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.

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.

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 and Austin play with Chris Stuart & Backcountry, though both are still in their teens. Stuart contributed two songs to The Old Road To Jerusalem, and Backcountry banjo picker Janet Beazely co-produced the project with Uglum.

Eric operates a recording studio, New Wine Sound, in California and is a respected bluegrass player, producer and singer. His debut solo release, Shenandoah Wind, was released in 2004. Featured artists on the CD include Alison Krauss, Ron Block, Stuart Duncan and Rob Ickes.

There are no audio samples for Shenandoah Wind on Eric’s site, but they are available in the iTunes Music Store.

You can also find audio from The Old Road To Jerusalem on Eric’s MySpace page.

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 thought process he uses to write songs like Dear Friends & Gentle Hearts, Julia Belle, and Mojave River. There is also a preview of the title cut from Chris’ upcoming release, The old Road to Jerusalem. The song was written by Chris and is performed by Eric Uglum & Sons, Austin and Christian Ward.

I’m listening to the show online as I type, but if you miss it today it will air everyday this week. Here’s the schedule:

• Monday, November 27 – 10:00 a.m.
• Tuesday, November 28 – 9:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, November 29 – 7:00 a.m.
• Thursday, November 30 – 5:55 a.m.
• Friday, December 1 – 11:00 p.m.
• Saturday, December 2 – 8:00 p.m.
• Sunday December 3 – 6:00 p.m.