Crackerjack Highway

My great old friend Mark Schuh, a multi-instrumentalist who I regularly played music with in San Francisco for about five years, has got some momentum going in The City alongside virtuosic guitarist Nate Silverman in Crackerjack Highway. They’re somewhere between the edgier elements of Steely Dan and the sweeter side of Phish, with a huge helping of tasteful fusion ala Herbie Hancock and Billy Cobham. Lead guitarist Nate Silverman soars over Crackerjack’s genuinely West Coast funk-rock with his confident “talking guitar”; both Walter Becker and Frank Zappa would be proud to hear the direct and powerful influence they’ve had on the talented Silverman, who has been a San Francisco secret far too long.

But Schuh, Silverman and Co. aren’t just about wanking – they juxtapose their immense (but intricate and dynamic) prog-funk tastes with gutsy, tender lyrics sung impressively and honestly by frontman Schuh, who is at the core of Crackerjack Highway’s all-important delivery. Sometimes swerving into the other lane and freaking out the passengers along the Highway, the eccentric and multi-talented Schuh (veteran of many Bay Area jazz, rock and funk outfits) is a classic show-stopper. However, as the band’s recent Youtube showcase reveals, no one in attendance wants a Crackerjack party to end.

http://adamperrywrites.wordpress.com/crackerjack-highway-beautiful-buzz-11809/ - Adam Perry (Boulder Weekly, Beautiful Buzz - Adam Perry Writes)

They’ve played with everyone under the sun, from Shawn Colvin and Soulive, to Lisa Loeb and Kool & the Gang, and it shows in their eclectic style. Crackerjack Highway is an aggressive, funky, rockin’ fusion soul band from San Francisco that could appeal to anyone from aging hippies to hip high schoolers. Playing with the freedom afforded jazz musicians, but not weighed down with the pretensions such musicians sometimes bring to their performance, Crackerjack Highway is playing some intricate stuff but make it all sound easy, the mark of a truly great band. Sat, March 27th, at Mississippi Pizza Pub, Portland Oregon. - Portland Tribune

Powered by groove and unforced sophistication, emerging Bay Area band Crackerjack Highway will hold their CD release shows this weekend – tonight, Friday, August 20 at the Connecticut Yankee in San Francisco and tomorrow, Saturday, August 21 at 19 Broadway in Fairfax, CA. The group has the polished pop-rock feel of vintage Steely Dan and their ilk with a modern sheen, where strong musicianship and compositional care rule the roost throughout their engaging self-titled debut. Call it rock with brains, bounce and a touch of romance and you're in the ballpark. (Dennis Cook) - Jambase.com

Swirling synths, precise guitar leads and a rhythm section that fills and expands the pocket makes this young San Francisco band a true must see. With extremely danceable originals and a vast supply of rare and obscure covers, Crackerjack Highway is planting seeds to become one of the most well known and sought out bay area bands. - Matt Layton (Bay Area Music Promoter - http://falcorandfriends.com)