Percussion and Drums

Aged 26, Stuart has been playing drums and percussion for 18 years and composing and arranging for around 12 years. He has an honours degree in Electronics with Music from Glasgow University, and spent a year studying at Berklee College of Music, Boston, USA in 1998 where he took lessons from Kenwood Dennard (drummer) and with Jaco Pastorious, Sting, Miles Davis, and Maceo Parker.

He is one of the most active drummers on the Scottish jazz scene and has played with international jazz artists such as New York trumpeter Dave Gordon (Sun Ra Arkestra), and Israeli saxophonist, Gilad Atzmon. He is also currently touring with singer/song writer, Horse MacDonald, playing international gigs with Joseph Malik (Compost Records), and recently collaborated with ex-Talking Heads vocalist, David Byrne, on the soundtrack for a new Scottish film, Young Adam (featuring Ewan MacGregor).

Stuart has a background in a diverse range of styles including jazz, rock, funk, Brazilian Cuban, Jewish Klezmar music, and Caribbean steel band drumming. He also has a particular interest in electronic drumming and sampling, making use of chopped up breakbeats and fragments of jazz drum solos combined with electronic sounds to create unique kit sounds for live performance. In addition he is well versed in all areas of electronic music production, sequencing and programming.

His own projects include various live electronic dance music experiments, free jazz/dance collaborations, and a recently formed jazz group with a repertoire incorporating tunes by Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley, film themes, Jewish Klezmar music, and early cartoon music.

Discography

Martin Kershaw Quartet
(Caber Records) to be released 2003

Dr Honda Don't Sleep Much
(Tuesday Records) 2001

Rarefaction Stormbird
(Yush 2K EP, Yush Records, 2001)

Rarefaction
(Self titled CD, own label)

Project 69
(SMIC New Scottish Music Sampler, 2000)

Tom Jones/ Cerys from Catatonia, Baby it's Cold Outside (remix)
(Gut Records 1999)

Toneburst Collective (Boston based electronic/multi media group)
(Bliss records, 1997)