Born: July 19, 1956 Primary Instrument: Vocal
Stuart Rosh (born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is a songwriter and singer who lives in San Francisco. Over the years he’s lived in Italy, Israel and throughout the US. The child of Polish/Ukrainian immigrants and Holocaust survivors, Stuart grew up listening to and performing Yiddish (his first language), Russian and religious music. From the age of three until about twelve, he was obsessed with top 40 pop. Then he heard Muddy Waters and Miles Davis, and his taste moved from pop into the world of jazz, blues, and cabaret.
A former geophysics professor, Stuart Rosh put out three CDs this past decade, one solo and two with his band, The Geniuses. The first two, Accept No Imitations (2004) and Hummingbirds in Fight (2005), had a rootsy style heavily influenced by Hank Williams and Muddy Waters. The third, American Vernacular (2007) was an eclectic blend of what Stuart calls American Mutt Music, containing cabaret, blues, jazz and rock tunes. His albums have received critical praise in a wide number of indy oriented publications such as Indie-Music.com, ObscureSound.com, FreightTrainBoogie.com as well as a “Critic’s Pick” from the Cincinnati CityBeat and a “Choice Cut” award from the Village Voice.
Stuart Rosh and The Geniuses’ next album is a blend of original cabaret, jazz, swing and blues tunes entitled Fundamental (2009). “There are so many styles within the American Songbook that I love and write in, but for some reason the stuff from ‘before there was Elvis’ is where I feel most at home,” says Stuart.
Awards:
West Coast Songwriters, Song of the Year, Jazz, 2008; Global Rhythm Magazine, Song of the Month, October 2008; West Coast Songwriters, Song of the Year, Humor, 2007; Indie- Music.com, Best of 2007Global Rhythm Magazine: Performed with freshness, humor and verve. So vivid that you can almost hear the late-night clink of ice cubes.
Paul Freeman, Bay Area News Group: With Rosh's canny vocals and clever lyrics, backed by impressive instrumentation, “Fundamental” is fabulously funky fun.
Chris Handyside, Real Detroit Weekly: This guy has mega-chops: a beguiling cross-breeding cemented by lyrics that recall Cohen and Zevon.
Nate Seltenrich, East Bay Express: Charming tales about decaffeinated coffee, golf course foibles, five-dollar shoes, picking up chicks at the library, and more - all set to peppy, horn- laden cabaret grounded in blues and '40s and '50s vocal jazz - make Stuart Rosh's fourth album an unexpected and undeniable treat. Across all twelve tracks, he and his band never lose their groove.
Don Chance, Wichita Falls Times Record News: Rosh has captured the intimate immediacy of a bistro bandstand, and that ambiance is not always easy to recreate. This collection should find an eager audience with just about anyone seeking an alternative to modern radio fluff.
Brian Baker, Cincinnati CityBeat: Critic's pick, MidPoint Festival. “Stuart Rosh likes juxtaposing contemporary lyrical concerns of love, culture, politics and parenthood against the dusty sound of traditional musical styles. It's like listening to 78s on a really great stereo.”
Mike Mineo, Obscure Sound: You will not find many others this year that mix lyrical ingenuity with instrumental brilliance in such a passionate display.
Ken Mowery, Indie-Music.com: There is an “old friend” honesty in the music of Stuart Rosh & The Geniuses. Rosh likes the contrast of mixing vintage sound with what he calls “here and now lyrics.” The combination produces an earthy, down-home style that is believable, affirming and relevant.
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