Chris Stuart – Crooked Man
On my personal list of bluegrass artists who rarely get the exposure and credit they deserve, songwriter Chris Stuart’s name is always prominent. Songwriters generally toil in the shadows, and folks in the business are among the few who keep up with who has written what.
Chris currently has two songs on the Bluegrass Unlimited National Bluegrass Survey in September, both recorded by notable bluegrass artists – Larry Cordle’s version of First Train Robbery, and the Danny Paisley cut of Don’t Throw Mama’s Flowers Away, co-written with Ivan Rosenberg.
There is also a Stuart song, Farewell for a Little While, on the new Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper CD.
He also records and performs with his band, Chris Stuart & Backcountry, and they have a new CD which features 10 of his new compositions. Crooked Man is their first release in several years, with Chris on guitar and vocals, Janet Beazley on banjo and vocals, Austin Ward on bass, Christian Ward on fiddle and Eric Uglum on guitar and mandolin.
Chris shared a few words about the new CD…
“Originally, we were going to just do digital singles, but as we got into writing the songs and recording, we realized that there was a unifying theme. The band decided that we would release a full album project of thirteen songs, and sell it as an album for a few weeks until it shows up on iTunes and the other digital download sites.
The theme is about aging, which I guess is ironic since we have a couple of teenagers in the band. But hey, I turned fifty this year!”
Bandmates Beazley and Ward also have original songs on Crooked Man. All of the material is tuneful, with lyrics that stand out for their maturity and thoughtfulness. The performances are top flight as well, with both the singers and the pickers shining in turn on music that runs from modern bluegrass to Celtic, with plenty of authentic American acoustic music in between.
Audio samples, lyrics and photos from the sessions can be found on Chris’ web site, along with online ordering.
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Chris Stuart is back in the studio this winter working on a new project. Like previous CDs with his band, Backcountry, it will primarily feature original songs written within the group, but in a first for Chris this new album will be a digital only release.
Crooked Man is expected to be available...
I suppose it was only a matter of time...
Eric Uglum's two mega-talented stepsons, Christian and Austin Ward, became members of Chris Stuart & Backcountry a few months back. Just recently, Chris' Backcountry label released a new CD from Eric and his young wards, and now comes the announcement that...
Bob Webster at BluegrassCountry.org had a chance to talk with Chris Stuart and Janet Beazley before their performance at Luckett's Schoolhouse last month. That interview is being aired this week on WAMU and online at BluegrassCountry.org.
Aspiring songwriters should take note at Chris describes the...
Chris Stuart, singer, songwriter - and the 2008 IBMA Print Media Person of The Year - will join Carol Beaugard on Friday morning on WFDU. He'll talk with Carol about his new status as the winner of a major award, and his latest CD release with Backcountry, Crooked Man.
Carol's show, Lonesome...
The Old Road To Jerusalem is the new CD from Eric Uglum, and his two talented stepsons, Christian and Austin Ward. It is just now released on Backcountry Records, with audio samples available online. Eric plays the guitar and mandolin, Austin bass, Christian fiddle, and Ron Block guests on banjo.
Christian...
Chris Stuart has announced that Chris and Austin Ward have joined his band, Backcountry. It is a fairly odd occurrence when a pair of brothers joins a professional band at the same time, even odder when they are both still in their teens. Austin will be playing bass, and Chris fiddle, along with Stuart...
This post is part of our occasional feature, Songwriter Profiles. If you have a suggestion for a bluegrass songwriter we might want to consider, please contact us.
Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, Chris Stuart plays guitar and leads his own band, Backcountry, based in Del Mar, California. His...
We just heard from our friend Chris Stuart, that he will be teaching the songwriting class at next April's Sore Fingers Summer School in England. The camp runs April 9-13, 2007 and is held at the Kingham Hill School, located on the borders of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire.
In addition...
We posted several weeks ago with news about Leavin' Town, the upcoming CD project from Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, due from Rounder on July 29.
Michael tells us that the band has a new web site that went live this morning, with a new web address to boot. You should look for them online now...
We have word that Larry Cordle is only one song away from having the mixes finished on his new CD, Rough Around The Edges. The title cut is a duet with Travis Tritt. Randy Kohrs also sings a duet on the disc, a story-song that evokes thoughts of Frank and Jesse James, Last Train Robbery. Cordle's band,...
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