Wikipedia

Bill Stewart (musician)

William Harris Stewart(born October 18, 1966, inDes Moines,Iowa) is an American jazz drummer.

Bill Stewart
Denmark 2011
Denmark 2011
Background information
Birth nameWilliam Harris Stewart
Born(1966-10-18)October 18, 1966(age 58)
Des Moines,Iowa, U.S.
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Musician, composer
InstrumentDrums
LabelsBlue Note

Biography

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Bill Stewart's father was a trombonist, and his first and middle names are a tribute to jazz trombonistBill Harris.[1]

Stewart grew up inDes Moines, Iowa,listening to his parents'jazzandrhythm and bluesrecords without much exposure to live jazz in the then relatively isolated state ofIowa.The largely self-taught drummer began playing at the age of seven. While in high school, he played in aTop 40cover bandand the school orchestra, and went to a summer music camp atStanford Jazz Workshop,where he metDizzy Gillespie.After high school graduation, Stewart attended theUniversity of Northern IowainCedar Falls, Iowa,playing in the jazz andmarching bandsas well as the orchestra. He then transferred toWilliam Paterson University(then William Paterson College), where he played in ensembles directed by Rufus Reid, studied drums withEliot ZigmundandHoracee Arnoldand took composition lessons fromDave Samuels.Stewart met future employerJoe Lovanowhile still in college (the two playedduetsin lieu of a drum lesson when Zigmund was away). Stewart also made his first recordings, with saxophonistScott Kreitzer,and pianistArmen Donelian,while still in school, and with pianistFranck Amsallem(andGary Peacockon bass) shortly thereafter, in 1990.

After college, Stewart moved to New York, gaining wider recognition inJohn Scofield's quartet with pianistMichael Eckrothand bassistBen Street[2]and in a trio withLarry GoldingsandPeter Bernstein,which has become the longest-running group Stewart has played with, having begun in 1989 and continuing to this day, performing infrequently. Stewart's musical horizons expanded whenfunksaxophonistMaceo Parkernoticed Stewart upon seeing him withLarry Goldingsat a regular gig at a club inManhattan.Stewart worked with Parker from 1990 to 1991, touring and recording on three of Parker's albums. The association led to Stewart's gig withJames Brown,who told Stewart that there "Ain't no funk in Iowa!" upon learning the drummer's roots. Another close associate is pianist Kevin Hays, with whom he performs, along with fellow WPC graduate, bassist Doug Weiss. The Kevin Hays trio has recorded five CDs and toured internationally. Musical associations withLee Konitz,Michael Brecker,Pat Metheny[2]and many other jazz musicians have followed.

Stewart is openly gay.[3][4]

Technique

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Stewart, unlike the majority of jazz drummers, plays usingmatched grip.

Gear

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Stewart plays various Zild gian K cymbals and is endorsed by theAvedis Zild gian Company.A collaboration with Paul Francis from Zild gian yielded the 22 "K Custom Special Dry Complex Rides (in Thin and Medium Thin weights), which are meant to replicate the sound of an old K Zild gian cymbal Stewart has had for a long time. They were introduced in 2004. According to Stewart," The K Custom Special Dry Complex Ride has some trashy quality, but can also be articulate. The nice crash sound gets out of the way quickly while a clean stick sound or click is evident when riding. These cymbals are very pretty, yet can be very nasty. "[5]

The cymbals were redesigned and sold as the K Custom Dry Complex II Rides since 2008 in sizes of 20, 22 and 24-inch. These custom ride cymbals feature a wider bell with a much lower profile to promote more control while offering a smooth array of rich overtones. Weight specifications are slightly heavier (medium-thin) than the first generation of Complex Rides, to make the cymbals more versatile, providing ride patterns that can be heard clearly from within an airy wash of overtones.[6]

Zild gian has also designed the Bill Stewart Artist Series Drumsticks.[7]

Discography

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As leader

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  • Think Before You Think(Jazz City, 1990)
  • Snide Remarks(Blue Note,1995)
  • Telepathy(Blue Note, 1997)
  • Catability(Enja,1998)
  • Drum Crazy(Funky Kitchen, 2005)
  • Keynote Speakers(2005)
  • Incandescence(Pirouet, 2008)
  • Live at Smalls(Smallslive, 2011)
  • Ramshackle Serenade(Pirouet, 2014)
  • Space Squid(Pirouet, 2015)
  • Band Menu(Stewed Music, 2018)

As sideman or co-leader

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WithFranck Amsallem

  • 1990Out a Day
  • 1993Regards
  • 1998Another Time

WithPeter Bernstein

  • 1998Earth Tones
  • 2003Heart's Content
  • 2004Stranger in Paradise
  • 2016Let Loose

WithSeamus Blake

  • 1993The Call
  • 2007Way Out Willy
  • 2009Bellwether
  • 2010Live at Smalls

WithBill Carrothers

  • 1993Ye Who Enter Here(with saxophonist Anton Denner, asA Band in All Hope)
  • 2002Duets with Bill Stewart
  • 2003GhostShips
  • 2008Home Row
  • 2010Joy Spring

WithScott Colley

  • Subliminal...(Criss Cross Jazz, 1998)
  • 2000The Magic Line
  • 2002Initial Wisdom

WithMarc Copland

  • 1997Softly
  • 2006New York Trio Recordings Vol. 1: Modinha
  • 2009New York Trio Recordings Vol. 3: Night Whispers

WithLarry Goldings

  • 1991The Intimacy of the Blues
  • 1992Light Blue
  • 1994Caminhos Cruzados
  • 1995Whatever It Takes
  • 1996Big Stuff
  • 2002Sweet Science
  • 2001As One
  • 2018Toy Tunes

WithJon Gordon

  • 1992The Jon Gordon Quartet
  • 1998Currents
  • 2000Possibilities

WithLage Lund

  • 2010Unlikely Stories
  • 2013Foolhardy
  • 2015Idlewild

WithPat Martino

WithPat Metheny

WithMaceo Parker

WithChris Potter

WithJim Rotondi

  • 2004New Vistas
  • 2006Iron Man
  • 20101000 Rainbows

WithJohn Scofield

WithJesse van Ruller

With others

References

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  1. ^Orr, Timothy (2008) "In Conversation With Bill Stewart"Drum Magazine
  2. ^abBrannon, Mike (May 2002)."Bill Stewart Interview".All About Jazz. Archived fromthe originalon June 8, 2011.Retrieved2010-10-09.
  3. ^Schermer, Victor (September 26, 2014)."Outbeat Jazz Festival 2014".All About Jazz.RetrievedJuly 30,2023.Stewart, openly gay, minimized the role of sexual orientation in his music and his experience with other musicians.
  4. ^Stewart, Bill (February 2015)."Episode 24: Bill Stewart".Third Story(Interview). Interviewed by Leo Sidran.RetrievedJuly 29,2023.
  5. ^"Bill Stewart",Zild gian.
  6. ^"Zild gian K Custom Dry Complex II Ride Cymbal",Music123.
  7. ^"Zild gian Drumsticks|Bill Stewart Artist Series Drumstick".Archived fromthe originalon October 8, 2015.Retrieved2013-06-21.
  8. ^Maceo Parker,Roots Revisited-The Bremen Concert,Minor Music Records,retrievedJanuary 14,2021
  9. ^abCook, Richard;Morton, Brian(2008).The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings(9th ed.).Penguin.p. 1441.ISBN978-0-141-03401-0.
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