Jazz
Alec Wilder - Composer
Barry Harris - Composer
Bill Engvick - Composer
Dizzy Gillespie - Composer
Duke Ellington - Composer
Gil Fuller - Composer
Gilad Edelman - Liner Notes, Photography
Grant Stewart - Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)
Harold Arlen - Composer
Joe Marciano - Engineer, Mixing
John Abbott - Photography
Johnny Mercer - Composer
Judy Lamirand - Graphic Design
Marc Edelman - Producer
Mike Marciano - Mastering
Peter Bernstein - Guitar
Peter Washington - Bass
Phil Stewart - Drums
Ray Evans - Composer
Tadd Dameron - Composer
Ted Koehler - Composer
The man with the big sound, tenor titan G. Stewart, returns to Sharp Nine Records for his fourth release with a new weapon in his arsenal: he's added the soprano saxophone to his repertoire and the results are exceptional. His soprano rendition of Ray Evan's lesser-known gem Maybe September is a true highlight of the date. Stewart also busts loose on high speed tenor romps through Get Happy and Something's Gotta Give. Another new element of this recording is the inclusion of Peter Bernstein, one of jazz guitar's consummate pros. Bernstein provides the harmonic underpinning and stellar solos to make this a winning date. The jazz world is slowly waking up to the fact that Grant Stewart is among the very finest saxophonists on the scene. This recording will no doubt add to his admirers.
G. Stewart is a solid mainstream tenor saxophonist who has proven himself to be well-versed in the jazz canon over his many albums as a leader. After recording several CDs for Sharp Nine with a traditional piano trio, Stewart opted for different backing for this 2010 session, with guitarist Peter Bernstein, bassist Peter Washington (who has recorded more than once with him), and drummer Phil Stewart. Opening with a nimble, hard-blowing bop setting of the the old 1920s war horse "Get Happy," Stewart switches to soprano sax for Tadd Dameron's infrequently performed "The Scene Is Clean," cooling things off a bit. There are several less familiar songs, including a robust interpretation of Alec Wilder's "That's My Girl," a snappy take of Duke Ellington's "Blue Rose" (which also showcases Washington to good effect), and pianist Barry Harris' cheerful bop vehicle "Around the Corner." Stewart again switches to soprano for a heartfelt rendition of the bittersweet ballad "Maybe September." Highly recommended. ~ Ken Dryden, Rovi
Grant Stewart
Active Decades: '90s and '00s
Born: Jun 04, 1971 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Neo-Bop, Straight-Ahead Jazz
Toronto native G. Stewart is a hard-swinging tenor saxophonist steeped in the jazz tradition. Introduced to jazz by his part-time jazz guitarist father, Stewart grew up listening to such legendary saxophonists as Charlie Parker, Wardell Gray, and others. By his early teens, Stewart had already found performance experience with such artists as Pat La Barbera and Bob Mover, and at age 19 moved to New York City. Since that time, Stewart has performed with a bevy of well-known jazz musicians, including Clark Terry, Brad Mehldau, Curtis Fuller, and many others. On his own, Stewart has released a handful of recordings, including 1992's Downtown Sounds, 1999's Buen Rollo, 2005's Grant Stewart + 4, 2007's In the Still of the Night, and 2009's Plays the Music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn.
---Matt Collar, All Music Guide |
