A Personal Word from Gus Buzbee
I was born a Virgo 1952 in Barstow California and grew up in Houston, Texas
where the early influences of AM radio's rock, R & B, and country music
made a lasting impression. This bred a familiarity with the hits of the day.
While watching the Beatles' first Ed Sullivan show, I had [ what I now call ]
a very heavy spiritual experience. In a single moment I understood what and how
they were playing the music.... the rhythm, the harmony, and how the cued each
other as the song's arrangement was being played. What a mind blowing experience
for a child! Now all I had to do was pick up an instrument and play! Yea, right.
The craft and the skill were to be a long time in the making, but the path proved
to be the best teacher of all. I started by playing drums in middle school, and
high school. At the age of 16 I started playing in bars and nightclubs with a
former member of the Buckinghams [Kind of a Drag, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy] by the
name of Russell Noah AKA "Fang" with whom I did my first recording
session with. By the time I was out of high school I had switched to guitar and
was playing the tunes of Crosby Stills Nash and Young , Jimi Hendrix and Led
Zeppelin, the Who and of course the Beatles.
Around the end of high school I started writing my own material that led to my
first 45 record "Another Chance" recorded with some high school friends.
The record didn't do much but sound good and it gave me the studio bug to learn
all I could about the process of multitrack recording.
In the spring of 1973 I was driving home late one night and tuned to a station
that was playing the most incredible guitarist I had ever heard. His speed and
melodic concepts completely took my breath away. It was John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu
Orchestra. I was aware of India's music from listening to the Beatles and to
George Harrison's collaboration with Ravi Shankar and I was aware of the spiritual
insights of meditation. With this fusion of ideas my musical sights were set
upon a path that still moves me to this day. It has led me to the people whom
are part of this same flow.
About 1975, I was playing in a very LOUD rock band called "White Rock" which
was good experience for the electric guitar. I really got a handle on what volume
is all about on stage [ I'm still looking for an amp with a volume knob that
goes to "11"]
I opened my first four-track studio in 1976 called Wooden Studios. All of the
material recorded there led me to the next step... that was to try to get a record
deal. This was to prove an interesting education in the difference between art
and money. And as far as I can see today, the business end is still the same...Ha
Ha.
In 1977 John McLaughlin's Shakti showed me that it was possible to fuse acoustic
rock guitar with traditional raga concepts. Once again the music of India called
me.
In 1977 I was able to work my way into the local agencies that did road show
and concerts. I was in a position to rent my PA and services as an engineer.
I learned very quickly and developed an 'ear' for demanding live shows with such
artists as The Temptations, Steve Allen, Trini Lopez, ect. This training was
a tremendous asset once I set up my next recording studio in 1980. This time,
Wooden Studios boasted a larger room and 16 tracks.
Between 1980 and 1985, I recorded hundreds of Houston area musicians. Some national
acts of note: USDRI, Byther Smith, Big Roger Collins, Pete Mays, Joe Hughs and
Fever Tree's Micheal Knust. I recorded my own projects whenever I could book
myself in the studio! In May 1981 my daughter, Mia Buzbee was born and when she
was three days old I taped her crying. I included it on the opening track of "Pioneer."
"Pioneer" was an extremely ambitious undertaking and its creation resulted
in my first video of "Under the Impression". In 1983 rock videos were
not as common as they are now, so it was easy to get a little well-placed airplay
across the USA. This exposure on public and college stations led to modest sales
of "Pioneer."
In 1985 the economy pulled the plug on Houston and sunk the studio business.
With the economy in the pits and no studio, I began playing solo with my acoustic
12 string and I gained a reputation that resulted in my being voted " Best
Acoustic Guitarist" by the Houston Music Reader's Poll sponsored by the
Pubic News.
Over the next few years this trend continued with at least three other bands
and videos. These projects gained exposure all across the USA via access TV programming.
To this day I still receive cards and letters from someone who has seen those
videos that are still in rotation somewhere... Go figure, Huh.
In 1994, I started on a different kind of journey, one with the intention of
finding out who I was, and where does the creative flow come from, and how can
it be accessed? All of the information came to me like a magnet.
I was able to study with Jonathan Goldman, a chant master from Colorado as well
as the Tibetan Monks from the Deprung Loseling Monastery. I was exposed to their
incredible vocal chanting which can produce 3-4 notes at one time, with one voice.
This exposure showed me how harmonics of the body and of the voice are truly
the wellspring of the soul. This realization completely changed every concept
I ever had about music. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING in my life changed.
The last three years have been spent applying spiritual principals to my music.
I believe that it has made it possible for me to communicate to a larger audience
than ever before. If you are reading this you are now part of that flow. It is
my hope that through my music and divine inspiration that your consciousness
is lifted so that you may see the meaning of within. Best wishes: Gus Buzbee
- Summer of '98
Update and fast forward a bit. Since the turn of the century I have toured Europe
and a lot of the USA with Vani, the Ragarock band. This ensemble still continues
to progress and grow in new musical directions both performing and audio/video
presentations via the net.
My short film of “Air Raid” won an award from the Houston International Film
Festival 2010. I continue to record and produce music and videos projects all
the time. When I am not in the zone of performance I usually work on my 40+ years
of archived music, there is a great deal of that to process into the digital
age for sure.
Each day is a new adventure full of inspiration and expression……stay tuned !!!
