You can learn a lot about a person by the company he keeps, as a sideman Mark Edgar Stuart has toured with Grammy winner Alvin Youngblood Hart, Jack Oblivian, John Paul Keith and cut two records with singer-songwriter Cory Branan which led to an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. With little fuss or fanfare he became the go-to bass player for an elite group of record producers and artists.
His no-nonsense style always played a supporting role that was close to the spotlight, but not too close… Cancer changes things, and so does losing your father. When all of these things happened in rapid succession Mark took some time to heal, and reevaluate. In 2010 He put down his bass, picked up a guitar, and started writing songs he never thought anybody outside his family would ever hear. It’s possible nobody ever would have heard them either, if not for the encouragement of his colleagues.
The story you’ll hear over and over again as people discover Mark’s debut CD, Blues for Lou, (and a collection of songs so effortlessly poignant will be discovered and rediscovered for a long time) is how it was triggered by this period of sickness and sorrow. While that’s essentially true, a record like this was inevitable. His debut earned him “Record Of The Year” by the Memphis Flyer. Mark soaks in details like a sponge, and spending so much time in the company of strong songwriters, it was only a matter of time before these humble, humorous and, and sometimes heartbreaking stories found a way to get out. – Chris Davis
MEDIA
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SOCIAL
PRESS
Mark Edgar Stuart Returns: A veteran Memphis musician returns with a new single – The Memphis Flyer
PB-Native Songwriter Stuart Tells Southern Stories – Arkansas Online
Mark Edgar Stuart’s “Don’t Blame Jesus” (audio stream) – Paste Magazine
“The song captures the whimsy (as well as melodic traces) of John Prine, the goofy irreverence of early Todd Snider, and the arch perspective of Randy Newman. Like the best of their work, you’re not entirely sure whether Stuart is taking the protagonist’s side, lightly mocking him, or engaging in full-on satire. … In all, it’s a winning 7-inch slab that proves Stuart’s tongue-in-cheek or comedy songs are increasingly on par with his straight work.” – Bob Mehr, The Commercial Appeal
“In the great folk tradition, Memphis singer-songwriter Mark Edgar Stuart has written a humorous country/folk song look at the sad state of US political affairs in the age of Donald Trump. Stuart goes after hate, terrorists, cellphones and a culture of complete media saturation and violence that is causing us all to lose a bit of our humanity. Folk has always been the perfect vehicle for critiquing society and politics and it’s always been a potent form of protest. The day after Donald Trump’s victories, we could use a tune like this.” – Premiere of “Don’t Blame Jesus,” PopMatters
CONTACT
Publicity: elizabeth@signalflowpr.com
Booking: Mark Edgar Stuart
Posted In: Clients