Since starting out singing gospel as a child, the bluegrass stint with Lester Flatt in the ’70s, the six years with Johnny Cash in the ’80s, and coming up with his smash “hillbilly rock” hits of the ’90s, the four time GRAMMY-winner, platinum recording artist, Grand Ole Opry star, country music memorabilia preservationist, stylist, designer, photographer, songwriter, all around renaissance man, charismatic force of nature, and (first of all, perhaps), leader of the extraordinary, versatile touring and recording band The Fabulous Superlatives, Marty Stuart has shown a showman’s zest for every conceivable flavor of country music. Not to mention, a missionary’s zeal for bringing the importance of the music and its themes home to long-time fans and newcomers alike. Musicologist Peter North cites, “Marty Stuart seems wrapped in his destiny at this point in time. Not only as country music’s most notable ambassador/caretaker, but as its main archetypical crusader. He has without question evolved into one of the most important roots musicians and visionaries in America.”
Mr. Stuart will be representing the volunteers from Tennessee and Mississippi that fought and died at The Alamo. He will be raising the 1824 Alamo Flag. Sam Houston, Davy Crockett and many more came from Marty’s neck of the woods.
To learn all things Marty go to MartyStuart.net
The TIMELINE on his Web site is describes Marty’s amazing journey through country music.
Marty’s GHOST TRAIN made many of End-of-Year Lists. Check it out…
NPR
“Ken Tucker’s Top 10 Albums of 2010”
1. Tracey Thorn, Love and Its Opposite
2. Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
3. Hot Chip, One Life Stand
4. Peter Wolf, Midnight Serenades
5. Joanna Newsom, Have One on Me
6. Elizabeth Cook, Welder
7. Drive-By Truckers, The Big To-Do
8. Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
9. Marty Stuart, Ghost Train
10. Robyn, Body Talk
PITTSBURGH POST GAZETTE
Listed as one of the Top 10 Country Albums of 2010
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
“Best In Country/Roots”
Marty Stuart, Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions (Sugar Hill). The country traditionalist has been on a roll over the last decade, and it’s capped by this spirited set of mostly originals that nods to Bakersfield, Johnny Cash, and Porter Wagoner. Stuart’s Train comes in just ahead of Texas honky-tonker Dale Watson, who also continues to put his own stamp on vintage country with Carryin’ On (E1), featuring pedal-steel master Lloyd Green.
CMT.COM
“Nashville Skyline: 2010’s Moments”
Marty Stuart’s Studio B Sessions recharged his batteries and proves why he has long been a true music original.
AMERICANA MUSIC ASSOCIATION
“Top 100 Albums of the Year”
36) Marty Stuart, Studio B Sessions, Sugar Hill
THE TORONTO STAR
“The Year In Roots Music, 2010”
5. Marty Stuart, Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions (Sugar Hill Records): A Nashville veteran cannily conjures up many of his country music heroes — Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Elvis Presley and Conway Twitty among them —with carefully composed originals, a couple of killer instrumentals and some unusual covers. The album, enhanced by Stuart’s killer band, The Superlatives, is a reflection of the singer/writer/picker’s pure country soul and rock ’n’ roll instincts. And it’s all heart.
THE 9513
“Best Country Songs of 2010”
27. “Porter Wagoner’s Grave” – Marty Stuart
21. “Hard Working Man” – Marty Stuart
4. “Hangman”– Marty Stuart
NO DEPRESSION
“Top 10 Best Albums of 2010”
8. Marty Stuart- Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions Speaking of bringing tradition back to Music City, Marty Stuart has used the blueprint of ’60s-era Nashville to record one of his strongest albums to date. The album has everything you would expect from a country album: songs of death, songs of love, songs of God, even a few instrumentals and a recitation about Porter Wagoner. The highlight is undoubtedly “Hangman,” a bleak ballad Stuart co-wrote with Johnny Cash. Unlike Jamey’s album, this isn’t one that will change the country field. He simply doesn’t have that kind of power anymore. But it is one of the best things to come out of Nashville in years, nevertheless.
EXAMINER
“Jim Bessman’s Top 10 Albums For 2010”
1. Marty Stuart, Ghost Train (The Studio B Sessions) (Sugar Hill): This is your father’s and grandfather’s country music, brilliantly composed and performed by the true heir to their invaluable legacy.
AMERICAN TWANG
“Top 10 Country Albums of 2010”
#8. Marty Stuart – Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions
Ghost Train plays like a history lesson taught by a master professor, as Stuart—one of country music’s eminent historians—meticulously constructs new compositions that sound like classics. Like a history lesson, the content can be dry and tedious—especially for the casual observer. Ghost Train is only concerned with breathing life into old things, and the result is a record that’s incomparably accurate but not especially valuable to listeners who don’t already possess a great interest in the types of songs presented. Still, it’s difficult to understate Ghost Train’s excellence. Stuart executes his vision of traditional country music to perfection and underscores it with astonishingly crisp production. The Johnny Cash co-write “Hangman” is essential listening.
THE HERALD DISPATCH
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“Ghost Train — The Studio B Sessions” by Marty Stuart: In this day and age when mainstream country music is being geared more to the pop music crowd, there is still some real traditional country music being made in Nashville. Marty Stuart has always tried to stick to the dirt-on-your-hands country music over the years, mixing good old fashioned electric guitar chicken picking with off-the-hard-road blues that are straight from the heart. “Ghost Train” is an exceptional collection of honky tonk-worthy songs with nearly every one a new juke box classic. This music isn’t retro, it is real. On the album, Stuart is backed by his band the Fabulous Superlatives, featuring hot shot guitarist Kenny Vaughan, as well as the Musicians Hall of Fame session pianist Hargus ‘Pig’ Robbins and no less than six different steel guitar players including the legendary Ralph Mooney.
SAND MOUNTAIN REPORTER
“The G List Picks The Best Of 2010”
Best country CD: “Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions” by Marty Stuart. Honorable mentions: “The Guitar Song” by Jamey Johnson; “Rebel Within” by Hank III; “They Call Me Cadillac” by Randy Houser; “You Get What You Give” by Zac Brown Band; and “Speak Now” by Taylor Swift.
MY KIND OF COUNTRY
“J.R. Journey’s Top 10 Albums of 2010”
3. Marty Stuart – Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions
Stuart’s throwback to country’s first golden era is highlighted mostly by warm musicianship, which features up heaping dollops of fiddle and steel while keeping that signature Bakersfield-meets Mississippi sound that made Stuart’s early recordings so engaging. Choice cuts include the high-octane ‘Bridge Washed Out’ and ‘I Run To You’ with Connie Smith.
ROUGHSTOCK
“The Year That Was: The Tope 40 Country Albums of 2010”
17: Ghost Train: Studio B Sessions – Marty Stuart (Sugar Hill Records)
Marty Stuart’s goal for his return to the label he started his recording career with was to make as fantastic a country album he could make. He wanted to make a traditionally-minded contemporary release and that’s exactly what was accomplished with Ghost Train: Studio B Sessions. Obviously Grammy voters agreed as “I Run To You, a duet with wife Connie Smith, was nominated for an award. Other highlights include “Country Boy Rock And Roll,” “A World Without You” and the fantastic “Hangman.”
TIMES LEADER ONLINE
“Left Lane’s Top 10 CDs of 2010”
5. Marty Stuart, Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions – At least a half-dozen tracks on this classic throwback country disc should long ago have made their way to the heavy rotation list on contemporary radio. What’s wrong with this picture?
