
How would you like to have some of the most recorded musicians in the country playing on your album? How would you like to have the WSA, or even just your favourite WSA member backing you on your next recording project? We can make that happen! Just drop us a line at westernswingauthority@rogers.com and we can set up remote overdub sessions and even a full band session off the floor. Technology has allowed us to record with people all over the world. It's easy and economical.
The Western Swing Authority is made up of some of Canada's top studio and touring players. This is nothing new to us. We have all been doing it for years! Have the same players that helped track hits by artists like Gordon Lightfoot, Ian Tyson, George Canyon, John Cowan, Michelle Wright, Jason McCoy and Jason Blaine and many more.
Check out each individual member below.
Five time CCMA Fiddle Player of The Year, Shane Guse has become a top call musician on stage, radio, television, in studio and beyond. His album credits include many award winning projects, and some of the most played songs on Canadian Country radio. Most recently Shane can be seen performing with numerous Canadian Country artists, including JUNO and CCMA winners Dean Brody, George Canyon, Jason McCoy and Jason Blaine and has performed with pop superstars such as Richard Marx and Colin James, as well as Western Swing Hall of Fame inductee Carolyn Martin. Some of his most memorable shows have been performing on the legendary Grand ole Opry, playing overseas in Kandahar for the UN troops and at the the CMA Music festival in Nashville. He is a featured performer on CMT and can be seen in several specials and videos. Shane is the founding member and leader of the Canadian Roots “super-group”, The Western Swing Authority. This multi-award winning group is made up of some of Canada's top touring and studio musicians, whose critically acclaimed albums are enjoying airplay in 17 countries all around the world.
Shane is the Canadian Country Music Association Fiddle Player of the Year for 2010, 2011,2014,2016 and 2017 and has 20 other CCMA nominations to his credit. He has also received, 3 Country Music Association of Ontario Awards (2014, 2015 Roots Artist, 2015 Group of the Year), an Academy of Western Artists Award (Best Western Swing Band 2014) and is a two time Independent Music Award winner.
Shane plays a Barry Dudley 5-string fiddle, uses D'Addario strings, uses LR Baggs pick ups and pre amps and plays a Stonebridge Mandolins and Guitars.
Stacey Lee began singing before she could speak. Naturally, her life has been embedded in performing ever since.
A highly accomplished session vocalist and live performer, Stacey Lee has added her creative touches on several world class stages, albums, radio and television themes and has enjoyed working many renowned producers, including David Foster, J. Richard Hutt, Jason Barry.
She is the featured vocalist of the Canadian swing supergroup, The Western Swing Authority . They are the the CMAO ( Country Music Association of Ontario) Roots Artist and Group of the Year for 2015, and have been graced with nominations and acclaim all across Canada, and worldwide for their excellent musicianship, songwriting and performance. With them she performs an eclectic mix of Western swing, jazz and traditional country standards and original “ new classics”.The band is rounded out with 6 more of Canada's finest musicians, including her husband, three time CCMA Fiddle Player of the year, Shane Guse.
Along with her work with the "WSA”, she has shared the stage and studio with numerous other Canadian artists including Jason McCoy of The Road Hammers (featured on his single, "I Lie”), Jason Blaine, Tim Hicks, Chad Brownlee, Deric Ruttan, Michelle Wright, and the Good Brothers, to name but a few.
As a former member of Juno-nominated country sensation, LACE, Stacey Lee had the opportunity to tour all across Canada, the U.S. and into Europe, performing as a part of the George Strait Country Music Festival, the Calgary Stampede and many other North American music festivals. She has shared the stage with legendary artists including Merle Haggard and The Nitty Gritty Dirt band. Stacey Lee can be seen on CMT in videos and specials with Lace, and also with John Landry, singing their CCMA nominated duet “My Heart Says Yes (But The Hurt Says No)”
Along with performing, she is thrilled to be teaching her two amazing girls that dreams really can come true.
Ed (whose nickname ‘Pee Wee Charles’ comes from his 16-year stint with Gordon Lightfoot’s band) is a master of the pedal steel guitar.
He’s so good, in fact, that he has been nominated for Steel Player of the Year by the Canadian Country Music Association over 10 years and took home the award in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016.
However, prior to working with some of the biggest names in Canadian music, such as Anne Murray, George Fox and Jim Witter, Ed was a member of Ian Tyson’s band, Great Speckled Bird, which performed on The Ian Tyson show on CTV for four years.
After the show was cancelled, Gordon Lightfoot recruited Ed for his own band. He toured with Gordon from 1975 to 1989 but his home base remained in Waterloo Region, which is where he raised his family and lives with his wife, Kathy of 37 years.
Ed’s work is in high demand. Once he was unable to do an Eagles session when their recording dates conflicted with Gordon Lightfoot’s tour schedule.
His work has been used in everything from radio jingles to movie scores and studio recordings with Jamie Warren, Beverly MaHood, Jim Witter, John Landry, Shane Yellowbird, Jason Blaine & so many more. In addition, playing with The Western Swing Authority, comprised of studio players, recreating the sounds of the southern dance halls from the 1930'3and 1940's. Ed is presently playing & recording with Juno and CCMA award-winning country singer George Canyon & once again nominated for CCMA Steel Player of the Year.
Paul Chapman began strumming a guitar at age 10. His first public performance was that same year in 1978 when he played for a school concert in Frobisher Bay on Baffin Island in Canada's Arctic. The following year, after moving to Sudbury Ontario, he began flat picking bluegrass tunes by ear. He joined in many jam sessions at bluegrass festivals in Ontario and in the United States and at age 13 also took up the mandolin and joined his dad in a bluegrass band. Then it was on to the electric guitar. Over the next couple of years his playing was influenced by players as diverse as guitarists James Burton, Albert Lee, Joe Satriani, Tony Rice, David Grisman and composer JS Bach.
Then at age 16, Paul auditioned for a country band and got his first job playing electric guitar in bars in Sudbury, often doing his high school homework between sets. Soon he was also playing in his high school band and teaching guitar at a local music studio. By the time he was 21 he decided it was time to try his luck in the United States and moved to Los Angeles. Soon he arrived he was playing in the famous Palomino Club subbing for Jerry Donahue and was hired to be part of a touring band. It wasn't long before he was recording for composer Jerry Fuller's studio with some of LA's most well known musicians. This led to playing on the soundtrack for the NBC- network TV series "Hot Country Nights". Paul spent 5 years in the US, recording and touring with different bands and developing his style of playing.
In addition to his own unique style, Paul 's ability as an all-round guitarist attracted a lot of attention. When he returned to Canada he quickly found work with many of Canada's most well-known recording studios He has recorded and performed for George Fox, Jason McCoy, Lace, Beverley Mahood, Julian Austin, Susan Aglukark, Lisa Brokop, Aaron Pritchett, Chris Cummings, Diane Chase, the Arrogant Worms, John Landry, Michelle Wright and the Wilkinsons and many others. Paul's dazzling guitar work has been seen by audiences in every part of Canada and in Brazil and Australia.
Paul Chapman has recenty completed an instructional guitar DVD that features his world class playing techniques, visit www.chappy.cc to order. Paul is also available for session work via the internet.