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Doc Stewart

Chris "Doc" Stewart, prominent ER Doctor for the Mayo Clinic Hospital, is also a world class technician on the alto saxophone. Having said that, Stewart could well be one of the best jazz saxophonists you will ever hear. Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1960, and raised on a farm in Rockford, Stewart was the sixth of nine musical children; everybody in the family played an instrument. Stewart picked up his lifetime instrument, the alto saxophone, when he was just ten. In eighth grade, his family moved to Anaheim, California just three doors down from his future wife. While in high school, Stewart received jazz and classical awards on both the flute and saxophone. Winning a talent contest at Disneyland, gave Stewart the opportunity to be a part of the then vibrant music scene at the Magic Kingdom.

During and after high school, Stewart played gigs and performed with many of the local big bands, sharing the stage with Louis Bellson, Bill Watrous, and Matt Catingub. Stewart also enjoyed a steady gig with the Tashiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabakin Big Band! Stewart developed an interest in clarinet, which sparked him to transcribe all of Eddie Daniels' solos off his "To Bird with Love LP." As he delved further into transcribing solo's his journey took him to the sounds of Cannonball Adderley. Stewart then began the huge project of transcribing all of Cannonball Adderley's solos, hence the beginning of a sincere interest and deep love of Cannonball Adderley, which would be the basis of his latest release.

Jazz was a passion for Stewart, but at the age of 23, and already married for three years; Stewart hit the proverbial fork in the road and chose the stability of a career in medicine as his source of living. Doctor Stewart has enjoyed many successes in his profession, but his love of music has always been an underlying passion. Twenty years later Doc Stewart's interest in Cannonball was rekindled by the accessibility of information on the legendary Cannonball via the Internet and a revisit to the vast collection of every recording Cannonball ever made. Doc Stewart became inspired and committed himself to creating a 21-volume transcription library of Cannonball solos - a project that is ongoing today. The result, for Doc Stewart was his interest in playing was once again re-ignited!

Latest CD Release: Doc Stewart wanted to produce a fresh sound that did not simply duplicate the Cannonball Adderley Quintet, so tenor sax was used instead of Nat Adderley's coronet sound. Doc Stewart composed all the arrangements with this thought in mind. This CD celebrates the Golden Anniversary of Bird's passing and the fairy tale debut of Cannonball in New York in 1955, subsequently the sub-title "50 Years from Bird to Cannonball".

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Album Review

Doc Stewart Big Band Resuscitation: Code Blue!

Read "Code Blue!" reviewed by Jack Bowers


"Doc" is much more than a nickname to Chris Stewart: it's a profession. And straight-ahead jazz is far more than a pastime: it's a passion. For the past sixteen years, Doc Stewart's day gig has been ER physician at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Scottsdale, AZ. Long before that, however, Stewart was a working musician who played alto sax with a number of big bands including those led by Tom Kubis, Ladd McIntosh, Matt Catingub, Louie Bellson, Toshiko Akiyoshi / ...

12
Album Review

Doc Stewart and Big Band Resuscitation: Code Blue!

Read "Code Blue!" reviewed by Edward Blanco


Those who subscribe to the notion that big band music is a dying musical art form, are obviously unaware of Chris “Doc “ Stewart and his star-studded Resuscitation big band that have just given the genre a shot in the arm, a jolt of electricity and some life-saving musical medicine with the amazing Code Blue! An alto saxophonist by passion and pleasure, Stewart is actually an emergency room doctor with the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ, practicing the trade for ...

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Recording

Doc Stewart's Code Blue! Big Band

Doc Stewart's Code Blue! Big Band

Source: Chris Doc Stewart

The concept of Code Blue originally came from an idea to follow‐up my 2005 CD Phoenix: A Tribute to Cannonball Adderley. That CD debuted on the independent jazz new releases at number one. It continued to do well reaching number 13 on the jazz charts. I attribute this fluke to a very good CD and, based on the reviews and interviews, the whole doctor‐jazz musician thing. Therefore the follow‐up CD would have a bent towards medicine and in particular emergency ...

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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Code Blue!

Cannonball Records
2014

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