Saul (formerly Paul) Smith Stewart is a composer, professional musician, music educator and Kambo practitioner. While studying music at Cal Poly Saul joined the Central Coast band Still Time. Beginning in 2004, Still Time steadily expanded from a local college band to a national touring act and successfully released four albums on their independent record label, When It Hits Records. In 2012 Saul became the Director of Performing Arts at his alma mater Marin Catholic College Preparatory in Marin County, CA. Along with his colleagues, Saul helped to create a contemporary performing arts model which has since led to many graduates pursuing music and acting in both the collegiate and professional worlds.
After graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2017, Saul released his first EP Transitions with their label Oak Ring Records. Saul continues to release music with their jazz group: his second EP Renewal in April of 2018, and released a new single in collaboration with Bay Area vocalist/composer Rebecca Mimiaga entitled Autumn Has Come in the fall of 2019. They intend to release a new single Silver in 2027.
Saul completed their Master’s degree in Music Composition at Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2020. During their time in the program they premiered pieces for percussion trio, string quartet, two jazz fusion pieces, as well as theme songs for several podcasts. They began collaborating on a contemporary performance piece entitled Salvage Rituals that unfortunately was not able to premier due to the global pandemic. The music from that show continues to be collaborated on by members of the ensemble with hopes of recording and performing it in the coming years.
In 2018, Saul was diagnosed with ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) and FM (Fibromyalgia). In the subsequent years Saul’s health deteriorated to the point where they were physically unable to play or teach music anymore. In 2022, after finding some successful alternative treatments, Saul traveled to Mt. Shasta, CA to continue their healing journey. They began to regain their ability to play music again and finished recording an EP with a new group called The Shasta Trinity (with Mitchell Miller and Alyssa Narum), and released their first EP Songs From The Mountain 2024 and will release their second EP Eagle Point in 2026. They intend to release their first solo singer-songwriter EP in 2027.
They currently reside in Arcata, CA and offer bass performance/recording, song circles, and music lessons. They play with the Humboldt based band Harmonic Howl and also play solo singer songwriter shows. They play with the jazz group The Alley Cats and intend to reconstitute their own funk-jazz group in 2026. They are recently engaged to Singer-Songwriter Ruby Ruth George, play bass and sing withe them, and co-facilitate song circles/vocal workshops. They recently traveled with them to Nashville to record bass and co-produce their new album. As part of Saul’s healing journey they received treatments from an Amazonian frog secretion called Kambo and are now certified as a Kambo Practitioner through Kambo International. They have opened a practice in Arcata and also offer treatments while traveling for music offerings.