Robert Stewart - Nat The Cat: The Music Of Nat King Cole

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 51:38
Size: 118.2 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz, Post bop
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[5:54] 1. Nat The Cat
[4:31] 2. Make Her Mine
[8:31] 3. Harlem After Midnight
[4:05] 4. Blue Gardenia
[5:22] 5. Somewhere Along The Way
[3:54] 6. A Blossom Fell
[2:27] 7. That Sunday, That Summer
[3:59] 8. The Sand And The Sea
[2:46] 9. I Don't Want To See Tomorrow
[6:03] 10. The Ruby And The Pearl
[4:00] 11. Mona Lisa

Sure, Robert Stewart's blowing is derivative. If you close your eyes, you might think that this loving and beautiful tribute to the music of Nat "King" Cole is being performed by a quartet featuring Ben Webster. That's how good Stewart can be. The tenor saxophonist plays in a classy style, his big, round, woozy sound a joy for late-night listening. It is strange listening to these tunes how many of them seem familiar even though the melodies seem only vaguely recognizable. Stewart appreciates the melodies, and respectfully follows a traditional path of head-solos-head in mining each of them. The results fully satisfy, as Stewart's warm sound can be effortlessly cut with a butter knife. His tight rhythm section of pianist Ed Kelly, bassist Mark Williams, and drummer Sly Randolph is a perfect match, with the pianist, in particular, offering invigorating, swinging solos. (Kevin Stewart and Robert Stewart III appear on piano and bass, respectfully, on a couple of tracks.) For those who enjoy that old-time religion, Stewart is a perfect fit. ~Steve Loewy

Nat The Cat: The Music Of Nat King Cole

---

Robert Stewart - Judgement

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:56
Size: 105,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:24)  1. Serene
(4:26)  2. Speak Through Your Horn
(4:59)  3. Revelations
(8:36)  4. Judgement
(6:33)  5. Invitation
(5:59)  6. Familiar Changes
(3:41)  7. Soul Searchin'
(6:15)  8. As Time Goes By

Old Wine, Old Bottles. I was cleaning out my to review list recently and came across a couple of older RED Records releases that I had not previously spun under the laser. Tenor Saxophonist Robert Stewart emerged first and I found this disc to me most enjoyable. Judgement is one of the most thoroughly entertaining jazz offerings that is hiding its light under the proverbial basket. Robert Stewart has made his name being a musical jack-of-all-trades. He has orchestrated and arranged film scores ( Howard’s End and Remains of the Day ), acted as engineer (Dennis Brown’s Live In Montego Bay Sonic Sound 39), produced ( Welcome To the Universe, Twisted 11753) and even performed with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra ( Jazz At The Lincoln Center: They Came To Swing, Sony 66379). He has released two discs on RED Records and Two on Warner Brothers. The All Music Guide cites Judgement as having been released on World Stage Records. It is the same recording as that released on RED, for whom I credit with the first release. Equal Representation. Judgement has a little of everything, ballads, bossa nova, Hard Bop blues, minor blues, and one standard. The blues are the hard hitters with the “Cornbread”-like “Speak Through Your Horn” and the “Watermelon Man”-like “Soul Searchin’”. The ballads, “Serene” and “Revelations” are silky smooth and soft. “As Time Goes By” betrays Stewart’s warm, broad tone as being influenced by Long Tall Dexter, Ben Webster, Hank Mobley, and Sonny Rollins. No Coltrane here, No. Stewart is joined by Eric Reed on piano, Billy Higgins on drums, and Mark Shelby on Bass. The support is solid and crisply recorded. Reed, who most lately has been recording with Wynton Marsalis’ Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and his Septet. Here he plays with a controlled funky abandon that he previously had little opportunity for. Higgins is his propulsive self. And Shelby, a rock bassist by trade, pulls a few jazz tricks out of his sleeves. This sold support along with Stewart’s solid tone make this disc readily accessible to all. A superb jazz recording. ~ C.Michael Bailey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/judgement-robert-stewart-red-records-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php

Personnel: Robert Stewart: Tenor Saxophone; Billy Higgins: Drums; Eric Reed: Piano; Mark Shelby: Bass.

Judgement

---

Robert Stewart - Nat The Cat: The Music Of Nat King Cole

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:40
Size: 118.3 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[5:54] 1. Nat The Cat
[4:31] 2. Make Her Mine
[8:31] 3. Harlem After Midnight
[4:06] 4. Blue Gardenia
[5:22] 5. Somewhere Along The Way
[3:54] 6. A Blossom Fell
[2:27] 7. That Sunday, That Summer
[3:59] 8. The Sand And The Sea
[2:47] 9. I Don't Want To See Tomorrow
[6:03] 10. The Ruby And The Pearl
[4:00] 11. Mona Lisa

Robert Stewart, ts; Ed Kelly, p; Mark Williams, bs; Sly Randolph, dr; K. Stewart, piano; R. Stewart, fl.

This entire album is dedicated in loving memory of the great Nat King Cole. May his spirit and his music live through eternity. ~Robert Stewart

One of the most impressive hard bop tenor saxophonists to emerge during the 90s, Oakland, CA native Robert Stewart did not take even take up the instrument until the age of 17; however, he so completely immersed himself in the music of Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane - as well as the work of his personal mentor, Pharoah Sanders - that he quickly developed his own muscular tone. ~Scott Yanow

Nat The Cat: The Music Of Nat King Cole

---