sceneÓ.


SELECTED DISCOGRAPHIES

Tunnels releases:

Tunnels with Percy Jones Ozone 1993 / Buckyball Records 1999
Painted Rock Buckyball Records 1999
Progressivity Buckyball Records 2002
The Art of living Dangerously, Live Buckyball Records 2004
Natural Selection Buckyball Records 2006

Percy Jones 

Solo Projects:
Cape Catastrophe (Hotwire Rec.)1988
Propeller Music (Hotwire Rec.)1990

With Brand X
Unorthodox Behavior (Passport Records) 1976
Moroccan Roll (Passport Records) 1977
Livestock (Passport/Arista) 1977
Masques (Passport/Arista) 1978
Product (Passport/Jem) 1979
Do They Hurt? (Passport/Jem) 1980
Is There Anything About( Passport/Jem) 1986 Live In Lybia Official bootleg..1986
X-Trax (Passport 1986)
The Plot Thins (Virgin/Caroline) 1992 
X-Communication (Ozone/Dutch-East) 1992 Manifest Destiny (Pony Canyon) 1997
Missing Period (Outer music) 1998
Timeline (Buckyball Records) 1999

Brian Eno				
Another Green World
Before And After Science 
Music For Films
R.A.F. (single)				

Masami Tsuchiya				
Rice Music	
Night Mirage		
Starlight Shower

Marc Wagnon

Solo Projects:
Marc Wagnon An Afterthought (Buckyball Rec.) 1999
Marc Wagnon Shadowlines LP (Sun Jump) 1988 re-released CD (Buckyball Rec.) 1999

With Brand X:
Manifest Destiny CD (Pony Canyon) 1997

with Sarah Pillow:
Remixes (Buckyball Records) 2003
Nuove Musiche (Buckyball Rec.) 2000
Paper Cuts CD (Buckyball Rec.) 1997

Mike Clark & Paul Jackson
Clark-Jackson-Wagnon
Conjunction (Buckyball Rec.) 2001

With Doctor Nerve:
Out to Bomb Fresh Kings,LP (Cuneiform) 1984
Armed Observation LP (Cuneiform) 1987
Did Sprinting Die CD (Cuneiform) 1988
Beta 14 Ok CD (Cuneiform) 1990
Skin CD (Cuneiform) 1995

With No No Diet Bang:
Profan CD (Bambrus Rec.) 1997

INTERVIEWS

PERCY JONES INTERVIEW WITH GLOBALBASS.COM

Though a bit of a hackneyed claim, in this case it is nonetheless true: Percy truly is a bassist 
like no other. Admittedly, lots of bass players have been referred to this way, but in PercyÕs 
case, it is much more of a correct description than just an easy way to describe someone 
without really doing any work.   

From his fat liquid sound, his rollercoaster of sliding notes, harmonics, ÔpopsÕ, muted 
percussive sounds and his ability to dance at the very edge of dissonance, his 
unconventional interpretations of what a bass line could be all add up to a style you will see 
with no other. If comparison were to be drawn, the closest you might come to PercyÕs style 
is Michael ManringÕs.  

It should be noted here however, that much of this was being done by Percy well over 25 
years ago, when Michael wasnÕt even really in the game yet. Michael certainly deserves all 
the praise he has received, but in many ways Percy was doing it all, just as well, and a long 
time ago, with Brand X.   

These days Percy spends much of his time in New York, the days of Brand X long over. 
Maturity often demands that you put things into order, stop thrashing about and begin 
doing only what is important to you. With that in mind, his concerns and interests now run 
to his current project. It is something he is very proud of in his own understated way, with a 
band called  ÔTUNNELSÕ. We talk with Percy of this, that and many things in this article, 
acknowledging the importance of the past but embracing the present and the futureÉ 

Percy:  I would rather talk about the present and the future
than about the past. IÕve done so many interviews where
they ask again and again, "Where did Brand X get
together?". ItÕs all about Brand X. IÕve sorta told all the
same stories over again and again."   

WeÕve got this group called ÔTunnelsÕ. ItÕs a 5 piece group
that has been going on and off for 5 or 6 years. ItÕs
pretty much a fusion type of group. We did a self-titled
record actually called "TUNNELSÕ about 6 years ago and this
past summer another one was released called "Painted Rock".   

Global Bass: If a band puts out an album every year, they are allowed to repeat themselves 
for an album or two before branching out. However if a group releases an album every 3 or 
4 years, their fans expect them to recreate themselves completely, each and every time. What 
a pile of crap!

Percy:  YouÕre right, it doesnÕt have to be that way. ItÕs a nice piece of work (the new 
album), I think for this kind of music, itÕs very good, IÕm happy with it. There were a lot of 
groups that took the essence out of itb and it just lost itÕs edge, it became predictable. So 
with Tunnels, we try to avoid that aspect of fusion, we try to keep it fresh although within 
the fusion style. ThatÕs why I say itÕs not particularly groundbreaking, but it does have that 
edge.   

GB: Are both these albums readily available on labels?

Percy:  The first album, which was called ÔTunnelsÕ came
out on a small label called OZONE. That label, well the guy disappeared on us.

GB:   Quite literally? He disappeared?

Percy:  He disappeared! He personally disappeared, along with
the money.  

GB:  Now that he is out of the picture, do earnings from the album now come back to you?  

Percy:   Well, we got the rights back fairly recently, so we
are with  this other label, which is owned by Marc
Wagnon, the vibe player in Tunnels. He put this label
together called Buckyball Records. He also has a website
called Buckyballmusic.com.   

As I said before, we also did a more recent one called ÔPainted RockÕ. Just actually this 
week, they released a record
by MarcÕs wife, Sarah Pillow, a classical singer. (EditorÕs note:
SarahÕs album features ancient music from the 15th and 16th century,reworked an sung 
from this present time.)  

GB:  Are you on that album?

Percy:  Yeah, John Goodsall is on it as well! 

GB:  So how did ÔTunnelsÕ come about?

Percy:  In the early `80Õs, I wasnÕt in a band at all, there was nothing going on. I had been 
doing a lot of writing and had a whole bunch of material. So what I did was I started going 
out on my own with a machine, doing sort of a solo gig but with sequences and that sort of 
stuff. That was originally supposed to be just one gig. It was a venue in New York that 
called and asked me if I wanted to play there. That led to another gig and another gig and I 
ended up doing that for a couple of years. I wasnÕt particularly happy working like that 
because I would miss the interplay of working with other musicians. But at least it was an 
outlet and I was reasonably productive.   

People said to me, "Well, why donÕt you do this sort of stuff with a band?". I thought it 
would be nice to start playing with people again. I knew Marc Wagnon was interested in 
doing something. He was working in a band called Doctor Nerve, here in New York. He 
played Midi Vibes, so there was a potential there for all different sound sources all 
controlled by the Vibes.  

Then Frank Katz I had jammed with one day at a Drummers Collective. He was a good 
candidate.  So originally it was just a trio with myself, Frank and Marc. We rearranged 
some of the material I was doing solo, and I wrote some new stuff. I think Marc wrote a 
couple things and we went out as a trio. We were playing at The Knitting Factory, those sort 
of venues. Then we added Van Manakas on guitars, he had played with Gil Evans and 
Miroslav Vituous,  I think, so itÕs been that same lineup for quite a while.   

Percy has given a lot to the world of bass playing, and is
not done giving just yet. Take a look at some of his
Brand X recordings, but also give a listen to his solo
releases, and his work with TUNNELS and Sarah Pillow. He
helped shape and direct almost single-handedly the world of
jazz/fusion bass playing  in earlier days, and if he has his
way, he will be instrumental in shaping some of the music
to come in this new decade as well.

Marty GlobalBass.com

MARC WAGNON INTERVIEW WITH ALLABOUTJAZZ.COM

AAJ: Who or what are your most profound sources for influence and inspiration?(this can 
include non-musical items) Why or how do these influence and inspire you?

MW: I am an observer of the universe (I built my own telescope), and I think that any given 
moment is fascinating; that is why I like improvisation. My writing mainly develops from 
improvisation. I have a hard time putting names on the tunes I write; to me they emanate 
from anything and everything.
My musical influences are many but I would name these in particular: Miles Davis, a 
towering figure in his instinct for sensing the right place at the right time outlined by his 
successive metamorphoseses, is an example on how to keep an open mind; although it 
might be quite remote, I should mention John Cage, who was bold enough to try to put 
every traditional concept upside-down; I must also include Robert Fripp and the early King 
Crimson albums like "Island", which pushed the limits of genres and were very influential.
Besides those guys I was fascinated by Balinese music and its use of metal percussion of 
all kinds; as well as African and South American percussion styles.

AAJ: You've worked with a diverse and talented array of musicians during your career. Who 
have you learned the most from and what is it you've learned?

MW: I think that I would mention Dave Douglas, whom I met at the Berklee School of 
Music in 1981, and with whom I performed regularly throughout the 80's. Dave, by being a 
phenomenal musician, is the kind of person who you will gain and learn from just by  
playing with him: control, rigeur of interpretation, and clarity of purpose is what he expects 
from you; at the same time Dave is very open to free improvisation and has a gift to create 
structures that are allowed to flourish and be constantly refreshed by new musical ideas. He 
was a big influence in developing the sound of my band.
Secondly I would mention Percy Jones, who I met in the early 90's when we started the first 
session with Tunnels, which was then a trio. Percy is one of those bright lights acting as a 
beacon for us musicians lost in the sea of sound; he has un uncompromising ear for finding 
the hippest groove and tone combination. Besides having created his own musical language, 
thus starting a whole style on the fretless bass, he his also a great creator of sounds on the 
synth: give him any sound module and he will turn out the most amazing sounds. It is a 
great privilege to by able to play with him, who along with Frank Katz on drums, become 
this powerful rhythm machine which drives you to your limits just to keep up. With Percy I 
learn that there is always another way to interpret something. He is able to transform any 
musical Idea and make it his own. With Percy all it takes is one note and you know that itÕs 
going to be different.

AAJ: What musicians would you most like to work with that you've never worked with 
before? Why?

MW: I donÕt know;  IÕd have a hard time deciding, since there are so many great players, 
and each one different. I am like a kid in a candy store and wouldnÕt know where to start. I 
guess I just take opportunities as they present themself.  

AAJ: The word "fusion" has gotten a bad reputation among some musicians. What are your 
feelings about this word? Do you feel it is an appropriate word to describe your music? 
Why or why not? 

MW: I am really suspicious at any labeling for art; to me it is like segregation. It reminds 
me of the border maps that Europeans drew, with total disregard to the tribal peoples of 
Africa. Musicians have a lot in common with tribes; they travel and freely exchange ideas 
throughout the world, all with absolute disregard for borders of any kind.
Labels belong to marketing. They have nothing to do with art, so as a marketing tool it is 
tolerable, but with the pro-fusion (that word again!) of genre, it loses its effectiveness.
This labeling does not do the job very well, because it creates barriers where there should be 
none. We are in need of a new approach, one that is more flexible. I am not saying that 
Mozart and Megadeath should be in the same bin, but then again why not? The more you 
know, the more you can appreciate, so it all boils down to the distribution of knowledge. So 
if "fusion" be the name, I have great respect for the musicians who first bore that title, and 
so whatever happened to it later is of no importance to me.

AAJ: As a percussionist, do you find a physical or visceral thrill to music making? Why or 
why not?

MW: I think that there is no other option for me: to play, write, and record music is my life. 
Without it I would suffocate, so visceral I think it is, but I don't think that it is particularly 
linked to drumming. It's a common mis-representation of drumming, to think that it is 
primarily a "physical" instrument. Just ask an upright bassist, a singer or trumpetist, they 
will all consider their instrument to be physical, and moreover, drumming is a very 
sophisticated process which requires as much analytical as muscle power. For example, in 
African drumming the rhythms and poly-rhythms are as developed as is counterpoint in 
western music; the way you feel the beat might change from whichever instrument you 
happen to be playing, leading  to a kaleidoscope effect. You have to be constantly aware of 
the other instruments, as well as the lead drummer (who has to be aware of all of the other 
parts), who might make a change by using subtle cues that you have to react to in a split 
second. There are no meters such as 4/4 or 6/8; those don't make sense in this style so you 
are always somewhere in between and the variations are endless. In order to be an 
accomplished drummer you must learn to visualize music from different angles, and have 
the flexibility to switch between them while playing.

AAJ: Could you please elaborate on your philosophy on the use of MIDI with the 
vibraphone? As with fusion, MIDI has gotten a bad reputation in many ways:

MW: Every period has produced new instruments- in the 18th century it was the fortepiano 
and I am sure that some people complained that it is was too loud, but when Bach got to try 
it for the first time, he launched in a long improvisation (yes he was famous for his improv 
skills) which delighted the audience at hand. 
Compare the modern instruments to their forebears and you would hardly recognize them; 
for one the guitar has had many reinventions. Also, phones don't ring any more (real people 
don't even answer them anymore), elevators, cars, computers... all produce synthesized 
sounds (which were first produced by musicians experimenting with these new 
instruments). The sound environment is changing and music, being an art form, reflects 
those changes...
Glen Atarista AllAboutJazz..com