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Bob "Saloon" Stewart

BOB STEWART’S baritone embodies the warmth and understanding to turn the great standards of American music into poetic statements. But when his career was beginning to flower, the bloom was fading from his line of work. “I had been making the Down Beat polls of the leading 10 best male singers,” Stewart said the other day, ”Then Elvis came along and changed everything.” Not quite everything. Stewart has retained his vocal ability, which is apparent in his recordings and personal appearances. Until now, he didn’t fight what had become the steamrolling affect of rock-and-roll. Some others did, especially those who had achieved high profiles, such as Vic Damone, Tony Bennett and Jack Jones. But they struggled in a diminishing spotlight.

Stewart went fishing instead. “I always loved fishing and did it every chance I got,” he said, “I had been on boats since I was a little kid. So when rock- and - roll came in and singing jobs were harder and harder to find I decided to study for my Captain’s license. I eventually owned and operated a 90 foot charter boat and sailed daily from Sheepshead Bay, NY. The boat was called the“BIG CAPT BOB”.

A chance meeting with pianist Harold Danko one night in a downtown NYC night spot started Bob to thinking about resuming his singing career again.

“Harold asked me to sit in. I hadn’t appeared in person in years but I did it that night and everything seemed to come right back,” he said. “I had early training as a classical singer and when I graduated High School, I landed a job at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City with a 15 piece dance band. I went on with other bands and appeared in theaters and clubs throughout the USA and Europe. “I eventually went out on my own and went with MGM Records and recorded 12 sides for them. While on tour promoting one of my recordings I received an offer from WLW -TV in Cincinnati where I did some 12 live shows a week on radio and TV.”

Bob Stewart: I Concentrate On You

Read "I Concentrate On You" reviewed by Michael P. Gladstone

by Michael P. Gladstone
September 28, 2006

In 1956, Bob Stewart and the members of the Mat Mathews Quintet recorded twelve tracks at the New Jersey studio of Rudy Van Gelder. Let's Talk About Love, originally released on the Dawn label, was digitally remastered in 2005 and licensed to Fresh Sound Records, now called simply Bob Stewart. Listening to this music from fifty years ago, one hears a first-rate jazz crooner. Stewart's voice has deepened since this recording, as his 1990s albums, largely on his own VWC ...

154

Album Review

The 4 Most/Bob Stewart: The 4 Most/Bob Stewart

Read "The 4 Most/Bob Stewart" reviewed by Michael P. Gladstone

by Michael P. Gladstone
October 6, 2005

The first half of this CD consists of a previously released Dawn album from 1956 called The 4 Most Sing The Arrangements of Joe Derise. The 4 Most was a vocal group quartet that consisted of Al Evans, Chuck Sedacca, Joe Derise and Marv Falcon, supported here by an octet that included Dick Sherman, Gene Quill, Al Cohn, Hank Jones, and others. The 4 Most's style was very reminiscent of the Four Freshmen/Hi-Lo school of jazz vocal harmony, and especially ...

173

Album Review

Bob Stewart: Love Songs

by Jack Bowers
September 1, 2002

Bob Stewart is a talented singer, a throwback to such crooners of the '40s and '50s as Dick Haymes, Buddy Clark, the Eberle (Eberly) brothers and their musical cousins. The voice is clear and pleasant, midway between tenor and baritone, the lyric interpretation forthright and unvarnished. The liner notes say Stewart has been compared to Sinatra and Tormé, but that may be stretching things a bit. He's closer to Vic Damone, but even here the gulf between them is wide. ...

181

Album Review

Bob Stewart/Hank Jones: Take Two

by Dave Nathan
October 1, 2000

P>Bob Stewart's third album for the VWC label is a compilation of two sessions recorded at the Rudy Van Gelder studios in 1986 and 1990. Stewart is a bit of an anomaly on today's singing scene in that he is a saloon singer, which can be best described as the male counterpart of the female cabaret singer. He has those mannerisms go with this style of singing, like the small, extra surprise vocal annotations appended to the end of a ...

185

Album Review

Bob Stewart: Then & Now

Read "Then & Now" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
March 1, 2000

Bob Stewart is one of a select few who have catapulted the tuba into more of a prominent role within jazz and modern music circles. With that, Stewart enlists a mighty impressive cast of jazz musicians along with the legendary folk-blues singer/songwriter, Taj Mahal on Then & Now.

Stewart handles the bottom end without the utilization or perhaps, requirements of a bassist as he drives the band forward on “Hambone” which is a New Orleans style R&B/Funk number featuring brassy ...

Video / DVD

Bob Florence Limited Edition: Tribute

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
March 26, 2025

Bob Florence was a monster arranger, composer and pianist whose big bands were on par with the best of them in the late 1950s and beyond. Unfortunately, he didn't have a high enough profile for household recognition. Nevertheless, Florence's charts had the kick of a mule and plenty of swing. On June 15, 2008, a month after he passed away, his band got together at the Catalina Bar and Grill in Hollywood to pay tribute to their late leader. Here's ...
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Recording

Bob James And Dave Koz Team Up On Duets Album, Just Us, Set For March 7 Release

Source: Dave Koz
March 1, 2025

Just Us – An Intimate Evening Of Songs And Stories – Kicks Off On March 13 With Sold-Out Show In Traverse City, MI, James’ Hometown Contemporary jazz icons Bob James and Dave Koz mark a unique milestone in both their careers with the aptly titled duo album Just Us, scheduled for release on March 7 via Just Koz Entertainment. A piano and saxophone only collection of fresh originals and colorful re-imaginings of Great American Songbook standards, its inspired format—sans the ...
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Music Industry

Bob Holz Signs With SoVibe Entertainment

Source: Bob Holz
October 27, 2024

New album featuring and honoring guitar legend Larry Coryell due out in 2025. MVD Audio Recording Artist Bob Holz has joined the roster of artists represented by SoVibe Entertainment, a jazz oriented booking agency.Jazz fusion drummer and composer Bob Holz recently teamed up with Ellis White, president of SoVibe Entertainment to begin booking Holz's two bands, A Vision Forward and Bob Holz Fusion Collaborative. Talent Buyers can now contact SoVibe Entertainment to obtain booking information regarding Bob Holz. Additionally, Bob ...
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Recording

Drummer Bob Holz Releases New Album 'Holz-Stathis: Collaborative' Featuring John McLaughlin, Jean-Luc Ponty, Darryl Jones And Randy Brecker

Source: Glass Onyon PR - Keith James
January 16, 2024

Jazz fusion drummer and composer Bob Holz released his sixth album Holz-Stathis: Collaborative. on MVD Audio. Joining Holz on the album are John McLaughlin, Jean-Luc Ponty, Darryl Jones, Randy Brecker, Elliott Yamin, Alex Acuna, Airto Moreira, Brandon Fields, Ralphe Armstrong, Billy Steinway, Dean Brown, Ric Fierabracci, Jamie Glaser, Ada Rovatti, {{Karen Briggs, Diana Purim, Ben Shepherd and Frank Stepanek. The album features twelve new original tunes penned by Holz, Steinway and Brown. Rob Stathis is the Executive Producer. The album ...
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Performance / Tour

World-Renowned Smoke Jazz Club Announces October Line-up Including The Goldings/Bernstein/Stewart Trio, Pianist Jacky Terrasson, Trombonist Steve Davis, Saxophonist Melissa Aldana, And More

Source: AMT Public Relations
August 30, 2023

Rated the #1 Jazz Club in New York City (Secret NYC), Smoke Jazz Club welcomes a few of today’s leading Trios to the stage in October. For the first time in 30 years, the Goldings/Bernstein/Stewart Trio returns to SMOKE for a highly-anticipated, long overdue, four-night run (Oct 12-15). Pianist Jacky Terrasson makes a rare New York City appearance with his exciting trio with bassist Kenny Davis and drummer Alvester Garnett (Oct 19-22). The month ends with the master trombonist Steve ...
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Recording

Louis Stewart: Out on His Own

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
February 28, 2023

One of my favorite jazz guitar albums has been reissued. Out on His Own was recorded by Irish guitarist Louis Stewart in Bray, Ireland, between November 1976 and January 1977. Instead of one Louis, you get two. It's a solo album but he accompanies himself by overdubbing on eight of the album's original 13 tracks. The reissue, by Livia Records, has been remastered and includes six bonus tracks and a fabulous 16-page booklet. Oliver Dowling, a friend in Dublin, knew ...
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Recording

Landmark Album From Jazz Guitar Legend Louis Stewart Re-Issued

Source: Dermot Rogers
January 23, 2023

Out on His Own, the 1977 solo album by Louis Stewart—Ireland’s major contribution to world class jazz guitar playing—is to be reissued on the reactivated Livia Records on February 24. Recorded when Stewart was playing at his formidable peak and alternating between touring with saxophonist and legendary jazz club owner Ronnie Scott and making trips back to play in packed Dublin clubs bars, Out on His Own is aptly named. Tracks feature Stewart playing alone and to his own rhythm ...
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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Bob Brookmeyer

Source: Michael Ricci
December 19, 2022

All About Jazz is celebrating Bob Brookmeyer's birthday today!

Bob Brookmeyer has an unusually varied and extensive background in all forms of improvised and composed music. He was born December 19, 1929, attended Kansas City Conservatory of Music where he won the Carl Busch Prize for Choral Composition. He arrived in New York playing piano with Mel Lewis and Tex Benecke, staying there to perform the music of Eddie Sauter with Ray McKinley, free lancing with musicians such as Coleman ...
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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Bob Cranshaw

Source: Michael Ricci
December 10, 2022

All About Jazz is celebrating Bob Cranshaw's birthday today!

Bob Cranshaw has been the bassist of choice for Sonny Rollins since 1959. Their forty-seven-year collaboration is the subject of a new video on Sonny's website, “Bob Cranshaw and Sonny Rollins, The First Gig." Created by Bret Primack, it features interviews with both Rollins and Cranshaw . Exclusive performance footage includes excerpts from The Sonny Rollins Group in Concert back in April in California. The content is also available as an ...
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Music Industry

Jazz Fusion Artist Bob Holz Releases New Single Featuring Former Members Of Spyro Gyra And Jean Luc Ponty Band

Source: Glass Onyon PR - Keith James
November 24, 2022

Jazz fusion drummer Bob Holz released a new single titled “Bob's Blues" on November 15th, 2022. The track was recorded at Catalina Bar and Grill in Hollywood, CA and features Holz (drums/composer), Ralphe Armstrong (bass), Chet Catallo (guitar), Billy Steinway (piano) and Dave Goldberg (saxophone). The tune explores Holz's love of blending jazz fusion with smooth jazz elements to create a radio friendly atmosphere. "A live audience's participation charges our performance and results in the band locking into the zone ...
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“…Bob Stewart’s sound is like the softest velvet. He created a lush seductive moment. His treatment of lyrics has the touch of a master!” …MARTIN SCHAEFFER, VARIETY

“…he is one of the great straight - ahead jazz singers of our time!” …JERRY L. ATKINS - KTXK, FM, TEXARKANA, TX

“…they have just about all gone. All the great singers, Crosby, Sinatra, Haymes, Eckstine and so many more that were literate and meaningful. Almost all gone but we nostalgics still have Bob Stewart!” …KEN MEADES, jazz [email protected]

“…Rod Stewart, Cindy Lauper and others are turning to the “Great American Song Book” because it contains some of the best popular songs ever written. But Bob Stewart got there first, knows them inside out and has the type voice that they were written for!”…RON BIERMAN, RAMBLES