Search - Grant Stewart :: Grant Stewart Plays The Music Of Duke Ellington And Billy Strayhorn

Stewart, Ellington & Strayhorn - A Perfect Match

John Tapscott | Canada | 06/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Several years ago, Grant Stewart made his first recording for Sharp Nine on the Planet Jazz "In Orbit" CD. One of Stewart's strong and ear-catching solos was on Ellington's "Dual Highway." On that tune Stewart showed an affinity for Ellington's music which one sensed would lead to the present CD, Stewart's third as a leader for Sharp Nine.



For "Plays the Music of..." Grant Stewart has chosen eight gems from the vast Ellington/Strayhorn repertoire. Most of the tunes are well-known to jazz fans (with a couple of lesser played exceptions), but overall the music sounds very fresh. Stewart seems inspired by the musical material and puts his personal stamp on all these beautifully recorded performances. The program is very well-balanced, opening with a strong and swinging "Raincheck". "Tonight I Shall Sleep" and "The Star-Crossed Lovers" are on the ballad side of the ledger. "Angelica" starts out over a semi-bossa nova beat but soon turns into a straight-ahead swinger. "I Let A Song" and "Something to Live For" swing hard; "It Don't Mean A Thing" is a romp at a race horse tempo. The program closes with the easy swinging "Feeling of Jazz," which lives up to its title perfectly. The band on the date (Tardo Hammer on piano, Paul Gill on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums) is well known to Sharp Nine listeners and of course, to Stewart himself. The band really digs into these timeless Ellington/Strayhorn classics and accompanies Stewart perfectly.



Stewart's tenor sound has become quite personal, combining Rollins, Mobley, and even a touch of Paul Gonsalves. Stewart's sound is unlike the hard-edged sound of many of many modern tenor players. Instead, he has developed a full and rounded tone, with just a hint of breathiness that is most pleasing to the ear. "Plays the Music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn" confirms that over the past decade Grant Stewart has matured into one of the strongest tenor players in straight-ahead jazz.



In summary, it's hard to imagine any way in which this satisfying and highly recommended recording could be improved upon. The tune selection, the pacing, the tempos, the sound quality and the overall production are impeccable. Grant Stewart, Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn are a perfect match."

Wow !!!!!!!!!!!!

Robert I. Bloom | brooklyn, ny USA | 12/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"this cd is so amazing i got goose bumps from the first lush note ! first off the sound quality is so brilliant and rich my speakers are like whoa bro !!!! yeah ! so what we have here are prob the best & freshest practitioners of the greatest music ever written----playing to my ears/heart/soul the best most satisfying swinging music ever written..with all this ...is the out of this world brilliance a surprise ?? yes !! still yes !!!! why..because.....to hear something as classy as this as beautiful.its a kind of shock in the sense that u are immediately aware u are hearing something like u have never quite heard before-- a level that raises the bar on what u are experiencing..hearing.. an epiphany is what it is.a downright religious experience......the second tune on here I'm talking about specifically while listening to it now. grants rich tone and seemingly selfless purity of what hes playing and the smooth flowing expression of each note and phrase is so brilliant it literally takes yer breath away-- the song is so incredible on its own,, another welcoming part of grants brilliance is of course his impeccable choice of tunes...let alone the perfection of genius he imbues them w.technique sense of swing etc..which is an internal/integral part of everything he does. this song unwinds and i have to keep repeating it just to re experience what i cant believe i just heard...phrasing of such continued easy going richness words cant really describe it of course-- its like someone whispering the most beautiful thing u have ever heard right in yer ear right to yer heart in one flowing breath...this album is a whole new level of mastery ... i've had this whole album on repeat for hours now and find myself knocked out each time by what i am hearing.... .shocking in its singularity of perfection.....the rich tone of grants steady flowing music is incredible--....the musicians along w him are , arguably perhaps , the best of a large crop of really amazing swinging cats who play regularly in the two hottest jazz clubs in nyc-- in the west village near the vanguard ..smalls and around the corner fat cats.. w this out of this world confluence of genius u also get great liner notes wich spell out Grant's PEDIGREE.. A Father WHO TAUGHT ENGLISH LOVED JAZZ AND Imbued In HIS SON * sons i should say- re grants brother stewart a great drummer on the scene too ) they grew up heaRING BIRD DIZ ETC AND DAD would transcribe this heady stuff for him to learn and play.hearing it learning it playing it like other kids are riding bikes or whatever----this guy was fed the right stuff obviously and very well indeed.. and the fathers fire for it the seeds he planted have taken major root and are blossoming now beyond all measure..grants appearance in nyc at the time smalls was getting underway.gave this master in the making the place to really wail and hone what we have here..something i have never quite heard before a new level of perfection that is the sweetest ive ever had the pleasure of hearing ...if yer hip to the hippest of the hip....yer officially advised !! get in on this one !!!! i cant write any more..i just have to lie down close my eyes and listen!!!"

Great recording

P. Yu | Houston, TX United States | 04/11/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the best recordings I have ever listened to. Feels he is playing right in front of you."