Album Notes

Performing original bluegrass and Americana music, Chris Stuart & Backcountry features vocals, banjo, resonator guitar, guitar, and upright bass. They are a 2004 International Bluegrass Music Association showcase band and their song, "Silver Quarter, " aswell as their debut album, "Saints and Strangers," spent much of 2004 on Bluegrass Unlimited magazine's national bluegrass survey chart, and on the Americana Music Association chart, the Freeform American Roots chart, the Euro-Americana chart, and the Roots Music Report chart. The second album, "Mojave River" will be out in the Fall of 2004. The band also teaches workshops at festivals and camps and has toured in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information on the band, please visit www.chrisstuart.com .

Chris Stuart is a former first prize winner at the Chris Austin Songwriter contest at Merlefest in both the bluegrass and gospel categories. He is a graduate of the IBMA Leadership Bluegrass class of 2004 and was an IBMA showcase songwriter in 2003. With a critically acclaimed solo album, "Angels of Mineral Springs," Chris's songs have been recorded by several top bluegrass artists. Chris has also taught rhythm guitar and songwriting at the British Columbia Bluegrass Workshop (BCBW) and at the California Bluegrass Association (CBA) music camp.

Janet Beazley, originally from Bakersfield, but now living in San Juan Capistrano, California, is an accomplished songwriter, singer, and banjo player. She has taught banjo and music theory classes at both the BCBW and the CBA music camp. Janet also holds a doctorate in early music and teaches music history, music appreciation, and historical woodwinds in addition to playing flute, recorder, viola da gamba and historical guitars.

Ivan Rosenberg is a Portland, Oregon-based resonator guitarist who has released two well-received CDs of original instrumentals, "The Lost Coast" and his latest "Back To The Pasture." In 2004 Ivan taught resonator guitar at the BCBW, the CBA music camp, and the Sore Fingers Week bluegrass workshop in the United Kingdom. More information about Ivan can be found at www.ivanrosenberg.com .

An accomplished bass player, mandolinist, flatpicker, and harmony singer, Mason Tuttle is a resident of Missoula, Montana, where he has played in several bluegrass and Americana bands. He is currently working on a CD of instrumentals with Ivan and fiddler Chad Manning, set to be released in early 2005. Mason has also taught mandolin at the British Columbia Bluegrass Workshop.