Grant Stewart: Young At Heart

Label: SHARP NINE
Catalog: SHRP1041.2
Format: CD

Grant Stewart: saxophone; Tardo Hammer: piano; Peter Washington: bass; Joe Farnsworth: drums

Young at Heart; Your're My Thrill; Roll On; Shades of Jackie Mac; Repetition; Serenade to Sweden; Modinha; Jet Stream

Yet another great CD from Canadian-born tenor player Grant Stewart. As usual, he has his signature sound with a tone that is very strong complemented by a "rough around the edges" quality. Backing him up on this CD are Tardo Hammer (piano), Peter Washington (bass), and Joe Farnsworth (drums). They provide unflagging support and all shine when given their space on the CD. Hammer's approach is a perfect foil for Stewart, providing solid comping and imaginative soloing, all while swinging with ease.
The choice of repertoire is, as most of Stewart's outings, a mix standard material (either lesser known, or reworked to make them his own), bop, and original compositions. The standards never seem to be filler or throw aways, but well thought-out forays. The tune Young at Heart, starting out rubato, comes into solid time via spot-on shots that are perfectly matched with the rhythym section. You're My Thrill is a standout. The tune benefits from a bit of a harmonic reworking, Hammer's performance underneath Stewart's melody is near perfection with all the right choices allowing the tune to be its moody, dark self.
All in all, this CD is (for what its worth) an 8.5 out of 10. It definitely deserves multiple listens in order to discover the different layers that make this CD continually rewarding.

Price: $26.98