Live at The Village Vanguard Bill Stewart featuring Walter Smith III and Larry Grenadier

• 1 Ten Foot Two 09:15
• 2 Purple Veil 07:12
• 3 Mynah 07:38
• 4 Turquoise 05:42
• 5 Space Acres 09:14
• 6 See Ya 08:07
• 7 How Long Is Jazz 09:11
• 8 Ace 06:41
• 9 7.5 12:02
• Total Runtime 01:15:02

Info for Live at The Village Vanguard

“I sat very near to or next to the greats at the Village Vanguard on many occasions,” says the eminent drummer-composer-bandleader Bill Stewart, by way of contextualizing his - and the Criss Cross label’s – first-ever live-at-the-Vanguard recording. During his early years in New York, before he ever played the hallowed basement, Stewart, now 58, frequently arrived early to claim the behind-the-drumkit position on the red banquette that runs along the Vanguard’s west wall all the way to bandstand stage right to get a bird’s eye view of Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Roy Haynes, Billy Higgins, and a host of other masters whose recordings he’d played along with as an adolescent and teenage aspirant in Des Moines, Iowa.

“When you sit close, you get the body language, the whole vibe of the drummer who you want to check out,” Stewart says. “That’s the place.”

It’s a sure bet that more than a few drum aspirants took pains to assess Stewart’s vibe from that privileged perch between September 18 and September 23 in 2023, when he convened bassist Larry Grenadier and tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III for their third week-long trio engagement at the Vanguard, following residencies in April 2017 and in October 2018.

The Bill Stewart Trio featuring Larry Grenadier and Walter Smith III is one of the most exciting trios in jazz and improvised music today. They have performed for a week at the renowned NYC club Village Vanguard twice in recent years and have made a recording entitled Band Menu. Stewart and Grenadier have a history of playing together as a sideman in notable bands, such as those of Pat Metheny (in 1999/2000 and then again in 2008) and John Scofield (1996-97). Stewart first played with Walter Smith III on a Danny Grissett recording and was immediately impressed with his sound and individual approach.

Bill Stewart, drums
Larry Grenadier, double bass
Walter Smith III, tenor saxophone

Recorded September 22, 2023 & September 23, 2023 in New York City, NY, USA
Engineered by James Farber
Mixed by Tyler McDiarmid
Mastered by Nate Wood
Produced by Bill Stewart & Jerry Teekens

Bill Stewart
William Harris “Bill” Stewart was born on October 18, 1966 in Des Moines, Iowa. Bill Stewart’s father was a trombonist and a big fan of Bill Harris, an acclaimed jazz trombonist from the 1940s and 1950s jazz scene. His love for Bill Harris’ work was such that he named Bill Stewart after him, as a tribute.

Bill Stewart’s first exposure to music came from listening to his parents’ collection of jazz and rhythm and blues (R&B) records. Listening to records was the most effective way of getting exposed to different styles of music, since Iowa was a relatively isolated state. Live jazz concerts, for instance, were very rare in that area of the United States.

Bill Stewart began playing drums at the age of 7. He taught himself how to play drums by playing along to records at his house. Therefore, Bill Stewart didn’t get the most traditional of drumming educations in jazz. In fact, Bill Stewart learned jazz drumming using matched grip, a grip that’s mostly associated with rock drumming and the one he prefers using till this day. Drum lessons, drum books, and drum rudiments was something he would get into later on.

Bill Stewart continued developing his drumming skills in high school by performing in its orchestra and in a top 40 cover band. He also furthered his studies in jazz by going to the Stanford Jazz Workshop in California, a summer music camp where he was lucky enough to meet jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie.

After successfully graduating from high school, Bill Stewart enrolled at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. There, Bill Stewart played in the orchestra and in the jazz and marching bands. Bill Stewart wound up transferring to the William Paterson University in New Jersey, where he enrolled in its Jazz Studies and Performance program. During his stint there, Bill Stewart performed in ensembles directed by Rufus Reid, took composition lessons from Dave Samuels, and studied drums under Eliot Zigmund and Horacee Arnold. John Riley and Ed Blackwell – legendary jazz drummers – gave him some drum lessons in college as well, when subbing for Eliot Zigmund. Joe Lovano was another musician that subbed for Eliot Zigmund. He would latter join Bill Stewart in many of his musical endeavors.

Bill Stewart made his recording debut in 1987, while still in college, by contributing drums for Scott Kreitzer’s Kick’n Off. However, the album would only see the light of day in 1992. After graduating in 1988, Bill Stewart moved to Brooklyn, New York. He began establishing his reputation as a musician by appearing regularly at jam sessions that took place in New York. Word of mouth and his constant performances at jazz clubs helped him secure his first gigs, which were with pianist Larry Goldings and guitarist Peter Bernstein. At one of their regular concerts at Augie’s Club in Manhattan, Bill Stewart was invited by former James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic saxophonist Maceo Parker, who was at attendance, to take part in the recording sessions for his album Roots Revisited (1991).

Shortly thereafter, Bill Stewart was invited to join John Scofield’s quartet, with saxophonist Joe Lovano and either Dennis Irwin or Marc Johnson on the double bass. This was one of Bill Stewart’s first regularly touring bands. After that band, Bill Stewart wound up performing for various other bands John Scofield put together.

This album contains no booklet.