The Willow Ladder
John Schussler - Acoustic and electric violin, electric guitar, alto guitar, oud, saz, bouzouki, doudouk, piano, organ, zarb, dumbek, udu, tar, percussion
Garey Shelton - bass
Ben Smith - drum kit
Eric Robert - piano
Nancy Rumbel - oboe
Brandon McIntosh - sarod
Composed, produced, performed (with guests),
and recorded by John Schussler.
Mixing and additional recording by Garey Shelton.
Mastered by Rick Fisher.
Album cover by Don Barnett (www.donbarnett.com).
Interior linocut by Sam Hamrick (www.fiddlebones.com).
Released October 1, 2012
New World
Geoffrey Castle - electric and acoustic violin
John Schussler - electric and acoustic violin, guitar, bouzouki, saz, piano, dovyanka, cedar flute, zarb, dumbek, udu, doira, bendir, percussion
Garey Shelton - bass
Ben Smith - drum kit
Mohammed Shaibu - djembe, talking drum, percussion
Tor Dietrichson - congas, bongos, timbales
Jovino Santos-Neto - piano
Eric Tingstad - guitar
Jami Sieber - cello
Dan Tyack - peda-bro, pedal steel
Recorded at G Sound by Garey Shelton.
Mixed by Michael Lord.
Mastered by Rick Fisher.
Album cover by Don Barnett (www.donbarnett.com).
REVIEWS OF NEW WORLD
--------------------------------------
Gary Bannister, 5/4 Magazine:
"Much more than an exposition of the violin, the Guarneri Underground is a world's fair of music that tantalizes with its sounds, sights, and smells. This group is a native market in a big city, a bazaar by a pyramid where incense lingers in the air. The musicians switch from fez to sombrero to top hats as they unearth the beauties of North African, Spanish, Irish and classical forms. ... With so many groups playing at rather than with world music, it's refreshing to hear a concept that is so unified. The violinists really understand how versatile the instrument is and are fearless in casting it in so many diverse settings. Wow! Did this really come from Seattle?"
Matt Rosenberg, Seattle Magazine:
"What's drawing him, as well as a loyal following of music lovers from the over-30 set? The Guarneri Underground, a group that just might be the best band you never heard of. ... The exquisitely tailored recordings on New World reflect global influences and are as likely to delight your uber-hip Belltown friends as your Aunt Helen from Schenectady."
Roberta Penn, Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
"... The Guarneri Underground, a Northwest group led by multi-instrumentalist John Schussler and violinist Jeffrey Sick ... plays an evocative blend of blues, jazz, Celtic, and Indian music. The six-piece group's self-titled CD was one of the most interesting efforts in the area last year."
Chris Lunn, Victory Review:
"The two electric violins of Jeffrey Sick and John Schussler provide a delightful interplay and intriguing voicing. I love 'Take a Walk' which has a jaunty yet light dance motif with great drive provided by the bass of Gary Shelton and the drums of Ben Smith. 'Pacifying the Cat' is full and evocative like a classical movie theme, with Jamie Sieber's cello elegantly working against the bass drone while the violins take us upward. ... Well done..."
Paige La Grone, Amazon.com:
"In recent years violins have become hot in the hands of Natalie MacMaster, Alison Krauss, and legions of alternative country bands like Whiskeytown and Wilco, but the Guarneri Underground take the fiddle into a whole new arena. With New World, the Seattle duo of electric violinist Jeffrey Sick and multi-instrumentalist John Schussler make a compelling offering of modern jazz, blues, world, and New Age music. Where contemporaries suffer from trying to do too much at once, the Underground is largely successful. Dueling five- and six-string fiddles benefit from the additions of an eclectically beefy rhythm section, pedal steel, woodwinds, piano, and an array of percussive instruments. As a result, these original melodies rely on texture and form rather than merely a pretty tone. Courageous, efficient, and smart, New World is indicative of what's right with contemporary instrumental music."
Chris Nickson, The Rocket:
"World music might be defined as 'Local music that's not from around here' (thank you, Folk Roots), but there's one excellent album with strong worldly touches that is from around here--New World (self-released), by Seattle's GUARNERI UNDERGROUND. The album features the violin virtuosity of Jeffrey Sick, who used to be in the Skinwalkers (they also hail from Seattle). With John Schussler and some guests, he's created something that rocks hard and intelligently. Outstanding, and worthy of a wide hearing."
Jennifer Kallen, KGHP, Gig Harbor WA:
"I love the entire CD and will be playing it regularly on my show...just included it in my top 20 for New Age Voice magazine!"
Claude Flowers, Eastside Journal, Bellevue WA:
"Don't let the 'instrumental' classification scare you off--the band's songs are really catchy, sort of like Pink Floyd without the ringing guitars and breathless vocals. 'Pacifying the Cat' winds a wistful melody that arcs and floats as effortlessly as the feather in the opening scenes of 'Forrest Gump.'
released March 1, 2007
Captive
Geoffrey Castle - electric and acoustic violin
John Schussler - electric and acoustic violin, guitar, bouzouki, piano, dovyanka, cedar flute, zarb, dumbek, udu, doira, bendir, percussion
Mikel Rollins - bass, saxaphone
T.J. Morris - drums, congas, percussion
Mohammed Shaibu - djembe, talking drum, percussion, guitar on “Surfin’ Ivory”
Special guests:
Eric Jaeger - guitar on “Assisi,” guitar (right channel) on “Playa”
Spenser and Tracy Hoveskeland - bass and cello on “Storybook”
John Morton - guitar on “Storybook”
Mustapha Ailkederry - dumbek on “Uplands Ride”
Brian Pertl - digeridoo on “Bloodmoon”
Album cover by Don Barnett (www.donbarnett.com)
REVIEWS OF CAPTIVE
-------------------------------
"CRITICS CHOICE
In the 70s and 80s, Shadowfax forged a union between fusion and world music. Now the Guarneri Underground is picking up that cue. Led by the twin violins of Jeffrey Sick and John Schussler, The Guarneri Underground changes clothes at a global bazaar, donning middle-eastern dumbeks and and African cross-picked guitar on "Big Island," and the Australian didgeridu and African talking drums on the hypnotic "Bloodmoon." In addition to his violin, Schussler doubles on bouzouki, guitars, flute, and all kinds of African-Asian percussion. Not all the Underground's songs are an ethnic stew, however. "Mango Twister" is a gentle ballad, while "Assisi" gets into a cyclical groove that recalls Jean-Luc Ponty. The Underground's fusion roots are readily apparent when bandmates crank up the wah-wah pedal on "Bathers as Asnieres" and "Captive," conjuring images of Ponty, Jerry Goodman, and the best from fusion's halcyon days."
-- Billboard Magazine, December 16, 2000
"Captive is the sophomore effort from the duo of Jeffrey Sick and John Schussler. Here, the vibe runs a little more smoothly than on New World, with a heavier leaning on the jazz capabilities of the violin for a number of the tracks, and a decent leaning on the percussion and didgeridoo lines that have become so commonplace in modern worldbeat. Half of the songs on the album are original material by the duo this time around, showing off some nice abilities in creating a good song. The focus is, as always, on the violins of the pair (especially Sick's), with a small collection of reserve players coming through from song to song. The works range from the Appalachian-infused "Uplands Ride" to the nearly juju-esque "Big Island," from surf rock in "Surfin' Ivory" to jazz in "Bathers at Asnieres." The basic genres are repeated throughout, but new takes are given for each effort. The compositions themselves are exquisite in their own right, but seem likely to fall rather flat without the virtuosity of this particular pair of musicians powering their way through them. As such, the best reason to listen to the album would be to hear Sick's violin and Schussler's bouzouki, both of which can bring out some outstanding licks and solos at a moment's notice. It's a nice look at the up-and-coming sector of world music based in jazz. "
-- Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
Seattle Weekly's Best of Seattle 2001
The Guarneri Underground was voted one of the best new bands in Seattle by the readers of Seattle Weekly.
Seattle Area Musical Innovation and Excellence Awards (SAMIE)
Captive was voted one of the top 5 albums of the year (contemporary instrumental album/electric) by readers of Sounds of Seattle magazine, and nominated for a 2000 SAMIE award in the Best contemporary instrumental album/electric category.
Released March 1, 2000
Bootleg
The Guarneri Underground received a lot of requests for recordings of their live show. With "Bootleg," they finally fulfilled those requests.
Over the years a variety of people have recorded their live shows, including sound techs who've created "board tapes" (they make a copy of the mix at the mixing board onto a DAT tape). This album presents some of the best of those recordings. Featured on the album are Chango, Low Rider, Box of Marbles, Chameleon, and Voodoo Chile, plus two new songs off the upcoming studio album "Captive": Playa and Big Island.
But that's not all. During the "New World" recording sessions they recorded a song called "Grendel." But it rocked a bit too hard to appear on "New World," and so sat in its case, waiting for an opportunity to be heard. "Bootleg" provides that opportunity, as Grendel fits right in with the energy of the live show.
Released September 1, 1999
Minor Arcana
John Schussler - acoustic and electric violin, guitar, oud, bouzouki, dovyanka, piano, synthesizer, echoplex, dumbek, zarb, tar, udu, percussion
Released March 1, 1998
Modular - Lessons Learned
This will be where I share my experiments with modular synthesis. No promises about high quality mastering like on the other albums, at least not yet.