Dave Stewart isn't just a musician whose credits include a Grammy Award-winning band (Eurythmics), or just a producer whose credits include Stevie Nicks, Joss Stone, Tom Petty, Bono and Bob Dylan, or just a filmmaker whose worked on films with Robert Altman, Paul Verhoven and Ted Demme.

Dave Stewart is the definition of a multimedia entrepreneur, with all of these credits and he has written a book, “The Business Playground: Where Creativity and Commerce Collide.” He is also co-founder of three different creative consultancies, founder of the Rock Fabulous brand of mens' and womens' clothing, and founder of Weapons of Mass Entertainment, a company the LA Times calls “a media company for the new world.” He is also holder of the unique title “Change Agent” for Nokia, the world's largest manufacturer of mobile phones.

All this has kept Stewart a busy man for the last 25 years or so, and it's amazing that with all of this he still managed to find time to record his own solo album, albeit his first in 13 years, titled “The Blackbird Diaries,” in stores Aug. 24. It started with a guitar once owned by Texas singer/songwriter Red River Dave that he purchased at a shop in London, and ended with a whirlwind five-day recording session at Blackbird Studios, owned by John and Martina McBride, who does a guest appearance on the album along with Stevie Nicks, The Secret Sisters and Colbie Caillat.

The album is an astonishing work of art, with songs ranging in style from hard rockers to country two-steppers, from Beatlesque pop tunes to heart-wrenching ballads. Recorded live in the studio with A-list players like Chad Cromwell (Neil Young, CSN) on drums, Michael Rhodes (Randy Travis, Dixie Chicks, etc.) on bass, Dan Dugmore (Linda Ronstadt, David Crosby, etc.) on pedal steel and lap steel guitar, Tom Bukovac (Faith Hill, Sheryl Crow, etc.) on electric guitar and Mike Rojas (Ricky Skaggs, Hank Jr., etc.) on keyboards, “Blackbird Diaries” is an exciting, three-dimensional trip into Stewart's delightfully twisted mind, and a thrilling listen from start to finish.