Cafe Jazz Society began as a cooperative quintet in 1986. Through the years the band evolved into a sextet; three horns and three rhythm. At various times all the chairs have been filled by different musicians, although three of the original members remain (Lucas, Ost and Potter). The common thread that binds us is our love for jazz.

Here is our first CD, featuring Karl Schuessler.

All of us were playing in public by the time we were teenagers. One of Karl's first paying jobs was in 1929 at the Bloody Bucket, a speakeasy in Evansville, Indiana. He was too young to drive, so his older sister had to pick him up after the gig.
Karl played clarinet and sax with a local group, the Fred Rollison Orchestra, during high school and his undergraduate years at Evansville College. He did graduate work at the University of Chicago. For the next thirty years, with time out during World War II for duty in the US Navy, devotion to scholarship commanded Karl's attention. He taught with distinction at Indiana University until his retirement in 1985.
While teaching Karl played occasionally with The Faculty Five, a traditional band composed of IU professors. After his retirement, however, playing jazz clarinet claimed his allegiance once more. Karl's musical abilities and enthusiasm help make our music what it is today. Cafe Jazz Society dedicates this first CD effort to our senior member, Karl Schuessler.