I have been listening to Bill since 1992. I remember even back then he could play like this. It floored me then and now because he really is rooted in the tradition yet I feel he actually had a huge influence on a lot of drummers who were after him. He really has a deep individual sound and his soloing is so creative. Very nice guy too!
I agree with all the others here: in the jazz drummer lineage, Bill Stewart definitely takes (and makes) his place! There were moments during his solo where, for the first time in a looong time, I felt the spirit of Tony Williams coming through. Not about mimicking him, at all; rather, it's that same, unbelievably high level of in-the-moment creativity, where one idea flows after another, amidst no apparent technical limitation on the drums. Rare and precious! Thanks Mr. Stewart... Dr. Bob Weathers, Irvine, California
Bill Stewart is the absolute genius of "Coordinated Independence"; Expanding greatly beyond the previous Line of Greatness! Bill Stewart w/ Nicholas Payton Trio and Vicente Archer at Blues Alley in Georgetown, Washington, DC on 6/13/14.
+Triangle Emperor Timbale Mastur iPlay is right. Another white drummer emulating black drummers. Like Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Paul Motian, Steve Gadd all did.
Mm Mm Oh I hadn't considered it from that angle, thanks. I now understand the rationale behind his comment -- but the original statement is much more valid, in my humble opinion. Listen to Bill play and what do you hear? He is coming out of the bop tradition of the strongest small group players such as those named by Gminor7, much more so than the eclectic group of swing era, big band, post-bop, fusion styles of iPlay's list. List 1 is like ABCDE, a logical progression. List 2 is like YZGI lol. Bill Stewart is like F. Looking at that, it is such a strange way to try to articulate my thoughts -- but I feel like you'll get it.
+Triangle Emperor Timbale Mastur In my humble opinion the drummers iPlay listed are more in line with Bill Stewart. Bill Stewart goes in the white drummers category. Regardless of style. He is EMULATING black drummers (black rythyms) as did Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Paul Motian, Steve Gadd. Now Max, Philly Joe, Blakey, Elvin, DeJohnette, Roy Haynes are innovators not emulators. Bill is an emulator like the eclectic group of swing era, big band, post-bop, fusion styles of iPlay's list.
Mm Mm I know you didn't just try to tell me that Bill Stewart isn't an innovator lol. Which of those previous innovators played like Bill? None of them -- Bill is simply another branch of the progression of innovators. In fact, even today, who else is playing like Bill? Antonio Sanchez? Brian Blade? Greg Hutchinson? Eric Harland? Lewis Nash? Justin Brown? Kendrick Scott? Ulysses Owens Jr.? Ari Hoenig? No -- they are all creating their own adaptations of the bop tradition of those previous innovators. I don't know about you, but when I walk into a room and hear a record with Bill on it, there is no question in my mind -- it's just "Who's Bill Stewart playing with?" I would go so far as to say he is easily one of the most recognizable sounds in the idiom. And yes, he's studied black drummers to great lengths. You know who else emulated black drummers? _Black drummers_, for one. _Every single drummer in the genre_, for another. I think the discrepancy here is that associating Bill with 'List 1' is done with one's ears, where associating Bill with 'List 2' is done with one's eyes.
