This spring sees the release of a new live album from drummer Bill Stewart and his longstanding trio.
The 58 year old was recorded at the historic New York venue along with bassist Larry Grenadier and tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III.
The trio recorded the album during their third week-long engagement at the Vanguard in September 2023. It includes nine tracks, eight of which are Stewart’s original compositions. Release date is 25 April.
The album, produced by Stewart himself with Jerry Teekens as executive producer, was engineered by James Farber, Tyler McDiarmid and Nate Wood.
Stewart born on 18 October 1966 in Des Moines, Iowa, grew up in a musical household, the son of a trombonist father. He was exposed to jazz and R&B from an early age. He began playing drums at seven and was largely self-taught, honing his skills through high school performances in a Top 40 covers band and the school orchestra.
After studying at the University of Northern Iowa, Stewart transferred to William Paterson University in New Jersey, where he played in ensembles directed by Rufus Reid and studied with notable musicians like Eliot Zigmund and Horacee Arnold. It was during this time that he met future collaborator Joe Lovano and made his first recordings with saxophonist Scott Kreitzer and pianist Armen Donelian.
Stewart’s career took off after moving to New York post-college, where he quickly gained recognition in John Scofield’s quartet and in a long-standing trio with Larry Goldings and Peter Bernstein. His versatility as a drummer led to collaborations with various jazz luminaries, including Maceo Parker, James Brown, and Pat Metheny. Stewart’s unique style, characterised by loose-limbed, post-bop fusillades and a melodically driven approach, has made him one of the most sought-after drummers in contemporary jazz.
Downbeat reviewing 2018 album Band Menu noted that “the trio devours the bandleader’s cerebral, yet soulful, compositions like galactic navigators, trading jabs through the cosmos. Each song is presented simply upfront, then dissected and elaborated upon with intensity, insight and glee.”
- Read a review of MTB’s Solid Jackson on which Stewart and Grenadier also figure
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