Bio
Born in the town of Novato, CA thirty minutes north of San Francisco, Stuart began his music career by dancing around the living room to his parents’ records, especially Huey Lewis and the News, The Beach Boys, and Queen. By the age of eight he had all but mastered the recorder and relevant repertoire, including Theme from Star Wars and Hot Cross Buns.
Stuart joined his first rock band at the age of 11 after learning that the Nirvana influenced garage band, Red Letter, was in need of a bass player. He immediately offered his services, although he didn’t yet own a bass guitar, or even know what the difference was between a bass guitar and a regular guitar. Miraculously he was given the position despite being completely unqualified and unequipped, relying on a borrowed instrument and late night, crash course self-study practice sessions.
He was soon recruited into the middle school jazz band, where he learned to read music. Stuart spent every free moment practicing, whether covering Green Day songs with his friends, rehearsing with the jazz band, or simply playing along with every album he could get his hands on.
High school was a period of musical renaissance for Stuart. His class schedule at San Marin High School included jazz band, jazz choir, show choir concert band, chamber choir, and musical theater, in addition to all of the required math, science, English, and history courses. Encouraged and inspired by his music teacher, Emily Gates, he excelled not only as a bassist, but as a drummer, guitarist, singer, actor, composer, and even engineer. He played leading roles in several musical theater productions, produced and engineered two albums for the music department, and won several awards as a bass player and vocalist at jazz festivals throughout California. He also was able to travel the world, performing in Canada, Australia, Mexico, and twice at the world famous Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Outside of school Stuart had more musical opportunities. He played with dozens of musicians in the San Francisco Bay Area, including jazz veterans Mel Martin, Pete Magadini, Chip Tingle, Phil Mattson, and Harold Jones. He established himself as a strong member of the young jazz community. His jazz ensemble Descarga Jazz Quintet won first place in the Marin County Battle of the Bands and played regular parties and shows throughout the Bay Area.
After spending a semester studying with Andy Mckee, Reggie Workman, and Billy Harper at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in Manhattan, Stuart set his sights on the Berklee College of music in Boston. While Attending Berklee he received the Lester Lanin Endowed Scholarship and D’Addario Strings Scholarship awards for his ability as a bassist and as a composer/arranger/producer, and performed and recorded with dozens of up and coming artists and bands in styles ranging from bebop and heavy metal to symphonic and drum and bass. He studied with many incredible musicians including Andy McGhee, Adi Yeshaya, Bill Elliott, and Joe Lovano. In 2009 he graduated summa cum laude from Berklee and received a B.M. degree in Contemporary Writing and Production.
He currently is working as a record producer, songwriter, arranger, performer, and private teacher.