Louis Stewart (guitarist)
Louis Stewart (5 January 1944 – 20 August 2016) was an Irish jazz guitarist. Life and career. Born in Waterford, Ireland, Stewart grew up in Dublin. He began playing guitar when he was thirteen, influenced by guitarists Les Paul and Barney Kessel. Stewart began his professional career performing in Dublin showbands. In 1968, he won an award as the most outstanding soloist at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Soon after, he spent three years with Benny Goodman. Stewart recorded his debut album, "Louis the First" in Dublin, and then recorded in London with Billy Higgins, Peter Ind, Sam Jones , Red Mitchell, and Spike Robinson. From the mid to late 1970s, he worked with George Shearing, touring America, Brazil, and playing European festivals, and recording eight albums, including several for the MPS label in a virtuosic trio with Shearing and the Danish bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen. Stewart has also appeared on albums by Joe Williams and J. J. Johnson, and worked with many other jazz musicians. In 1981, ahead of his debut in the U.S. as a leader, "The New York Times" stated, "Mr. Stewart seems to have his musical roots in bebop. He leans toward material associated with  Charlie Parker and he spins out single-note lines that flow with an unhurried grace, colored by sudden bright, lively chorded phrases. His up-tempo virtuosity is balanced by a laid-back approach to ballads, which catches the mood of the piece without sacrificing the rhythmic emphasis that keeps it moving." Stewart was prominently featured in Norman Mongan's book, "The History Of The Guitar In Jazz", in a chapter devoted to guitarists who were considered to be contemporary masters (along with players such as Jim Hall, Pat Martino, and George Benson). In a review of Stewart's live album  Overdrive (Hep, 1993), AllMusic stated, "Louis Stewart is one of the all-time greats, and it is obvious from the first notes he plays on any occasion". Stewart received an honorary doctorate from Trinity College, Dublin, in 1998. In 2009, he was elected to Aosdána, an Irish affiliation of people engaged in literature, music, and visual arts that was established by the Irish Arts Council in 1981 to honour those whose work has made an outstanding contribution to the creative arts in Ireland. In 2015, Stewart was diagnosed with cancer and died on 20 August 2016 in Harold's Cross , Dublin, at the age of 72. Discography. As sideman. With Tubby Hayes (1968–69) With George Shearing With others