Chats With The Cats!

We are delighted to announce Grant Stewart as our next featured artist for the Chats With The Cats series.

Growing up in Toronto, what were some of your early experiences?

There are so many great players there, probably more than anywhere else (not including New York City): Don Thompson, Ed Bickert, Pat Barbara, Sam Noto, Phil Dwyer, Gerry Fuller, Norman Villeneuve - too many to recall. Norman Villeneuve is a great Canadian drummer from Montreal, he actually played a few concerts with Ellington and was offered the drum chair but couldn’t get his work papers, unfortunately. I was in his band for years in my late teens, it was billed as “The Canadian Jazz Messengers.” We had Curtis Fuller come up and play a week with us at The Bermuda Onion which was an amazing experience for me.

Who were some of your mentors, including people who helped you develop as a musician?

The great alto saxophonist Bob Mover moved to Toronto when I was 16 or 17 and he became a big influence and mentor to me. He would always have me sit in and was very generous with his time. There were also a lot of clubs when I was a kid that had local players but there were several that would bring legendary players like George Coleman, Joe Henderson, Clifford Jordan, Dick Hymen, etc. My father would take me to see whoever came to town. I was very lucky in that my father was a great guitarist and piano player and really loved jazz and the American songbook - I grew up with it in the house and had an unlimited source of knowledge in him, right up until a couple of years ago when he passed. I would call him for correct changes and tune ideas. He was an amazing person and a library of musical knowledge.

Can you remember a point in your life when you realized that you could make a career in music?

When I was 14, I did my first paying gig. It was New Year's Eve with my teacher Pete Schofield’s big band. I made $150 ($400 in 2022), so then I realized that I would soon be a very wealthy jazz musician with many houses and probably a private jet!

What inspired you to pursue a career here in New York rather than elsewhere?

I knew it was where everyone that really wanted it went, and I still feel that way. I still love living here, it's a great city and the energy generated by the top players coming here from all over the world is really something very special. It is the main reason I still live here.

Can you tell us how you started at long-time KEYED UP! staple, 11th Street Bar?

I started doing the 11th Street Bar when trumpeter Dwayne Clements moved to Sweden. At that point, the gig had already been going for two years. It was me and the legendary Charles Davis for a couple of years and then unfortunately Charles passed. Next, Joe Magnarelli started doing it. It’s the longest steady gig I’ve done (been 8 years for me) and KU! has been with us for probably 6 years or so.

What are your memories of the late Murray Wall?

Murray was a great guy and the gentlest man you’d ever meet but if you were talking during his solo he would let you have it!! We really miss him, he was one of a kind.

What have you been listening to this month?

Stravinsky’s Threni is what’s been playing a lot.

What are you looking forward to next?

I'm currently on tour in Denmark with the great singer Lucy Yeghiazaryan but the big project I’m working on is the opening of a new jazz school I designed called the Tribeca Jazz Institute. I had the idea about a year ago and teamed up with my friends at the Church Street School of Music and Art to create a program that would be an alternative for advanced players. This takes place in a short-term, intense, dynamic, and streamlined setting - letting players focus on playing, shedding, and lessons. I also wanted to make a program that won’t leave young players saddled with debt as they start their careers which is something that’s always bothered me. The ensemble and private lesson instructors are out of this world. I wish this school existed when I got to NYC and actually it’s the school that most players and students have told me over the years they wished existed and so I decided to make it myself. The full artist diploma program is two 12-week semesters. If you'd like to learn more check out the website.

Very exciting times indeed!

Finally, what are your experiences with KEYED UP!?

I first heard of KU! from Founder, James Polsky. KU! is a great organization that really makes a difference to a lot of musicians in the city. With rents skyrocketing and the cost of living rising faster than ever, it really helps take the edge off for a lot of players.