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Grant Stewart

Born in Toronto, Canada on June 4, 1971, Grant Stewart was exposed 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 when he was 14 his first teacher, noted Toronto bandleader Pete Schofield, invited him to play professionally in Schofield'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, Dan Barrett, Bob Mover, Brad Mehldau, Russell Malone, Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Jimmy Cobb, Harry Connick , Harold Mabern, Mickey Roker, Arthur Harper, Jimmy Lovelace, Cecil Payne, Dick Hyman, Herb Geller and was a member of the last Al Grey Sextet.

Stewart can be found playing at such clubs in NY as, Birdland, Smoke, The Ketano, The Jazz Standard, Fat Cat and can be heard every Tuesday night at Smalls 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.Petersberg Russia. Grant was also a featured artist at the Guggenheim Museums' Jazz series with his trio-featuring Jimmy Cobb.

Stewart has two releases as a leader out on Criss Cross, Downtown Sounds and More Urban Tones, as well as a third on the Fresh Sounds label entitled Buen Rollo. Downtown Sounds, heralded by critics in the U.S., Canada and Europe, was recorded in 1992 and includes Brad Mehldau, piano, Kenny Washington, drums, Peter Washington, bass and Joe Magnarelli, trumpet. Geoff Chapman, of the Toronto Star selected Downtown Sounds as one of the Top Five Jazz Albums of 1994.

More Urban Tones features Peter Bernstein, guitar, Peter Washington, bass, and Billy Drummond, drums. You can also hear Grant on Ryan Kisors' recent Quintet release The Awakening on Criss Cross Jazz. One of his latest projects is a two-tenor group co-led with Eric Alexander. The C.D.is called Wailin' and is available on Criss Cross. Grant's latest quintet release Estate featuring Bill Charlap and Joe Cohn is available on Criss Cross as well.

Reeds and Deeds: Cookin'

by C. Andrew Hovan
February 22, 2024

Chances are that if you're reading these notes right now you're more than a bit familiar with the talents of tenor saxophonists Eric Alexander and Grant Stewart and might even have picked up Wailin' (Criss 1258), their first effort together leading a quintet billed as Reeds and Deeds. As such, it would probably be redundant to go into detailed biographical sketches of each of these men. Suffice it to say that Alexander just might be one of the most recorded ...

Album Review

Mike Melito: To Swing Is The Thing

Read "To Swing Is The Thing" reviewed by David A. Orthmann

by David A. Orthmann
July 24, 2023

A sense of discovery, exhilaration, and depth are not qualities often induced by recent jazz recordings that showcase some of the once innovative, now commonplace styles from the mid-to-late twentieth century. There is no shortage of less-than-stellar releases that land squarely inside the bop/hard bop continuum. One notable exception to the abundance of mere competence is the body of work of drummer Mike Melito. Beginning in the late twentieth century, Melito has led several impressive recording dates ...

Album Review

The Harry Allen Orchestra: With Roses

Read "With Roses" reviewed by Pierre Giroux

by Pierre Giroux
July 5, 2023

Harry Allen is a tenor saxophonist's tenor saxophonist with an elegant tone and swinging style in the manner of Scott Hamilton, Lester Young or Ben Webster. He has a well-rounded discography of over 70 releases as a leader and many others as a sideman. Over the course of his prolific career, Allen has appeared with the likes of Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett, James Taylor and guitarists Bucky Pizzarelli and John Pizzarelli. In this release, With Roses, Allen applies his considerable ...

Liner Notes

Ryan Kisor: Awakening

by C. Andrew Hovan
June 24, 2023

A man of few words, Ryan Kisor chooses to let his horn do the speaking and obviously it has said volumes over the years when you consider that the trumpeter is one of a select few musicians who has managed to sustain a viable career past the heydays of the jazz renaissance of the '80s and early '90s. Even when given the opportunity to elaborate on his most recent musical endeavors, Kisor states quite simply, “I'm pretty much just doing ...

Album Review

Mike Melito: To Swing Is The Thing

Read "To Swing Is The Thing" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
June 8, 2023

The leader of any group whose credo is To Swing Is the Thing had best enlist some hired hands whose propensity to swing is sure and steady, regardless of mood or tempo. Veteran drummer Mike Melito's talented quintet runs that course without breaking a sweat, lending Melito all the help he needs to keep his eighth album as leader bright and swinging from start to finish. Trumpeter Joe Magnarelli and tenor saxophonist Grant Stewart, past masters to ...

Album Review

MIke Melito: To Swing Is The Thing

Read "To Swing Is The Thing" reviewed by Pierre Giroux

by Pierre Giroux
June 4, 2023

Rochester NY native Mike Melito is an fine drummer who has been active on the jazz scene for many years. His whose drumming style was inspired by Roy McCurdy, who was an integral part of the jazz groups fronted by both Nat Adderley and Julian Cannonball" Adderley. With a wide-ride cymbal beat and fluid phrasing, Melito's drumming style shows to full effect on To Swing Is The Thing. Joining him are several standout New York-based musicians including tenor saxophonist Grant ...

Liner Notes

Grant Stewart: Rise and Shine

by C. Andrew Hovan
January 30, 2023

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 ...

Recording

Grant Stewart: Our Man in Uruguay

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
January 14, 2013

Last week, Grant Stewart sent along a lengthy email from Uruguay, where he was performing at the Punta Del Este International Jazz Festival. I've known Grant for five years—my first liner notes were written for his album Young at Heart (Sharp Nine). When I saw him recently and he told me he was heading down to Uruguay, I asked him to send along an email that I could share with you: Hi Marc, I just finished playing the 17th annual ...
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Recording

Grant Stewart: 'Live at Smalls'

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
December 7, 2012

Grant Stewart continues to be one of my favorite modern tenor saxophonists. He has a huge sound, he's nimble and knows when to turn on the speed, and he loves showing off on standards. I'm old school—jazz to me is about showing your stuff, competing hard, and having respect for the music's grand tradition. Grant hits all of these hot buttons. Grant is up on his Sonny Stitt, Gene Ammons, Don Byas and Jimmy Forrest. Way back when, leaders understood ...
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Recording

Grant Stewart - Plays the Music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn (Sharp Nine, 2009)

Source: Music and More by Tim Niland
March 25, 2011

Saxophonist Grant Stewart leads a subtle and swinging tribute to the music of pianists and composers Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn on this solid mainstream jazz recording. While he can only touch the tip of the iceberg of these composers voluminous output, the band hits a few high points along the way. Accompanied by Tardo Hammer on piano, Paul Gill on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums, the group works through a series of compositions from their canonical songbook, beginning ...
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Performance / Tour

The Jazz Session #243: Grant Stewart (TJS 4th Anniversary Show!)

Source: AAJ Staff
February 25, 2011

The Jazz Session started four years ago today with episode #1 an interview with saxophonist Grant Stewart. Four years, 243 episodes and 930,000 downloads later, The Jazz Session is still going strong. In the introduction to this show, I take a moment to thank all the people whove made it possible, before welcoming my guest

Grant Stewart returns to help celebrate the fourth anniversary, and to talk about his new record, Around The Corner (Sharp Nine, 2010). In this interview, ...
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129

Performance / Tour

Jazz Quintet John Marshall Featuring Grant Stewart, Sunday, August 8

Source: David Flora
July 22, 2010

Sunday Series at Abingdon Presents Jazz John Marshall Quintet featuring Grant Stewart Announce Complete Quintet Members Sunday, August 8 at 7:00pm and 9:00pm Abingdon Theatre Complex June Havoc Theatre 312 West 36th Street, 1st Floor (between 8th and 9th Avenues) Reservations: 212.868.4444 or smarttix.com Tickets: $25.00 pre-sale ($35.00 at the door cash only) The John Marshall Quintet featuring Grant Stewart will fill Abingdon Theatre with the sound of Jazz for this one evening benefit ...
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Interview

Grant Stewart: Plays Ellington

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
June 30, 2009

In early 1943, the Duke Ellington Orchestra began an extended stay at the Hurricane Restaurant in New York on 49th St. and Broadway. During the orchestra's engagement that June, the band performed Tonight I Shall Sleep for the first time, a song Ellington had composed only weeks earlier. The ballad was written to spotlight tenor saxophonist Ben Webster, who delivered a full-bodied, patient solo almost nightly, bringing down the house. Grant Stewart can relate. The tenor saxophonist includes the piece ...
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124

Performance / Tour

Jump City Jazz Orchestra with Grant Stewart at Chris' Jazz Cafe on July 11, 2009

Source: All About Jazz
June 26, 2009

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Performance / Tour

Tenor Saxophonists Grant Stewart and Eric Alexander @ Chris' Jazz Cafe in Philadelphia, February 16 & 17, 2007

Source: All About Jazz
February 11, 2007

Grant Stewart and Eric Alexander will be joined by the John Swana Quartet at Chris' Jazz Cafe on February 16 & 17.

GRANT STEWART & ERIC ALEXANDER WITH THE JOHN SWANA QUARTET Grant Stewart - sax Eric Alexander - sax John Swana - trumpet Lee Smith - bass Sid Simmons - piano Chris Beck - drums

February 16 & 17 Sets @ 8 & ...
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128

Performance / Tour