Chris Stuart & Janet Beazley
Del Mar, California, United States | SELF
Music
Press
"Their songs trace the flows of life and love, of beauty forever past and achingly possible. There's so much outstanding material." - BU
"Chris Stuart & Backcountry have a whole lot going for them: excellent musical chops, excellent songs, clear and sympathetic production by Stuart and Beazley." - Sing Out!
"Easily one of the best unsigned acts in the US today. This isn't citified, ersatz bluegrass, it's the real stuff. If you only buy one album in 2005 make sure Mojave River is that album." - Maverick
"The story-oriented songwriting by the band is one of its greatest strengths." - Jon Weisberger
"For some outstanding songs, notably Stuart's marvelous title track and his very Townes-ish, and excellent, 'Rider on this Train', fabulous picking, and a whole mess of soul, check this album out." - John Conquest
Discography
Crooked Man (2009)
5 South (2005)
Mojave River (2004)
Saints and Strangers (2003)
Angels of Mineral Springs (2002)
Photos
Bio
JANET BEAZLEY - BANJO, PENNYWHISTLES
Janet is an accomplished bluegrass banjo player, singer, songwriter, and teacher. She has taught banjo, harmony singing, music theory, ear training, song writing, improvisation, band ensemble skills, and audio engineering/production at numerous bluegrass workshops, including the British Columbia Bluegrass Workshop, California Bluegrass Association Music Camp, Midwest Banjo Camp, American Banjo Camp, Banjo Camp North, Augusta Heritage Center Bluegrass Week, Munich Banjo Camp, and Sore Fingers Bluegrass Week in the UK.
Janet's solo CD, 5 South was the focus of a profile article in the August 2005 issue of Banjo Newsletter, and appeared on the Bluegrass Unlimited National Survey Chart for Top 15 Albums. The song, “Julia Belle,” spent eight months on the Top 30 Songs Chart, reaching #9. Janet produced and engineered all of the CSB band albums, as well as solo projects by guitar virtuoso Eric Uglum.
Janet is an expert on Renaissance and Baroque performance practice, and holds a Doctorate in Early Music Performance from USC. She teaches Early Music at UC Riverside and Claremont Graduate University, and is in demand at Early Music workshops throughout the US. Janet performs on Baroque flute and recorder with Bach Collegium San Diego and other Renaissance and Baroque chamber ensembles in the SoCal area. She enjoys teaching bluegrass banjo, penny whistle, recorder, flute and viol to players at all levels of expertise!
CHRIS STUART - GUITAR, BANJO
Chris Stuart is a songwriter, writer, guitarist, and old-time banjo player.
He is a winner of the Merlefest Chris Austin Songwriting Contest in both bluegrass and gospel categories. His songs have been recorded by Claire Lynch ("Paul and Peter Walked,"Thibodaux," "God Spoke His Name"), Dale Ann Bradley ("Julia Belle"), Danny Paisley (Don't Throw Mama's Flowers Away"), Larry Cordle ("First Train Robbery"), Michael Cleveland ("Farewell for a Little While,"), Bobby Osborne ("Shenandoah Wind"), and Doyle Lawson ("When the Last of Our Days Shall Come"), Sally Jones ("Saro"), Eric Uglum ("Old Road to Jerusalem") and others.
In 2009, with co-writer Ivan Rosenberg, Chris received the award for the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Song of the Year for "Don't Throw Mama's Flowers Away," recorded by Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass. He has taught rhythm guitar and songwriting at the British Columbia Bluegrass Workshop, the American River Music Camp, the California Bluegrass Association music camp, Sorefingers Bluegrass Week in the UK, and the Augusta Heritage workshop in West Virginia. He has toured the US, Canada, Europe and the Middle East with Chris Stuart & Backcountry, and has released three band albums and a solo CD.
Links
