Bill Stewart

[Drummer Karl]

So this is the official Bill Stewart Drummerworld Forums thread. *hehe*
Mhhh, though I wonder that there wasn`t one yet.

Just thought I would make up a thread about him because I really LOVE his work. Especially with Scofield and Swallow. He has such a beautiful touch, very musical, and very creative playing. I like to consider his playing as "tidied up".
It`s sooo pleasing and flows so well.

btw, thanks for the MD 97 vids with him, Peter Bernstein and Larry Goldings, some excellent swingin and groovin.

http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Bill_Stewart.html

So, let us know what you think.

Karl

[Muckster]

Yeah Karl Bill Stewart is an awesome drummer. His "Snide Remarks" CD is one of my favorites.

[brittc89]

New Scofield Trio Cd comes out TODAY! Im gonna grab it right after school.

[Drummer Karl]

New Scofield Trio Cd comes out TODAY! Im gonna grab it right after school.

Oh yeaaaaah! How is its name? I`m sure I would pick one up aswell.

PS: Do you think his Dry Complex Ride feels very stiff and hard when playing up-tempos on it?

Karl

[brittc89]

Oh yeaaaaah! How is its name? I`m sure I would pick one up aswell.

PS: Do you think his Dry Complex Ride feels very stiff and hard when playing up-tempos on it?

Karl

Its called This Meets That.

I actually dont really have any issues with it when playing up tempos, but Ive heard a lot of mixed reviews. I personally really like the cymbal and the sound it gives me. It took some getting used to to be able to keep it from absolutely roaring when I played it quick, but now I dont really have an issue so much. Plus, its just such a unique sound, I really like it. But if your thinking of buying one, I would definitely try it out first and see how that specific cymbal feels and sounds.

[crlujan]

Check out Scott Colley's "This Place" CD. Chris Potter on sax, Scott Colley on bass and Bill Stewart on drums. You can find it on iTunes. It's a great trio record and since there are only the three of them on the record, you can really hear the drums nice and clean.

[Drummer Karl]

Thanks everyone for CD tips and recommendations!


Its called This Meets That.

I actually dont really have any issues with it when playing up tempos, but Ive heard a lot of mixed reviews. I personally really like the cymbal and the sound it gives me. It took some getting used to to be able to keep it from absolutely roaring when I played it quick, but now I dont really have an issue so much. Plus, its just such a unique sound, I really like it. But if your thinking of buying one, I would definitely try it out first and see how that specific cymbal feels and sounds.

Well, I really like its sound actually. In general I prefer Ride cymbal with a more complex character, with a tah sound.
Additionally I like thin Ride cymbals, even if it`s the main ride. The thing about the feel was that Tony from cymbalsonly told me it kinda feels stiff and hard at faster tempi, and his statement seems plausible when listening to this baby.

So I hope I`ll get the opportunity to try one one day, to experience how it is like in person, not just in imagination...it definitly sounds like a very interessting and unique cymbal.

btw, overall I`m gonna buy an Agop SE 22" which has this character aswell as a soft woody stick definition.

Karl

[superbatmat]

Bill Stewart is my favourite drummer... I love the albums with Scofield, Bill Carrothers or many others (Maceo Parker to...)

His sound is very unique and he his the only one to have it... There isn^t two Bill Stewart on the planet...

And his polyrythm are uncredible....


pfiou... ... ...

[BrynnerAgassi]

Bill Stewart = GREAT!!!

[BrynnerAgassi]

Bill Stewart = GREAT!!!

[Drummer Karl]

Bill Stewart is my favourite drummer... I love the albums with Scofield, Bill Carrothers or many others (Maceo Parker to...)

His sound is very unique and he his the only one to have it... There isn^t two Bill Stewart on the planet...

And his polyrythm are uncredible....


pfiou... ... ...

I agree.
Great is that he plays that stuff soooo flowing, he lets it sound so fine and unique...great.
I also have to mention his 4-way independence and his hi-hat playing. It`s not always the strict 2 and 4, he uses in a very melodic and "clever" way...I love that.

PS: Is there a reason why he always uses this Hi-hat stand which is moving so much when playing with it? Or is it just the surface where it`s put on?

Karl

[superbatmat]

No it's just the surface ! I saw him in Montreux Jazz Festival and at Blue Note Biel and his hi-hat never moved...

But his playing always be creativ ....

what a drummer...

[Drummer Karl]

No it's just the surface ! I saw him in Montreux Jazz Festival and at Blue Note Biel and his hi-hat never moved...

But his playing always be creativ ....

what a drummer...

Thanks for info. I just wondered when I saw the MD vids here on Drummerworld and then a concert in Blue Note...and well, the Hi-Hat moved. :-D

Anyway, a great musician...very creative indeed.

Karl

[Erik Lund]

I used to be in absolute love with Bill Stewart...Now he's like the ex-girlfriend I know I shouldn't call late-night when I'm drunk: Great at the beginning but nothing really new and exciting and I just got bored widdit.

still a great player. (and she's still a great girl)

[Drummer Karl]

I used to be in absolute love with Bill Stewart...Now he's like the ex-girlfriend I know I shouldn't call late-night when I'm drunk: Great at the beginning but nothing really new and exciting and I just got bored widdit.

still a great player. (and she's still a great girl)

Okay...I think I understood. ;-)
Yes, this happens to me sometimes. First I`m totally in love with a drummer`s playing but after listening to it more than I should it gets kinda old.
Though isn`t that normal?
I mean, for example I listened to Blade every day lately...then I just gave Bill Stewart a try and love it...although I love Brian`s playing of course. Just needed something which seems fresh in that moment.
So I think that is pretty normal, the most important thing in this moment of listening is that you get inspired, isn`t it? =)

Of course I`m talking about music and particulary about drummers and not about girls!!!

Nevertheless...who knows which musician/style of Jazz will mainly play on my PC/stereo next month. haha...

But still, Bill Stewart is one amazing drummer...aswell as Blade, Jones and all those others.

Karl

[superbatmat]

But listen to him now ! Bill Stewart is really a great player ! His playing makes a really great evolution this last years...

Now he is really more "traditional" ....

Go see him live..... ;-)

[Erik Lund]

"So I think that is pretty normal, the most important thing in this moment of listening is that you get inspired, isn`t it? =)

Of course I`m talking about music and particulary about drummers and not about girls!!!"




Sometimes I get inspired musically, when I'm looking at a girl. That's the inspiration for about 90% of my craft.

I get inspired by listening to great drumming - but man, when you can translate that into something in your life? Whew!

[Drummer Karl]

Yes, I`ll try to get some more CD`s of him try to see him live...he is inspiring and I`m sure that seeing him live is even more inspiring.

btw, superbatmat: What do you mean by traditional??

Karl

[oops]

He's just got that groovy touch.

I also love his drum sound. His toms are musically pleasing, his snare is awesome.

Big Brother: (Bill Stewart Trio)
http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/billstewartbigbrother.html

Does anyone else think he looks like Popeye in the second picture on his DW page (just under the video links)...?

[oops]

Here's a link to some specs on Bill Stewart's gear:

http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36610

It's funny, I always thought he was using a 10" tom, but it's a 12".

Does anyone have any tuning tips on getting a sound similar to this tom sound?

http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/billstewartbigbrother.html

His 12" is tuned to about an F#, should I be tuning the batter head or the reso head to that pitch, and how should I tune the other head to get that tone?

[divingdrummerdean]

I laughed when I read this one. I was wondering the same thing. He's quite good at grabbing it with his foot and pulling it back into place. He must just love the action on that stand. What is it anyway?

PS: Is there a reason why he always uses this Hi-hat stand which is moving so much when playing with it? Or is it just the surface where it`s put on?

Karl[/QUOTE]

[Latin Groover]

Does anybody know what ride he is using on his left in the MD 08 clip? The crash is amazing.

http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/billstewartmd08.html

[Swiss Matthias]

So I searched for Bill Stewart's thread, and all I found whas this little thing?!

Well I think he is one of the absolute greats today, his touch, his groove, his technique, the complexity and musicality of his playing... I love listening to him and get inspired. I know he isn't everybody's cup of tea though.

Has he released anything recently? Does anybody know?

[jeromesteele]

The latest Seamus Blake record "Bellwether". Bill Carrothers "Joy Spring". Both feature great playing from Mr. Stewart.

[Swiss Matthias]

Thanks Jerome! I'll have to check those out.

[jeromesteele]

No problem.

the other record I failed to mention was Lage Lund's "unlikely stories." An amazing record comprised entirely of Lage's original music.

Its also pretty interesting to hear Stewart with Ben Street on bass.

there are tons of great records on which he plays, including some great sleepers that do not receive a whole lot of attention. Marc Copland's 'new york trio recordings vols. 1 and 3 for example (volume 2 has Paul Motian on drums."

some of copland's other records feature Jochen Rueckert, another very interesting drummer who is gaining some notoriety in New York and europe.

[michael h]

Bill's played on quite a few Bill Charlap records as well...Great stuff....

No problem.

the other record I failed to mention was Lage Lund's "unlikely stories." An amazing record comprised entirely of Lage's original music.

Its also pretty interesting to hear Stewart with Ben Street on bass.

there are tons of great records on which he plays, including some great sleepers that do not receive a whole lot of attention. Marc Copland's 'new york trio recordings vols. 1 and 3 for example (volume 2 has Paul Motian on drums."

some of copland's other records feature Jochen Rueckert, another very interesting drummer who is gaining some notoriety in New York and europe.

[jeromesteele]

This is true.

I have to say I prefer Marc Copland and Bill Carrothers on piano. Bill also made a great piano trio record with george colligan, who is terribly underrated in my opinion. Vincente Archer was on bass.

You also can't beat Bill Stewart with Peter Bernstein. The "Monk" album from 09 is really beautiful music and "Earth Tones" from the mid 90's is absolutely burning. It features Bernstein's tune "Metamorphosis," which Kendrick Scott covered on his album "Reverence" from last year.

Kendrick Scott is another drummer not to sleep on.

[michael h]

I was lucky enough to see Bill a lot with Peter and usually Larry G or Sam Yahel on organ..It It was 10 BUCKS !!! to get in and I'd sit right up front and really get to check him out...Just about every week for quite a while it was Blade, Bill or Gregg Hutchinson...I miss those days...Kendrick is another monster...I've caught him only once so far but it was great...Marcus Gilmore probably my favorite new young guy if I had to name one person...He is playing at Smalls this Weds and Thurs night with Mark Turner and if you're not aware of this, they now have a live video feed so you can check it out from anywhere in the world...Enjoy...


This is true.

I have to say I prefer Marc Copland and Bill Carrothers on piano. Bill also made a great piano trio record with george colligan, who is terribly underrated in my opinion. Vincente Archer was on bass.

You also can't beat Bill Stewart with Peter Bernstein. The "Monk" album from 09 is really beautiful music and "Earth Tones" from the mid 90's is absolutely burning. It features Bernstein's tune "Metamorphosis," which Kendrick Scott covered on his album "Reverence" from last year.

Kendrick Scott is another drummer not to sleep on.

[jeromesteele]

Marcus is such a killer. His playing with Vijay Iyer makes my head spin. He's probably my favorite "young guy" as well. He is only like 4 months older than I am... and he is already one of the most incredible musicians on the scene.

I like Justin Brown a lot and Jamire Willaims as well. But Marcus is so versatile, so musical. I can't recall listening to him and thinking that he was overplaying or trying to make the music about himself. He plays whatever is needed to make the music happen.

The small's live feed is incredible. Every drummer who is interested in jazz should check it out every now and then. Great players are there every night. When I was last there as first act was finishing up, Bill Stewart, who was playing the 9 to 12 spot with Jon Gordon's band walked in. He sat down at the bar and got a beer and paid for it in quarters. It was excellent. He just sat there quietly by himself, with his cymbal bag and beer, checking out the music. He then proceeded to kill it during his set.

Ari Hoenig is probably the mayor of smalls. Every monday he plays there with different configurations - always interesting, always creative. Small's is like church.

[michael h]

HA! Ari's the mayor! That's pretty funny! Ari is great too but I am a bit Arieed out to tell the truth...He is quite amazing...I actually took some lessons from him some yrs back and it was great and he was very cool...Nice guy...

[GBaslJazzer]

I've never seen a drummer of his caliber when it comes to taste, finesse, and overall feel for the drum kit. Everything he plays is completely musical and is just a joy to hear. In my opinion, there is no one today that plays jazz better using the matched grip. It's a shame that not enough people talk about him on the forums. Hopefully this thread will spark some talk about one of today's true jazz drumming masters.

GBJ

[GBaslJazzer]

Jerome, that was an excellent little story. It's stuff like that that puts a smile on a drummer's face. Hearing about great drummers in normal situations (in this case, having a beer at a bar) somehow lets you connect with them a little more.

Now I'd like to come back to the topic of Mr. Stewart's great sounding drums. I can't think of a drum kit that sounded better than his 1997 setup. Everything is just perfect. Anyone have any idea how old those heads were back then? It's amazing that heads that look that old and worn can produce such great tone.

GBJ

[Boomka]

Here's some transcriptions of Bill playing. Really helps to get inside his head a little bit: http://www.jazzeducationdatabase.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73:bill-stewart-no-matter-what-groove&catid=39:drums-percussion&Itemid=54

http://www.charlieheim.com/pages/Charlie_Heim_-_Education_-_Transcriptions.html

http://www.box.net/shared/66pfbt8n1z

[RobertM]

Does anyone have any tuning tips on getting a sound similar to this tom sound?

http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/billstewartbigbrother.html

His 12" is tuned to about an F#, should I be tuning the batter head or the reso head to that pitch, and how should I tune the other head to get that tone?

Regarding jazz tuning, I had jazz guru Steve Maxwell tell me to always aim for tuning the batter side a half turn or so higher than the resonant head. I've seen a lot of folks recommend tuning both heads the same or the bottom head higher than the top, but Steve argued that having the bottom head a bit lower allows the tom to breathe more and push the sound out to the audience.

[warrier1]

Im a big Bill Stewart fan myself, was wondering what heads he uses, are they ambassadors, or what, thks

[Swiss Matthias]

^^^ Spam above. ^^^

[warrier1]

Whats the best way of getting hold of Bill, I have checked different things for contacts, but nothing.

[spleen]

Just a "heads up" to fans of Bill's playing (and perhaps in particular, folks like me who are "geographically challenged" and not able to see him in NYC): I just had a chance to check out the DVD of him with Scofield recorded in Paris in April of 2010 and as usual, he is just killing it! Very inspiring stuff with good audio and video, including some more close-up shots of him than you typically see on videos shot in these types of settings.

He's using a house kit of Yamaha MCAs (save for his snare and cymbals) that sounds wonderful (okay, I'm gushing a bit because those are the drums I play;-) and...well...his playing always moves me emotionally in a very profound way--so that's sort of where I'm at right now...just...wow.

best,

spleen

[chitowndrummer]

Does anyone know how Bill Stewart tunes his drums? I've spent days trying to get this sound, but I cannot get it to sound like them. I've tried different variations of tuning the batter head higher, lower and equal to the resonant head but cannot get it to sound right. I use single ply evans g1 coated heads on top and clear single ply heads on the bottom. I have a gretsch new classic, 18, 12 and 14, which is similar to his kit. Should I try coated heads on the bottom?

[chitowndrummer]

Nm, I think i figured it out. i was trying to tune the pitch of the individual head to the fundamental note of the drum in the recordings, and it ended up sounding way higher than it should've. I just listened to the overtones of the batter head in a recording and used that as a reference. Then i tuned the batter and resonance head to that pitch and the fundamental pitch matched up. For the floor tom, I tuned the heads a fourth below the high tom heads, again disregarding the fundamental note and focusing on the note of each head.

[Swiss Matthias]

Hey guys, have you realized that Bill Stewart is playing some of the cymbals for
mycymbal.com? It's awesome to just see and hear him play for a few seconds!

http://mycymbal.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=103_168

Funny that he doesn't want to talk at all though.

[chick82]

Hey guys, have you realized that Bill Stewart is playing some of the cymbals for
mycymbal.com? It's awesome to just see and hear him play for a few seconds!

http://mycymbal.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=103_168

Funny that he doesn't want to talk at all though.

Amazing...thanks for sharing!