# Grant Stewart (musician)

Grant Stewart (born June 4, 1971) is a Canadian jazz saxophonist.

## Life and career

Stewart was born in Toronto, Ontario, on June 4, 1971. His father was a part-time jazz guitarist. At age ten, Stewart played alto sax solos from saxophonists Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, and Wardell Gray that had been transcribed by his father. "By his early teens, Stewart had already found performance experience with such artists as Pat LaBarbera and Bob Mover." By 18 he "was leading a quartet in Toronto, including for a regular gig at C'est What café and pub"; and he moved to New York City when he was 19.
In New York, Stewart first played with guitarist Peter Bernstein and saxophonist Jesse Davis. He then began playing at Smalls Jazz Club when it opened in 1993.
His younger brother, Philip, has been a drummer in Stewart's bands since 2005.
Stewart is the first to have been interviewed for the long-running jazz-interview podcast The Jazz Session when it was created by Jason Crane in 2007.
For his 2007 recording Young at Heart, Stewart chose compositions that included music by Elmo Hope and Neal Hefti, as well as originals.
On Around the Corner in 2010, Stewart also played soprano sax. In 2011, this album was the focus of his second interview by Crane for the 4th-anniversary episode of The Jazz Session.
Stewart married Armenian American jazz singer Lucy Yeghiazaryan in the fall of 2020.

## Playing style

Stewart plays "steady swinging, muscular hard bop". His sound is "lean and sinewy, yet flush with lyricism, humor and rhythmic possibilities, much like tenor icons Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins, to whom Stewart is frequently compared".

## Discography

An asterisk (*) indicates that the year is that of release.

### As leader/co-leader

| Year recorded | Title | Label | Personnel/Notes |
| 1992 | Downtown Sounds | Criss Cross | Quintet, with Joe Magnarelli (trumpet), Brad Mehldau (piano), Peter Washington (bass), Kenny Washington (drums) |
| 1995 | More Urban Tones | Criss Cross | With Peter Bernstein (guitar), Peter Washington (bass), Billy Drummond (drums), Chris Byars (tenor sax), Jay Collins (tenor sax) |
| 1998 | Buen Rollo | Fresh Sound New Talent | Trio, with Chris Higgins (bass), Marc Miralta (drums) |
| 2004 | Grant Stewart + 4 | Video Arts | Quintet, with Joe Cohn (guitar), Bill Charlap (piano), Paul Gill (bass), Willie Jones III (drums) |
| 2005 | Stars Fell on Alabama | | Quintet, with Clark Terry (trumpet), Chip Crawford (piano), Ruslin Khain (bass), Sasha Loukachine (drums) |
| 2005 | Tenor and Soul | VideoArts | Most tracks quartet, with Joe Cohn (guitar), Ehud Asheire (piano), Joel Stewart (drums); some tracks quintet, with Ryan Kisor (trumpet) added |
| 2005 | Estate | VideoArts | With Eric Alexander (tenor saxophone), Joe Cohn (guitar), Ehud Asherie (piano), Joel Forbes (bass), Phil Stewart (drums) |
| 2007* | In the Still of the Night | Sharp Nine | Quartet, with Tardo Hammer (piano), Peter Washington (bass), Joe Farnsworth (drums) |
| 2007 | The Shadow of Your Smile | Sharp Nine | Quartet, with Tardo Hammer (piano), Peter Washington (bass), Joe Farnsworth (drums) |
| 2008 | Recado Bossa Nova | Birds Records | |
| 2008 | Young at Heart | Sharp Nine | Quartet, with Tardo Hammer (piano), Peter Washington (bass), Joe Farnsworth (drums) |
| 2009 | Plays the Music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn | Sharp Nine | Quartet, with Tardo Hammer (piano), Paul Gill (bass), Joe Farnsworth (drums) |
| 2009 | Plays Jazz Ballads | Birds Records | |
| 2010 | Around the Corner | Sharp Nine | Quartet, with Peter Bernstein (guitar), Peter Washington (bass), Phil Stewart (drums); Stewart plays soprano sax on some tracks |
| 2010 | St. Thomas | Birds Records | |
| 2012 | Live at Smalls | Smalls Live | Quartet, with Tardo Hammer (piano), David Wong (bass), Phil Stewart (drums); in concert |
| 2015 | Trio Live | Cellar Live | Trio, with Paul Sikivie (bass), Philip Stewart (drums); in concert |
| 2017 | Roll On | Cellar Live | |
| 2019 | Rise and Shine | Cellar Live | |
| 2022 | The Lighting of the Lamps | Cellar Live | |

### As co-leader with Eric Alexander

| Year recorded | Title | Label | Notes |
| 2005 | Reeds and Deeds: Wailin' | Criss Cross | With David Hazeltine (piano), Peter Washington (bass), Kenny Washington (drums) |
| 2006 | Reeds and Deeds: Cookin' | Criss Cross | With David Hazeltine (piano), John Webber (bass), Joe Farnsworth (drums) |
| 2010 | Reeds and Deeds: Tenor Time | Criss Cross | With David Hazeltine (piano), John Webber (bass), Joe Farnsworth (drums) |

### As co-leader with Fabio Miano

| Year Recorded | Title | Label |
| 2018 | Namely You | DISCMEDI |

### As sideman

| Year recorded | Leader | Title | Label |
| 2007* | Ehud Asherie | Lockout | Posi-Tone |
| 2008* | John Swana | Bright Moments | Criss Cross |

### Featured

| Year Recorded | Leader | Title | Label |
| 1997 | Michael Melito | My Conception | MHR Records |
| 1998 | | Jazz Underground: Live at Smalls | GRP Records |
| 2001 | Michael Melito | 'Bout Time | CD Baby |
| 2002 | Yves Brouqui | Live at Smalls | Smalls Live |
| 2003 | Ryan Kisor | Awakening | Criss Cross |
| 2004 | Paul Hoffman | Topsy Turvy | MHR Records |
| 2004 | Ryan Kisor | The Quintet A Night in Tunisia | Video Arts |
| 2005 | Sasha Loukachine | The Sasha Loukachine Quartet with Clark Terry Stars Fell on Alabama | CD Baby |
| 2005 | John Marshall | Frisky | Organic Music |
| 2005 | Michael Melito | The Next Step | CD Baby |
| 2006` | Bob Sneider and Joe Locke | Film Noir Project Fallen Angel | Sons of Sound Recorded Music |
| 2006 | Yves Brouqui | Made in France | self released |
| 2006 | Ryan Kisor | This is Ryan | Video Arts |
| 2007 | Lennie Cuje | Lennie Cuje with Mike Wilner Quartet At Smalls | |
| 2007 | Bob Stata | Get This | Ilikai Music |