The Austin Stewart Quartet creates instrumental grooves from Portland, Oregon. Featuring Mac Brown (guitar), Spencer Finnan (keys), Drew Nelson (bass) and Austin Stewart (drums), they create funky music with a jazz mentality for your body and brain. With influences like Medeski, Martin & Wood, John Scofield and The Meters, experimentation is equally as important as groove. Looking for a Sign, the sophomore album from the group released in Fall 2015, is available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, CD Baby, Spotify and Rdio. They recorded, Looking for a Sign, on April 20, 2013 at Mac's family cabin in Washougal, WA, overlooking a scenic bend in the river. That night, they recorded nearly 20 of Austin's tunes, many of which were recently written. They used a Tascam DR-680, known for capturing field recordings, and a room full of condenser mics to capture everything live. No overdubs, no re-tracking parts, just what came through their instruments. The session went deep into the night, with a few remaining tunes recorded early in the morning. They released a portion of the songs from that session in the Fall of 2013 on their debut album, Shake It Out, available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, CD Baby, Spotify and Rdio. Austin Stewart up in Kansas City, formally studying music before kindergarten. As a drummer he combined the jazz heritage of the city with modern drum set, rudimental and orchestral techniques. His work behind the kit makes it all groove together. As the composer for the Austin Stewart Quartet, he captures lyrical melodies and interesting harmonies for the band to dig into and make their own. He graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2002 and has spent the majority of his life studying from amazing musicians, whether listening and researching the greats or studying with top pros like Kenwood Dennard (Maceo Parker, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter), Skip Happen (John Abercrombie, Lou Donaldson, Weather Report), Rick Considine (BB King, Michael Brecker, Jaco Pastorius, Eddie Gomez), Keith Kavanaugh (Doug Talley Quartet), folk artist Livingston Taylor, and Grammy award winning composer/arranger/bassist Richard Evans (Stan Getz, Ramsey Lewis, Jimmy Smith). Mac Brown was the founding guitarist for Portland's original live hip hop group, Five Fingers of Funk. He's played some crazy shows, like opening for George Clinton, The Roots and a staple at the legendry Berbati's Pan. Spencer Finnan performs with several funk, soul and hip-hop groups in Portland, Oregon, including his trio Space Case. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon's music program and teaches in the area. Drew Nelson is the bassist for the critically acclaimed Vagabond Opera from Portland, Oregon. He is a graduate of Portland State University's music program and teaches in the area.