Entitling your debut album as leader Louis the First could smack of hubris, given the kingly suggestion of a regnal name and number. But by 1975, when this recently dusted-down album was originally recorded, the Irish guitarist Louis Stewart already had the chops to earn his crown. As early as 1968 he was working with Tubby Hayes, and in the same year he was recognised as the outstanding European soloist at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Shortly after he toured with Benny Goodman (1969–71), and when this trio recording was made he was already a member of Ronnie Scott’s quartet. So by the time he returned to Dublin to record this trio set with bassist Martin Walshe and drummer John Wadham, he was (in the words of his lifelong friend the pianist Jim Doherty), ‘on fire’.
That fire is apparent the moment the trio burns into an uptempo ‘All the Things You Are’. Yes, Stewart can – and does – play outrageously fast, but with heat rather than mere flash. Like Joe Pass (who praised Stewart), he always sounds graceful and unhurried, even at the fastest tempi. And thanks to the remastering by Livia Records, we can hear every guitar note with great clarity. At times Stewart sounds like lead and rhythm guitar playing together and I suspect some overdubs, but whatever overdubbing there may be is done with great taste and subtlety.
The next track is a slow and bluesy take of Milton Jackson’s ‘Bluesology’ that starts with a clearly articulated duet between bass and guitar before the drums join in. ‘Body and Soul’ is an andante-paced duet with bass throughout, with a gorgeous closing guitar cadenza. ‘Alone Together’ opens with a beautiful, liquid guitar solo before bass and drums join in to take the tune for a boppish and graceful stroll. ‘O Grande Amor’ is taken at a relatively brisk pace compared with the well-known Getz/Gilberto version, but manages to sound relaxed even when Stewart dashes off lightning-fast runs.
Interspersing the set are three tracks showcasing Stewart performing entirely solo: ‘Send in the Clowns’ (contemplative and full of rich voicings); ‘Here’s That Rainy Day’ (a masterclass in solo guitar); and ‘Autumn Leaves’ (uptempo with an aerial lightness, and – as with ‘All the Things’ – sounding occasionally like two guitars, suggesting some subtle overdubbing). These tracks provide a tantalising foretaste of Louis Stewart’s all-solo album Out on His Own (1977, re-released by Livia in 2023).
Finishing the set is a bonus track not on the original 1976 release, Wayne Shorter’s ‘Footprints’, whose loping rhythm is complemented by a bass solo, tinkling bells added to the drumming, and rich chordal fills from guitar.
As with the Livia re-release of Louis Stewart & Noel Kelehan – ‘Some Other Blues’, the remastering is of a high quality, as is the CD packaging: a cardboard gatefold with a 16-page booklet that includes original and new sleeve notes, new photos, and recollections from Stewart’s friend and collaborator the pianist Jim Doherty. In my review of Some Other Blues I said ‘Let’s hope the vaults turn up other rare gems as good as this one’ and that wish has certainly been fulfilled.
