Grant Stewart, saxo
Nacido en Toronto, Canadá, en 1971, Grant Stewart se inició en la música de Charlie Parker, Wardell Gray y Coleman Hawkins gracias a su padre, profesor de inglés en un instituto, y guitarrista semi-profesional. Su primer instrumento fué el saxo alto: padre e hijo ensayaron juntos durante mucho tiempo, hasta que, a los 14 años, Grant fué invitado a trabajar en la orquesta de Pete Schofield, A los 17 años, Grant cambió el alto por el tenor y, al poco tiempo, estaba ya trabajando junto a maestros de la talla de Pat LaBarbara ó Bob Mover. De hecho, Stewart considera a Bob Mover como uno de sus mentores más importantes, y uno de los que más ha influenciado, junto a Sonny Rollins, Don Byas y Lester Young, en su estilo.
Desde que se trasladó a New York a la edad de 19 años, Grant tuvo ocasión de estudiar con Donald Byrd, Barry Harris, y Joe Lovano, y trabajó junto a Curtis Fuller, John Hendricks, Clark Terry, Etta Jones, Bill Charlap, Frank Gant, Bob Mover, Brad Mehldau, Russell Malone, Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Jimmy Cobb, Mickey Roker, Arthur Harper, Jimmy Lovelace, y Cecil Payne, y fué miembro del último sexteto dirigido por el trombonista Al Grey antes de su desaparición.
Grant Stewart ha trabajado regularmente en los mejores Clubs de New York, como Birdland, The Jazz Standard, Visiones, Smalls, Fat Cat, etc. Ha efectuado gras por Europa, Japón, Brasil y Taiwan y fué uno de los primeros músicos de Jazz en dar conciertos en los museos L’Hermitage de San Petesburgo y Guggenheim de New York.
Entre sus grabaciones podemos destacar Downtown Sounds (1992) (seleccionado por Geoff Chapman, del Toronto Star, como uno de los cinco mejores discos del año), More Urban Tones, The Awakening (junto a Ryan Kisor), Wailin’ (2005), (junto a Eric Alexander), Grant Stewart + 4 (2005), para la productora holandesa Criss Cross, y Buen Rollo, grabado para Fresh Sound Record.
Nascut a Toronto (Canadà) al 1971, Grant Stewart es va iniciar en la música de Charlie Parker, Wardell Gray i Coleman Hawkins gràcies al seu pare, professor d’anglès en un institut, i guitarrista semi-professional. El seu primer instrument va ser el saxo alt: pare i fill van assajar junts durant molt temps fins que, als 14 anys, Grant va ser convidat a treballar en l’orquestra de Pete Schofield. Als 17 anys, Grant va canviar l’alt pel tenor, i al poc temps, estava ja treballant al costat de mestres de la talla de Pat LaBarbara o Bob Moure. De fet, Stewart considera a Bob Moure com un dels seus mentors més importants, i un dels que més ha influenciat, al costat de Sonny Rollins, Don Byas i Lester Young, en el seu estil.
Es trasllada a Nova York a l’edat de 19 anys, on Grant va tenir ocasió d’estudiar amb Donald Byrd, Barry Harris, i Joe Lovano, i va treballar al costat de Curtis Fuller, John Hendricks, Clark Terry, Etta Jones, Bill Charlap, Frank Gant, Bob Moure, Brad Mehldau, Russell Malone, Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Jimmy Cobb, Mickey Roker, Arthur Harper, Jimmy Lovelace, i Cecil Payne, i va ser membre de l’últim sextet dirigit pel trombonista Al Grey abans de la seva desaparició.
Grant Stewart ha treballat regularment en els millors Clubs de Nova York, com Birdland, The Jazz Standard, Visions, Smalls, Fat Cat, etc. Ha efectuat gires per Europa, Japó, Brasil i Taiwan, i va ser un dels primers músics de Jazz en oferir concerts en els museus L’Hermitage de Sant Petesburgo i Guggenheim de Nova York.
Entre els seus enregistraments podem destacar Downtown Sounds (1992) (seleccionat per Geoff Chapman del Toronto Star, com un dels cinc millors discos de l’any), More Urban Tones, The Awakening (al costat de Ryan Kisor), Wailin (2005), (al costat de Eric Alexander), Grant Stewart+4 (2005), per a la productora holandesa Criss Cross, i Buen Rollo, gravat para Fresh Sound Record.
Born in Toronto, Canada on June 4, 1971 , Grant Stewart was exposed as a young child to the music of Charlie Parker, Wardell Gray and Coleman Hawkins by his father, a high-school English teacher and semiprofessional guitarist. Father and son often played together for hours on end. It was through these early experiences and his father’s encouragement that Stewart first developed a strong ear for melody, style, and improvisation. He began with the alto saxophone at age 10, and at 14 his first teacher, noted Toronto bandleader Pete Schofield, invited him to play professionally in Scofield’s Big Band. At 17 he switched to the tenor saxophone and was soon playing with such master saxophonists as Pat Labarbara and Bob Mover. Stewart considers Mover to be one of his greatest teachers and among his strongest influences along with Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Don Byas, and Lester Young.
Since moving to New York City at the age of 19, Stewart has studied with such masters as Donald Byrd, Barry Harris, and Joe Lovano, and performed with Curtis Fuller, John Hendricks, Clark Terry, Etta Jones, Bill Charlap, Frank Gant, Bob Mover, Brad Mehldau, Russell Malone, Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Jimmy Cobb, Mickey Roker, Arthur Harper, Jimmy Lovelace, Cecil Payne, and was a member of the last Al Grey Sextet. Stewart can be found playing at such clubs in NY as, Birdland, The Jazz Standard, Visiones, Smalls and can be heard every Tuesday night at Fat Cats Jazz Club. Stewart has performed all over North America and Europe as well as Japan , Brazil , Taiwan and was one of the first jazz artists to be invited to play at the historical Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg , Russia . Grant was also a featured artist at the Guggenheim Museum ’s Jazz series with his trio-featuring Jimmy Cobb.
Stewart has two releases as a leader out on Criss Cross, Downtown Sounds (1992) and More Urban Tones, as well as one on the Fresh Sound label entitled Buen Rollo . Geoff Chapman, of the Toronto Star selected Downtown Sounds as one of the Top Five Jazz Albums of 1994.
2005 will see the appearance of two new recordings on the Criss-Cross label: Wailin’, by a two-tenor quintet Grant co-leads with Eric Alexander, as well as Grant’s latest quintet release featuring Bill Charlap and Joe Cohn.
You can also hear Grant on Ryan Kisor’s recent release The Awakening, also on Criss Cross Jazz.
http://www.grantstewartjazz.com/
