Home » Jazz Musicians » Phil Stewart
Phil Stewart
Grant Stewart: Next Spring
by Pierre Giroux
Grant Stewart's Next Spring reaffirms his position as a leading figure in the current mainstream jazz scene. With his strong tone and deeply swinging phrasing, Stewart again channels the legacies of Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker, and Joe Henderson, yet his voice remains distinctly his own. Recorded at the iconic Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, and supported by his longtime collaborators pianist Tardo Hammer, bassist Paul Sikivie, and drummer Phil Stewart, he crafts a set that feels both fresh ...
Continue ReadingGrant Stewart: Next Spring
by Jack Bowers
There aren't many jazz saxophonists who can hold the floor and the listener's ear through an entire album without ever sounding banal or redundant. Here is one who can. Next Spring is renowned tenor saxophonist Grant Stewart's fifth recording for Cory Weeds' Cellar Music Group, and if it includes any moments that are less than engaging, they are all but impossible to discern. Stewart's personal ingredient is consistency, an ability to conceive and convey fresh ideas in ...
Continue ReadingGrant Stewart: Rise and Shine
by C. Andrew Hovan
Over the past twenty-five years, the jazz world has seen its share of stylistic ups and downs. Often changing with chameleon-like character, the music's popularity has come and gone based on the trends of the time and the success of musicians capable of connecting with broader audiences beyond the established cognoscenti. In looking back at the year 1992, when Grant Stewart's debut release Downtown Sounds hit the streets, the range of material being offered by his peers spanned from Uri ...
Continue ReadingIntroducing Phil Stewart: Melodious Drum
by Jack Bowers
Cellar Live Records continues its run of admirable mainstream albums with Melodious Drum, Canadian-born and New York City-based Phil Stewart's debut as leader of his own groups, which range from trio to sextet. It's an interesting title, as Stewart's drums may be congenial but aren't melodious in the manner of, say, Jeff Hamilton, Ed Thigpen, Shelly Manne, Chico Hamilton or even Louie Bellson. He simply keeps very good time without excessive frills or flamboyance, while his solos are forceful yet ...
Continue Reading
