stuart blagden guitar (full band member, 1989)

Stuart (also known as "The Still Owl") previously worked with Tim in the Manchester art-rock band Still, a project which received rave reviews during its extremely short lifetime. Classically trained with strong jazz leanings, he was recruited into what was then No Man Is An Island in 1989.

As well as playing live with the band, Stuart contributed to a couple of early recordings - he played on the band's infamous debut single 'The Girl From Missouri' and also on The Hidden Art Of Man Ray (a long ambient track which eventually appeared on the CD issue of the 'Speak' collection).

Since leaving No-Man at the end of 1989, Stuart has been based in South-East London, building an international profile as a well-respected musician. He is mostly involved with contemporary guitar music with a strong Latin-American influence (inspired by the likes of Egberto Gismonti and Marco Pereira) and on gypsy/Hot Club jazz in the Django Reinhardt tradition. In addition to guitar, Stuart plays cavaquinho (the traditional Brazilian ukelele).

Among his many collaborations, Stuart has worked with Ducato Piotrowski, Igor Outkine (in Mazaika), Volker Sträter, George Trebar, Chris Haigh, Tim Panting, Robin Katz. Stuart is a regular performer at Le Quecumbar, the top London venue for "hot club" and gypsy-style jazz, and plays there with a variety of ensembles including his Stuart Blagden & Les Roulottes quartet, the Stuart Blagden Trio and the Le Quecumbar Allstars.

Stuart performed at the 1999 Festival de Guitare de Vendôme as part of Duo Feliz. He toured Argentina with great success in 2000 and 2001 as a performer in the 6th and 7th Festivals Guitarras del Mundo (alongside such renowned guitarists and lutists as Paul O'Dette, Roland Dyens and Eduardo Fernandez). In April 2001, he performed at Viscount Linley's gallery in Pimlico, London at a major exhibition of rare guitars.

Stuart frequently collaborates with leading British classical/Latin guitarist Jonathan Preiss. The two played as Duo Saudades at the 2002 London Guitar Festival. Stuart also plays cavaquinho in Jonathan Preiss' Anglo-Brazilian ensemble Caratinga, which performs Brazilian choro (a Brazilian fusion of 19th century salon music such as polkas, tangos and waltzes with 1930s popular rhythms). The trio version of Caratinga (featuring Stuart and Jonathan and completed by Anselmo Netto on bandolim) made an ecstatically well-received live appearance at the 2003 London Guitar Festival.

Stuart also runs the Brazilian Guitar Archives, a discussion forum covering all aspects of Brazilian and South American guitar music.

Below is a list of tracks which Stuart has recorded for compilations and promotions. Click on the cover art to find out more about the recordings.

2007
	Recordings for Le Quecumbar (streamable soundfile from Le Quecumbar homepage) Stuart plays Le Reve d'un Soir with a two-guitar and accordion lineup, an example of his playing at Le Quecumbar, London.
	VARIOUS ARTISTS - 'Virtual Gypsy Jazz CD Vol 2' Gypsy Jazz Website, download-only album, no catalogue number Compilation of modern gypsy-jazz musicians. Stuart plays the solo guitar piece Thinking Of Django and plays with Les Roulottes on Un Histoire Simple.
2005
	Recordings for Godefroy Maruejouls (streamable soundfiles from Godefroy Maruejouls homepage) Showcase recordings in a hot-club jazz style for Godefroy Maruejouls' Selmer Style Guitar. Stuart Blagden & Les Roulottes play three tracks (Une Histoire Simple, Thinking Of Django and Nuages).
	Recording for Django Books (streamable soundfile from Django Books homepage) Taken from Django Books archive of gypsy/manouche jazz guitar playing. Stuart plays Valse Des Niglos.
2002
	VARIOUS ARTISTS - 'Virtual Gypsy Jazz' djangology.net, download-only album, no catalogue number 65 minutes of "underground" gypsy/manouche jazz music. Stuart plays Panique.