DARK: arranged for 11 guitars

Each player initially 'invented' their own part, one at a time, in what may have been the first official "Group Loop"

This is a quick remix of a song recorded by 11 collaborating guitarists in 1997 in Buenos Aires.

I did the remix in 2024 for use in Louise Amandes’ Tiny Orchestral Moments 12-part documentary series, but I’m also now in process of remixing these original tracks for a 2026 re-release and reunion.

These tracks were recorded in one afternoon / evening in March 1997 in Martin Schwutke’s Pueyrredón flat in BA.

These verse guitar lines were improvised in the moment: each guitarist invented their own complementary part in real time, one at a time until each player had their own part that combined to become the verse.

This was one of the first applications of what is know known as a ‘Group Loop.’ I’ll come back to that topic in a future post.

The arrangement gets most interesting in the second verse when we began the duet circulations defined as: two players at a time playing together, then stopping to let the next two play their parts. This is called “circulating through” duets, then trios playing, each sharing their composed parts sequentially in small groups, in turn, circulating the complementary themes to provide the backdrop for the vocal verse.

Then, in 1997, I went home to Seattle and overdubbed the vocals and harmonies on top of these immaculate backing tracks.

I’m still in awe of the improvised solos between Alex Anthony Faide and myself, we traded these spontaneously in the outro. Those familiar with Alex’s tone and my tone, may recognize our signature sounds, even all the way back in 1997.

This recording was a peak moment for me over the many years of collaborations w Alex and this extended Greenthumb team:

1. Alex Anthony Faide

2. Claudio LaFalce

3. Fernando Kabusacki

4. Guillermo Oliera

5. Horacio Pozzo

6. Luciano Pietrafesa

7. Marcelo O’Reilly

8. Martin de Aguirre

9. Martin Schwutke

10. Pablo Mandel

11. Steve Ball

Decades later, many of these players are still collaborating and expanding the vast repertoire we’ve discovered together in countless spin-off and sub-groups including major reunions from 2016 to the present in Tiny Orchestral Moments.

I am honored and blessed to have worked and played with these musicians.

PS - I originally wrote “Dark” on piano for Prometheus in 1992 while living in Brookline, MA (2nd time) and recorded it with Prometheus (Sanford Ponder, Pat Mastelotto, Nigel Gavin, Chris Rhyne) in 1993 in Los Angeles.

Q: do these sound / feel like the same song?

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