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 in early June, with eight new Chris  Stuart originals, a couple by banjo player Janet Beazley, and one from their teen aged fiddler, Christian Ward. Eric Ulum is on mandolin along with Austin Ward on bass and Stuart on guitar.

Chris shared a few words about the material on Crooked Man…

“The songs include one about Mary Surratt (hanged in 1865 as part of the Lincoln assassination conspiracy) and one by Janet called Lantern Bay Inn about a murder in the San Juan Islands off Washington state. I have a song about a murder that happened in West Virginia in 1931, and a song about a dog called Ofer and Yesbuddy . . . .another happy CSB recording!”

Chris told us that they will produce manufactured CDs for press and radio promotion, but will primarily distribute the project through digital download sites. A new band website will be created with album artwork, lyrics, studio photos and credits plus download purchases offered in either MP3 or AIF formats. It will also be available through download sites like iTunes and CD Baby.

Our friends at BluegrassCountry.org have launched a new feature as part of their 40th Anniversary celebration of bluegrass programming on WAMU. It’s called Musician Tips and will be a weekly audio segment with prominent bluegrass artists sharing advice on a wide range of topics that will be of interest to those seeking to improve their own songwriting, stage presence or performance.

Each tip will be run for a week in BluegrassCountry.org’s 24/7 bluegrass programming, and then be archived on their web site. You can hear the first in this series, from noted songwriter Chris Stuart, on the Musician’s Tips site, where you can also subscribe to the series as a podcast.

BluegrassCountry.org’s Katy Daly says that they have quite a lineup of artists in the pipeline.

In weeks to come we’ll feature tips from Bill Emerson, Jaime Daley, Sonya Isaacs, Joe Carr, Alan Munde, Ralph Stanley, Honi Deaton, all the Stringdusters, all the Steep Canyon Rangers, Mike Auldridge, Missy Raines, and Randy Kohrs, just to name a few.

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 Eric is the newest member of Backcountry.

Eric will be featured on both lead guitar and mandolin, and joins Christian Ward on fiddle, Austin Ward on bass, Janet Beazley on banjo, and bandleader (and chief songsmith) Chris Stuart on guitar.

Uglum had previously performed with Weary Hearts, Copperline and Lost Highway, and operates New Wine Studio in Hesperia, CA where all of the Backcountry releases have been recorded.

You can find the band’s schedule on their web site.

Our friends at UKBluegrass.com just let us know that they have posted to their blog an interview with John and Moira Wirtz who organize Europe’s largest bluegrass/old time music camp, Sore Fingers. The camp has been running each year since 1996 and is scheduled for April 9-14, 2007 this year.

The interview is quite readable and contains a lot of background historical information about the camp. They also talk about the goals they have for the camp this year and in the future. And in describing the camp’s atmosphere, they bring up one of my favorite things about this music, the accessibility of the players.

The instructors for this year’s camp are some of the best players bluegrass music has to offer including, Janet Beazley, Noam Pikelny, Casey Driessen, Rob Ickes, John Lowell, Chris Stuart, and others.

"The event is up there with any other camp," says John, "but it’s uniquely British in the social aspect and the humour." Most of the tutors get stuck in to the socialising without difficulty, mingling in the bar and taking part in the sessions. "I love seeing the kids jamming with the tutors," says John.

What a great opportunity for these youngsters.

If you missed the last interview UKBluegrass.com posted you might want to check it out as well. It’s a good interview with current IBMA Board Chairman, Greg Cahill. You’ll find that interview here.