Hello...I'm Stuart. I was born in jolly old England. I moved to Philadelphia(USA) when i was 7. My first instrument was the snare drum in my middle school marching band. The music teacher didn't like me because i was always a bit lippy...so...he demoted me to the middle bass drum..urghhhhhh.
Anyway, i couldn't really carry the bass drum so i quit! Thanks mister whatever your name was!hahahah.
My friend and i started a punk band doing covers of Misfits songs...but, it was only the two of us and the only gig we did was for his dog in the basement.Nice!..Actually, i think the dog left halfway though our set! Doh!
I moved back to England when i was 14 and went to an English boarding school.It was there were i picked up the bass guitar. A good friend of mine(Nat) introduced me to the weather report...hmmmm...from punk to jazz...nice! Anyway i practiced for hours and hours in my bedroom trying to emulate the amazing talents of Jaco Pastorious(rest in peace) and eventually became comfortable with his(licks)hahah.
So after leaving school i travelled from flat to flat in London staying where i could and even sleeping in stairwells-they were much warmer-haha. It was at this time i met my my dear friend Roland Wynn(former bassist of the Ozric Tenticles) He was an amazing talent and taught me a lot about life and music.Rest in peace Roly!!!!
We used to play in the subways of Elephant and Castle(London) We never really made a lot of money.I think the most we ever made in a day was 7 pounds! Enough for a plate of fries(chips, if your English)...oh.. and an egg!hahaha...those were the days! I guess the people of south London didn't like the Hawkwind covers we were doing.Oh well...each to his or her own.I was 16 at the time.
I was also playing in a band with my sister in pubs and i guess this is where i got my "gig legs". It was all a great learning experience and i will never forget it.
After this period i joined a French revolutionary circus called Archaos. I was doing the lights...not music..but i so wanted to be playing.
It was after the break up of the circus i found myself wondering what the hell was i going to do! It was then i got a call from Nick VanGelder( an amazing musician) saying he was in some new band with a funny name and they needed a bass player. I was 17 at the time.
He played me some music over the phone i and was at his flat in a flash!
That's when i met Jason Kay and Toby Smith. I was very insecure and was completely put on the spot when Jay said " well if you think your that good...play" I was soooooo nervous. Well.. needless to say,i started playing some Latin licks and Jay said " look, the Latin stuffs good but we are a funk band"...he and Toby then left the room and i was devastated. I thought...oh god... i really screwed this one up!
Well..i guess i wasn't that bad because they called me up a week later and told me i was in the band!......... Jamiroquai. Thanks Millie!!!!!
It was the the start of a beautiful music relationship between us all.
The fist recording i made was a song called Too Young To Die. This was the first release for Jamiroquai with a major label(Sony)
We then recorded the rest of the album but didn't really know it would go the way it did.
It was so amazing. We won a Grammy in 97 and four MTV music awards.We also won an Ivor Novello award for outstanding song collection. I was a writer in the band and we all did the production...although it was never written in the album notes!hmmmmmmm.
So after three albums and the birth of my beautiful daughter(Lilyella) i decided to call it a day with the band. The relationship i had with Jay was becoming more and more strained and i couldn't really see it getting any better.
I always look back with fondness!
After i left i had the chance to work with some amazing people. Omar,Stevie Wonder,Femi(Young Disciples), Dangelo,Lauren Hill,Diana Ross,Guru(Gangstar),Mica Paris,Matt Hales(Aqualung),Gorrilaz,Space Monkeys,Tony Alen(Fela Kuti),Ms Dynamite,Barrington Levy,Amy Winehouse,Lily Allen,Todd Edwards and last but not least...Mark Ronson.
I also had a band with my mate Don-E...we were called Azure...we got signed to Virgin US but they shelved us!Boooooooooo.hahahah...Anyway we made some great music and didn't have to pay them back! Cheers Virgin US!
Thanks for the masters...will be putting them up for sale on the Internet shortly!hahaha.
So here we are...i am now singing/writing/playing/producing.
There is also a remix of the Gorrilaz song"Dirty Harry" on the player here.My friend D-Zire(AKA Darren,Dazza,Del) and i did this remix..our team is called Chopper.Darren is in the Space Monkeys and was the DJ in Jamiroquai...he is dope!...Check out his album, Leika Come Home.
Thank you to all the fans that have supported me and my music.
Without you....there is nothing!
Love and peace and good vibes to all!
Jah!
Stuart Zender.
MANAGEMENT CONTACT: JAE BENJAMIN (email:jaebenjaminaz@yahoo.com)
Hiya, thanks for being a friend - I enjoyed visiting YourSpace :-) Keep it up May your life be full of love, light and fun... hugs SOREN - Beats for change - NYERTUN
ha ha..was listening to my interview here...down the page a bit....and omg!!!.....ten points to who can tell me how many times i said the word "amazing" ha ha ha ha..im the biggest dork...in the world!!! love! jah!
Hi Stu,my friend.... I hope you find yourself happy, healthy and busy. I have just put up three tracks on my player and ask that you kindly check them out and let me know what you think of them. The first was written for my Daughter and is entitled "AMY'S OCEAN" which should chill you all out after a hard days work. The second is called "CHASING THE FANTASY" which will definately wake you up again afterwards, haha.... and the third is entitled "TRANQUILITY",.. which speaks for it's self. Anyway....Throw an ear on them for me, and let me know what you think my friend,..because after all, if my friends won't listen.... Who will eh, haha. Sending Peace, and Respect to your good self, and I thank you for your continuing support and friendship............... Stay close eh! BISCUIT PS.... If you have the time, Please check out my other tracks too.... Thank you.
