http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAMySCAviXk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS94HgiDvJk

John Fahey

Susie Scott put my recording of Leo Kottke's "Crow River Waltz" on the soundtrack of a short film she made. She posted it on her youtube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZM6zIRT3ng

And I've embedded it here:

Read the review below or go to Americana UK here http://www.americana-uk.com/auk/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=4128

-----------
"They call him the cello mangler

Of all the instruments in the world that could dovetail nicely with the murder ballad, it is probably fair to say that the cello's mournful sound would be a contender to provide suitable accompaniment.

Josiah Altschuler is a bioinformatics programmer (no me neither!) and a part time avant-garde cellist of note. It is a reasonable supposition to say that there haven't been many recordings in the history of music to utilise the cello in this way. Altschuler slaps and strums his way through seven covers of songs by Beck, Johnny Cash, Les Claypool and others using just cello, voice and occasional violin.

There is something about Altschuler's blues styled voice and playing that suits songs by Dock Boggs and Skip James particularly well. However, he is no slouch on his interpretations of more modern tracks either. It is interesting that Altschuler has selected two Claypool tracks as his bass playing is clearly an influence on Altschuler's own style.

"Murder Ballads……" may ultimately be too stark for many tastes, but as a study of using an instrument outside of its normal context, this EP is a triumph. Altschuler is a genuine original."


Date review added: Monday, October 20, 2008
Reviewer: Dan Wilkinson
-----------

Read below or check out the link to Skope Magazine:
http://skopemag.com/2008/10/17/josiah-altschuler-murder-ballads-and-love-songs-for-cello-and-voice

------------------------
"The cello isn't exactly the sort of instrument usually associated with Appalachian-style country or delta blues, but Josiah Altschuler isn't your typical cellist. A Harvard bioinformatics programmer by day, Altschuler strums, slaps and pops the cello as if it were a standard bass guitar to create a pitch black atmosphere that permeates every track of his precisely named Murder Ballads and Love Songs for Cello and Voice.

The debut EP offers a mix of seven classic blues and country covers with a few surprising contemporary songs thrown in. Altschuler's hauntingly bleak sound lends itself perfectly to the seven tracks, ranging from Dock Boggs to Les Claypool. However, the choice to do such a cover album is a dangerous gambit for Altschuler. Given the slew of string quartet tribute albums that flooded music stores a couple of years ago, there's a strong chance Murder Ballads could find itself mistaken for similar bargain bin fodder. But musically, he couldn't have made a better choice.

On the majority of the tracks Altschuler tends to impersonate whatever artist he's covering, and he can do a respectable Johnny Cash, but he flat out channels Skip James on "Crow Jane". If you didn't know he was a bioinformatics programmer, you could easily picture Altschuler in frayed overalls sitting on a kudzu choked porch. The most unexpected gem found here though is the closing track, Bob Marley's "One Cup of Coffee". This live recording has the acoustic quality of a bathroom, but the audio is still plenty clear to hear Altschuler's technical wizardry. The song starts off similar to the others on the disc but quickly culminates in a flurry of awe-inspiring bends and high-pitched pops that would be impressive on a regular bass, much less a cello.

This is the sort of debut that makes you genuinely excited to see what will come next. Altschuler is still at the beginning of his musical career, but if this EP is any indication, it's a very promising one."

Words By: David Feltman
-------------------------------

Another review of Murder Ballads and Love Songs for Cello and Voice. This one's from www.
rootstime.be
If anyone understands what it says, I'd love to know.

"Grotere tegenstelling bestaat er ogenschijnlijk niet. Een bio-informaticus/programmeur waarbij doorgaans alles exact en secuur moet passen, waagt zich aan Murder en Love songs, waarin emoties en passies hoog oplaaien. In een EP van amper 21 minuten raakt Josiah uit Boston nochtans alle zenuwvezels en hartkamers door zijn gevoelvolle mysterieuze zang en die onbestemde celloklanken die hij verkrijgt door zijn instrument onorthodox aan te wenden alsof hij met een gigantische gitaar aan het musiceren is. Dat geeft bevreemdende effecten wanneer hij bijvoorbeeld 'Crow Jane' van Skip James speelt of nog de traditional 'Country Blues', door Fairport Convention ooit als 'Matty Groves' vereeuwigd. Ook in de wijze waarop hij Johnny Cash's 'I Still Miss Someone' zingt lijkt deze in niets op die van de oorspronkelijke schepper. Voor alles blijft Josiah origineel ondanks het coveren. Aan alle zeven songs geeft hij iets onwerelds door die zware baslijnen die hij aan zijn cello weet te ontlokken. Op drie songs speelt zijn broer violist Emil mee. In 'Over the Falls' gaan beiden a.h.w. ondergronds, onheilspellend en 'creepy'. Josiah kent niet alleen countryfolk en Deltablues, maar voelt ook verre verwantschap met Gothic muziek. Occasioneel speelde hij trouwens in een Doom Folk Bandje. De wijze waarop hij al tokkelend en fingerpickend rond zijn cello danst verraadt ook Appalachian invloeden. Na het laatste grimmige 'One Cup of Coffee' heb je spijt dat het balladeplaatje zich sluit. Het had een full Cd mogen worden. Daar staat tegenover dat alle songs dof blinken met de geheimzinnige gloed van zwarte parels en dat het bloedstollend mooie 'Fourteen Rivers Fourteen Moods' je meesleept in een verontrustende melodische onderstroom waarin het toch verrukkelijk toeven is."

-Marcie www.rootstime.be

"If you're looking for polished presentation, skin-deep emotion, and well-mannered performances, turn around! Josiah Altschuler's solo cello and voice pieces are anxious Americana vignettes so sharp they cut through bone and tissue to get to the heart of the music. As a bioinformatics programmer at Harvard by day, you might think his experimental-gothic take on these popular songs would sound scientific or overly academic. Instead, these "Murder Ballads and Love Songs" (smart and precise as they are) peel away the layers of a devastated world to reveal things both disturbing and beautiful beneath the scarred earth. Altschuler's unorthodox cello technique, more like strumming and fingerpicking a guitar, propels the tunes with percussive pops, pounding, clicks, and finger slaps. His haunting voice, whisper thin and rhaspy, resonates in the darkness, ghostly and distant. Snd yet it feels heavy as a sermon from a fire-and-brimstone preacher just down from the mountaintop. This is a fantastic album of diverse cover songs that find new life and meaning when recontextualized by Josiah's unique blend of indie-Appalachian influences, Country folk, and Delta blues."
- CD Baby, Editor's Pick Review (9/12/08)