FOUR ON THE FLOOR: Friday with Bill Stewart

Friday, December 21, 2012

Friday with Bill Stewart

I've been revisiting some favorite albums of mine featuring Bill Stewart on drums lately, as well as checking out some new ones. His cymbal sound and melodic sensibility is always impressive and inspiring.

- Thanks to Calgary saxophonist Jeff McGregor who recently hooked me up with John Scofield's live trio album "En Route".

Fortunately there is some great live footage of that same trio with Scofield, Steve Swallow and Bill Stewart floating around youtube.com these days for us to enjoy:

- Here's also an older Jazz Times article with Stewart:

http://jazztimes.com/articles/20789-bill-stewart-the-tie-that-binds

- And another interview with Bill over at drummagazine.com:

http://www.drummagazine.com/features/post/in-conversation-with-bill-stewart/

- For all you Facebooker's out there (ie. the all-mighty colossal waster of humanity's time!!!) here's an interview with Bill Stewart where he his discusses his approach to dealing with polyrhythms on drums:

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2040466366653

(if you dig around there are others on that page as well...)

- The sound quality on this next one isn't great, but it doesn't matter! Here's Bill demonstrating his incredible musicality and groove and some very nice Zildijian cymbals courtesy of the Memphis Drum Shop:

I love it how the tiny splash cymbal at his far right gets its own cymbal stand (I noticed that Bill used to "piggy back" his splashes on the top of larger cymbals awhile ago...Billy Hart is infamous for that as well!) It looks so tiny compared to the 22" next to it! lol

- And from the Modern Drummer festival, here's another great one featuring Bill with saxophonist Seamus Blake:

- So what are a few of my favorite Bill Stewart recordings you are probably asking yourself?

Here some of my picks that I keep going back to for ideas and inspiration:

Bill Stewart - "Snide Remarks"

Bill Stewart & Bill Carrothers - "Duets"

John Scofield - "This is What We Do"

Bill Carrothers - "Joy Spring"

Pat Metheny - "Trio Live"

Seamus Blake - "The Call"

John Scofield Trio - "En Route"

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A Bit About Me...

Jonathan McCaslin was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan. Jonathan began playing the drums at the age of nine. He progressed through the Regina Lions Junior Band and the music program at his high school, Campbell Collegiate, soon developing a passion for playing the drums and jazz. Ultimately, Jon's interest in music led him to enroll in the Jazz Studies program at McGill University, graduating with distinction in 1999.

While at McGill Jon had the opportunity to study with some of the finest jazz educators in the country including Gordon Foote, Kevin Dean, Jan Jarcyzk, Chris McCann, Andre White, Michel Lambert and Dave Laing. He also attended the prestigious summer jazz workshop presented by the Banff Centre for the Arts in 1997, where he performed with Canadian jazz greats Hugh Fraser, Don Thompson and Kenny Wheeler.

Jon has also been fortunate to have performed with many of Canada's jazz elite including Charlie Biddle, Brian Hurley, Louise Rose, Alaister Kay, Mart Kinny, Gary Guthman, Mike Rud, Hadley Caliman, Greg Clayton, Chase Sanborn, Andre White, Tilden Webb, John LaBelle, Kevin Dean, Dave Turner, Ralph Bowen, Don Thompson, Dionne Taylor, Jim Vivian, Kelly Jefferson, Ian McDougall, Brad Turner, Jim Brenan, The McGill Jazz Orchestra, Jeff Johnston, Lorraine Desmerais, Steve Amirault, Hugh Fraser, Chucho Valdes, Kieran Overs, The Altsys Jazz Orchestra, Pat LaBarbera, The Regina Symphony Orchestra and The Montreal Jazz Big Band.

In the spring of 2002 McCaslin completed his Master's in Jazz Studies at McGill University where he studied jazz drumming, improvisation and composition.

In January 2003 Jon released his debut CD, “McCallum’s Island”. Featuring his quintet, the CD contains an exciting collection of McCaslin’s original compositions, featuring himself and his band. The release of this CD was followed by a twenty-day tour of Western Canada, performing to enthusiastic, capacity audiences. During March of 2003 Jonathan was the recipient of a fellowship from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and attended the “Betty Carter Jazz Ahead” residency in Washington, D.C. Along with twenty other distinguished young jazz artists, McCaslin was featured with such jazz icons as Terence Blanchard, Carmen Lundy, Winard Harper, Curtis Fuller and John Clayton.

McCaslin’s quintet performed at the 2003 edition of the Montreal International Jazz Festival and was nominated for the General Motors Grand Prix du Festival (awarded to the most outstanding Canadian group). From 2004 until 2006, Jon toured North America, Asia and Europe with the high-energy, critically acclaimed music production troupe “Barrage”. Featuring a cast of seven world-class fiddlers and a four-piece band, this dynamic show featured high-energy music and fiddle traditions from around the world set to upbeat choreography and movement.

In 2015, Dr. McCaslin received his Doctorate through the University of Toronto and completed his dissertation on the conceptualization of contemporary melodic jazz drumming. He is currently based in Calgary, Alberta where he maintains a busy performing and teaching schedule across Canada.

Friday, December 21, 2012

Friday with Bill Stewart

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