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by Rick Holland
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 In The Still of The Night |
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Personnel:Grant Stewart: tenor saxophone; Tardo Hammer: piano; Peter Washington: bass; Joe Farnsworth: drums.
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Tracks: In the Still of the Night; Theme for Ernie; Wives and Lovers;
Autumn in New York; If Ever I Would Leave You; Work; Lush Life; Loads
of Love.
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Grant Stewart
In Still of the Night
Grant Stewart’s new release on Sharp Nine Records is an old school hard-bop recording that breathes life into the present day Jazz genre. Accompanied by Joe Farnsworth (drums) and Peter Washington (bass), who’ve accompanied many Sharp Nine artists, and Tardo Hammer (piano), you have a rhythm section that plays comfortably at any and all of Stewarts tempo’s. The four are a great match and play in a seeming effortless manner.
Stewart boasts a big tenor sound reminiscent of Ben Webster. His harmonic vocabulary is like Bob Mover on steroids. In fact I hear a lot of bop and post-bop alto master’s inter-twined into Stewarts improvisations. The opening cut, In the Still of the Night, is so impressively played at up- tempo. The thing that really stands out on this recording is Stewart’s abundance of vocabulary, so remarkably entrenched in a musical concept. Joe Farnsworth cymbal work is so, so good as well. (As is it throughout this entire album of music)
The next two cuts slow the tempo down. Theme for Ernie is a tune from the 1940’s, written by Freddie Lacey, in memory of Ernie Henry. If you do not recognize the name, you’ll probably recognize this melody when you hear it. For this tune has been played by many sax masters. Grant captures the era in this swinging performance.
The next tune is an improbable tune for a jazz session written by Burt Bacharach, entitled Wives and Lovers. It is set up by a modal pedal point by Tardo and Peter Washington, and then Grant takes over. As in both tunes, Grant plays masterful melody, which is enhanced by his big tenor sound. Wives and Lovers is played so convincingly in this style, you almost do not recognize the tune in this context. It lays perfectly and is a ‘great’ selection for this session. Stewart translates this tune to perfection.
There are two beautiful ballad renditions on this disc. First there is, Autumn in New York. After a beautiful melodic statement, Grant and company, evolve this tune into a swinging standard with expressive improvisations. The energy is so nice on this performance, as well throughout this recording.
Lush Life, a Strayhorn classic, features excellent rubato between Grant and Tardo. The duo plays musically and very comfortably, setting up Washington and Farnsworth into the quartet setting. I love Washington’s big sound and Farnsworth’s brush-work. They give such a comfortable cushion for Grant to ‘blow’. Tardo Hammer plays a great solo in double-time ‘feel’.
If I Ever I Should Leave You is another excellent up-tempo vehicle for this quartet. This is not played at the ferociousness of In Still of the Night, but the energy is still really good. Grant again will amaze you by his sense of phrasing, and just what goes into his phrases. He demonstrates an incredible knowledge of the masters before him in his improvisations.
The last two cuts I’d like to mention are Thelonious Monk’s Work and Richard Roger’s Loads of Love. These two tunes bring out Grants sense of modern harmony (Work) and his inherit sense of swing (Loads of Love). I really appreciated Stewart’s use of tritone substitution on the Monk composition. He plays this slant consistently through Work. He demonstrates his command of modern harmony with authority. He ends with the Richard Rogers standard with an absolute sense of swing that also enhances that big tenor sound he boasts so proudly.
I was completely taken by this disc. I appreciate the command of the Jazz language Stewart possesses, and look forward to hearing this fine musician ‘live’.
For more information on the music of Grant Stewart, please visit,
www.grantstewartjazz.com
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Rick Holland |
| About the author: |
| A versatile musician and veteran performer in organizations such as the Louie Bellson Big Band (Chicago Based Band), Jimmy Dorsey, Mike Pendowski, Rob Parton , Buddy De Franco, Buselli-Wallrab and Terry Gibbs Bands, Rick Holland brings a wealth of experience and musicality to each performance. |
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