Grant Stewart & Bruce Harris - The Lighting of the Lamps (2022) [Hi-Res]

On a grey New York City afternoon, tenor saxophonist Grant Stewart was listening to tracks he recorded with his quartet and trumpeter Bruce Harris at the iconic Van Gelder Studio. It struck him that the music reminded him of a line from one of his favourite poems, “Preludes” by T.S. Eliot.

The first stanza of the poem vividly conveys the bleak loneliness of a city on a winter’s late afternoon. At the end of the stanza, one declarative line provides hopeful counterpoint: “And then the lighting of the lamps.” It’s the line that came to mind for Stewart when listening to the Van Gelder session. “For me the poem really captures the feeling of life in the city and of the sense of something about to begin, and for us musicians quite often our day is about to begin when the lamps come on.” says Stewart.

The same can be said about the eight tunes on Stewart’s album, aptly titled The Lighting Of The Lamps. Like the vibe in NYC where Stewart lives, the music on this invigorating recording has a dynamic spirit. Like Eliot’s poem, right from the first song there’s an expectant anticipation about where Stewart and the musicians will go with the uniquely curated repertoire. They deliver on the promise, with ardent jazz that both honours tradition and sounds timeless.

In 2019, Stewart had the opportunity to record with his quartet at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Thousands of great jazz sessions have been documented there since 1959, when recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder opened it. Rise and Shine (Cellar Music, 2020), captured Stewart and his band with a beautifully resonant sound. So when the chance to return to Van Gelder emerged again, Stewart didn’t hesitate. “It always feels like magic,” he says about recording in the chapel-like studio. The Lighting Of The Lamps has that magical quality in every note and nuance.

Aside from the storied Van Gelder alchemy, it’s Stewart’s playing – as assured and impactful as ever – high-level contributions by the assembled musicians, and the close rapport they share that drives the music. Stewart’s strong connectivity with the quartet members – pianist Tardo Hammer, the leader’s brother Phil Stewart on drums, and bassist David Wong – comes from years of shared experience on bandstands and recordings. As for the frontline of Stewart and Harris, their congruent fit is one of the album’s revelations. “I was really happy to have Bruce Harris with me on this date. He’s a fantastic trumpet player, and we’ve gotten to work together quite a bit over the last few years.”

Harris, who impressed enormously on Soundview (Cellar Live, 2021) – recorded live at GB’s Juke Joint – introduced Stewart to two of the tunes on The Lighting Of The Lamps. One was the opener “Little Spain”, written by Clifford Jordan and recorded in 1962 by Lee Morgan. Stewart’s improv for “Little Spain” is a masterclass in shaping and building momentum on a hard-swinging solo.

The album’s one original composition by Stewart, “A Piece Of Art”, gives props to piano master Art Tatum in the title and several other ways. The intricate melody’s first two phrases are fragments of a Tatum solo. The chords are from a 1937 standard, “All God’s Chillun Got Rhythm”, which Tatum and others played. After the rhythm section establishes the kinetic, up-tempo mood, Stewart and Harris play the head with a vigorousness that crackles with excitement. Harris then comes up with a fleet and buoyant solo before the two Stewarts and Hammer take intensely engaging solo turns.

Another burning track: “Mo Is On”, by the brilliant and troubled pianist Elmo Hope who left this realm far too early. Stewart has performed live and recorded a number of Hope’s inimitable songs, including “Roll On”, the title track on a sublime live trio recording (Cellar Live, 2017) and also on the tremendous Young at Heart (Sharp Nine, 2008). “I really love his writing. They [Hope’s tunes] really make you play differently. The harmony moves in ways that you just don’t find in other composers.” Stewart and crew play the swirling and unrelenting “Mo Is On” with the breathless resolve it requires, and it ends up being one of the album’s many highlights.

It takes moxie to embrace the challenge of recording a tune that one of your prime heroes made a definitive version of. It takes even more fortitude to do so with a standard that was recorded by said hero in exactly the same legendary studio. Dexter Gordon recorded “I’m A Fool To Want You” in 1965 at Van Gelder, and it came out on Clubhouse. Fifty six years later, Stewart played the ballad in the sanctified recording space. With his big and deep tone and lyrical phrasing, Stewart’s version sounds exquisite. A subtle modulation – playing the song in D minor instead of F minor like Dexter did – makes a difference. “It’s in a range that really makes the horn resonate, and in the room at RVG I just couldn’t resist playing it.”

When Stewart was learning jazz fundamentals as a teenager in Toronto, a stellar tenor man he heard play live was Clifford Jordan. After Stewart moved to New York at 19, he frequently caught Jordan’s performances in the metropolis. “Bearcat” is an early ‘60s Jordan piece Stewart always wanted to record. Bucket list item checked off with a take on the tune that’s as comforting and agreeable as hot tea with honey. Stewart, Harris, Hammer, and Wong express robust solos.

The Lighting Of The Lamps concludes with Thad Jones’ “Bitty Ditty”, another lesser-known song Harris suggested. Stewart’s musical direction and approach to soloing on the tune are consistent with the rest of the fine album and the arc of his enduring career. That is, Stewart’s conception and tenor sound are entirely organic and unconcerned about which stylistic category he fits into or whether the music is hip. Instead, the emphasis is on learning new insights from old songs, making space for each player’s distinctive voice, and heartfelt expression. All refreshing elements of jazz that’s vital and alive.

Grant Stewart – tenor saxophone
Bruce Harris – trumpet
Tardo Hammer – piano
David Wong – bass
Phil Stewart - drums