From the Label

4 stars! Rambunctious fun.

About the Artist

"Redefining the tuba's place in jazz has been a growth process for me," notes Stewart. "Of course, I've been influenced by tradition, such as those of New Orleans and Surinam, and by musicians such as Thelonius Monk. But in addition, by playing with other musicians -- Gil Evans, for example, helped me expand the vocabulary for the tuba -- live been able to observe their perspectives on what the tuba can do and where it can go. And some of my influences have been unexpected: when I saw how organ player John Patton plucked the keys with his left hand, I thought of doing the same sort of thing with the tuba."

Stewart plays regularly with many of the musicians from Then and Now, as well as with other artists, both in live performances and in the studio. In July 1996, he put together a tuba spectacular for the JVC Festival at La Villette in Paris that featured his band, a Surinamese group, and a New Orleans street band. He is also an educator: his high school students won the Essentially Ellington contest run by Jazz at Lincoln Center in the spring of 1996.

"I am grateful to the many talented musicians who have joined me on Then and Now in showcasing the tuba's musical growth from a traditional brass ensemble through the blues and up to the modern jazz quintet," concludes Stewart. "As I listen to the music we recorded for this album, I look forward to the future. It has given me new ideas on where the tuba needs to go in its continuing evolution."