Jimmy Stewart

Jimmy Stewart exemplifies a guitarist capable of performing convincingly across every conceivable genre. Having devoted the bulk of his professional life to studio work, he has issued relatively few jazz dates, yet commands widespread admiration among peers. Before entering kindergarten he began on piano, turning to guitar at age eight. By fifteen he was already working professionally in Lake Tahoe. Formal studies followed at the College of San Mateo, the Chicago School of Music, and Berklee. An unrelenting analyst of the instrument and its many idioms, Stewart developed the versatility that defines his playing. In 1957 he performed on guitar, banjo, and vocals for the agency Fun Unlimited. While in Palm Springs he accompanied Teddy Bunn and Earl Hines and served as musical director for Ginny Simms. During his military service he appeared in variety shows. Upon discharge in 1960 he settled back in San Francisco, where he freelanced in recording studios, performed with television bands, and held the house-guitar chair at the Hungry I Club. For five years he also played productions mounted by the San Francisco Civic Light Opera and made occasional appearances with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. His most consequential jazz engagement came between 1967 and 1969 as a member of the Gabor Szabo Quartet, yielding several joint recordings, most prominently The Sorcerer. He next acted as musical director for Lainie Kazan and Andy Williams. During this period his studio activity increased, and he became one of the earliest session guitarists able to handle rock convincingly. Stewart has authored numerous instructional guitar books, composed concertos and sonatas, contributed a longstanding column to Guitar Player Magazine, conducted master classes, and remained active in studios through the 1990s. The handful of albums released under his own name appeared on Fantasy in 1964, Catalyst in 1977, Teceku in 1981, and BlackHawk in 1987.