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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZSTEWART, Rex(b Rex William Stewart, 22 Feb. '07, Philadelphia PA; d 7 Sep. '67, LA) Cornet. Family moved to Washington DC '14; he played on Potomac riverboats, went to Philadelphia, then NYC '21. Worked with Elmer Snowden '25, with Fletcher and Horace Henderson '26--31, McKinney's Cotton Pickers briefly '31--2, Fletcher again; led own band, worked with Luis Russell, then a star in the Duke Ellington band '34-- 45 except for brief absences. Led own Rextet combos, toured Europe/Australia '47--51; settled in New Jersey to run a farm '51--6, also worked in local radio and TV, also led own band in Boston and worked as a disc jockey in Albany NY, say various sources. He helped organize and lead Henderson reunion band '57--8 and recorded with it. At Eddie Condon's Club NYC '58--9; moved to West Coast, worked as disc jockey and began writing and lecturing on jazz history: his book Jazz Masters Of The 30s published posthumously '72. He specialized in a half-valve effect, notably on 'Boy Meets Horn' '38; apart from other solos on Ellington records, Ellington small-group recording sessions were issued under his name on various labels '36--41, usually compiled under Ellington's name; quartet Rex Stewart and his Feetwarmers in Paris '39 with Django Reinhardt, Barney Bigard and Billy Taylor; the most famous of this period are eight tracks '40--41 with septet incl. Jimmy Blanton, Ben Webster etc as Rex Stewart and his Orchestra on Bluebird: on 'Menelik (The Lion Of Judah)' he growled like a fey lion through his mute; 'Subtle Slough (Just Squeeze Me)' is particularly fine. Another four tracks '40 as by Rex Stewart and the Ellingtonians (or the Big Seven) on Hot Record Society label (limited edition at the time), later on Fantasy. Four more tracks on Capitol '45 as Rex Stewart's Big Eight; later Memorial Album and Trumpet Jive (with Wingy Manone) on Prestige, the delightful Henderson reunion band LP '57 on various labels, Porgy And Bess Revisited '58 later on Swing (instrumental, with Cootie Williams, Lawrence Brown etc playing parts), The Irrepressible Rex Stewart '71 on Jazzology, compilations His Best Recordings on Best of Jazz (incl. tracks with Sidney Bechet's New Orleans Feetwarmers), Rexatious on ASV CD. |