Stuart McNair Bio and Song List
Stuart McNair was recently called "one of the South's musical
treasures" by Maverick Magazine UK, for his ability to combine
Southern American Folk, Zydeco, Bluegrass, and Reggae traditions
and weave them into Earth-friendly, life-affirming, uplifting songs.
Maverick called his music a "cosmic musical jouney".
Stuart McNair is a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist,
and bandleader from the American South. Born and raised on the Alabama and Louisiana Gulf Coast, Stuart soaked up Mardi Gras traditions from the beginning, then Country roots in Alabama and Tennessee, and he now lives in Asheville, NC, in the heart of
the Appalachian Mountains.
He combines Folk, Country, Bluegrass, and Louisiana traditions
for an irresistible sound and joyous live show. His songs, called "dazzling", "uplifting", and "glorious", deliver an Earth-friendly
message and deal with love, life, and communion with nature.
With a busy touring schedule both in the US and overseas,
Stuart wows audiences by playing guitars, piano, harmonicas,
trumpet, accordion, washboard, mandolin, and other instruments
on stage. He has a strong Zydeco influence, and he uses bayou
and mountain rhythms, and unique tales to take his audience
to new places.
Stuart and his full band play major music and arts festivals in the US
(Shakori Hills Grassroots (NC), Spirit of the Suwannee Festivals (FL),
Elderberry Festival (MO), the Magic City Art Connection (AL), and the Festival of Spirituality and Peace in Scotland (UK).
Stuart's songs have landed on AAA, NPR, and other charts, and he recently played in London during the 2012 Olympics.
Stuart's latest release, a full band Zydeco-influenced romp called "Dance All Day", has had great reviews in the US and the UK.
Discography:
2004 - Building a Fire
2008 - Growing a Garden
2009 - Climbing a Mountain
2012 - Dance All Day
2012 - Alive in London
Quick Quotes:
"McNair touches on elements of life, love, faith, and our communion with nature. In simple, straight-forward fashion, McNair has created an album that should establish him as one of the best young talents in folk music, bar none. Guaranteed to get your feet moving, get you thinking, and even make you laugh"
-Wildy'sWorld.com
"Destined for Alternative Greatness"
- Muse's Muse Online Reviews
"Sends a shiver down the spine. The gloriousness is downright outrageous. An act whose career should be closely followed"
- Maverick Magazine, London, UK
"Cosmic thoughts and unforgettable, beautiful songs...
a bit like Johnny Cash singing the Upanishads."
- Mobile Bay Monthly
"Guaranteed to get your feet moving, get you thinking,
and even make you laugh"
-Wildy'sWorld.com
"Building a Fire is a much-needed reemergence of heartfelt,
quality Southern music. It's an impressive combination of folk, bluegrass, and alt. country....akin to the likes of Johnny Cash
and Bob Dylan, with a hint of Simon and Garfunkel."
- Datelinealabama.com
"He could be on the airwaves in an instant. Or with the
right support, he could be the next alt-country darling,
alongside Ryan Adams and Wilco"
- City Magazine, Tuscaloosa, AL
Stuart's Song List
Allman Brothers - Soulshine, Blue Skies, Ramblin' Man, Sweet Melissa, Midnight Rider
Al Green - Let's Stay Together
The Animals - House of the Rising Sun
Atlanta Rhythm Section - Spooky
B.B. King - The Thrill is Gone
The Band - The Weight, Cripple Creek , The Night They Drove ol' Dixie Down, Ophelia
The Beatles - Rocky Raccoon, Hide Your Love Away, Norwegian Wood,
Ballad of John and Yoko, Rain, Revolution, Get Back, etc.
Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine, Use Me, Just the Two of Us, Lovely Day
Black Crowes - She Talks to Angels
Bob Dylan - Rainy Day Women, Like a Rolling Stone, Knocking on
Heaven's Door, It Ain't Me Babe, Tangled Up in Blue, Man in Me
Bob Marley - Three Little Birds, Redemption Song, Get Up Stand Up,
Waiting in Vain, Stir it Up, Is This Love, One Love
Buffalo Springfield - For What it's Worth
Cat Stevens - Wild World, First Cut is the Deepest
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Proud Mary, Have You Ever Seen the
Rain, Fortunate Son, Bad Moon Rising, Born on the Bayou
Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young - Teach, Love the One You're With
The Commodores - Easy Like Sunday Morning
Dobie Grey - Drift Away
Doobie Brothers - Oh Blackwater
Eric Clapton - Lay Down Sally, Cocaine, Layla, Wonderful Tonight
Grateful Dead - Friend of the Devil, Casey Jones, Truckin', Ripple, Deep
Ellem Blues, Deal, U.S. Blues, Know You Rider
Jackson Five - I Want You Back
John Prine - Angel From Montgomery, Paradise
Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison, Ring of Fire, Long Black Veil, Big River
Jimmy Buffett - Margaritaville, Pirate Looks at 40
Marvin Gaye - Let's Get it On, Sexual Healing, What's Going On
Men at Work - Land Down Under
Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline
Neil Young - Heart of Gold
Old Crow Medicine Show - Wagonwheel, CC Rider
Otis Redding - Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay
Paul Simon - Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard, 50 Ways to Leave
Your Lover, Kodachrome, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, That
Was Your Mother, Slip-Sliding Away
Phish - Waste, Lovin' Cup
Ray Charles - Georgia on My Mind, Hit the Road Jack
The Rolling Stones - Wild Horses, Under My Thumb, Dead Flowers,
Lovin' Cup
Ryan Adams - Stars Go Blue, To Be Young
Simon and Garfunkel - Cecilia, The Boxer
Stealer's Wheels - Stuck in the Middle With You
Steppenwolf - Magic Carpet Ride
Steve Miller - The Joker
Stevie Wonder - Superstition, Isn't She Lovely, Master Blaster, Boogie On, Reggae Woman
Sublime - Lovin Is What I Got, Santeria
Talking Heads - Burning Down the House, Once in a Lifetime, And She Was
Temptations - Too Proud to Beg, The Way You Do the Things You Do
Tom Petty - Mary Jane's Last Dance, Free Fallin', I Won't Back Down, American Girl, Running Down a Dream
Traveling Wilburys - End of the Line
U2 - Desire, Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, One
Van Morrison - Into the Mystic, Brown-Eyed Girl, MoonDance
War - Low Rider
Warren Zevon - Werewolves of London
Widespread Panic - Walkin'
Wilson Pickett - Mustang Sally