BIX TOP ACT • Bill Stewart Trio feat. Larry Grenadier & Walter Smith III

The Bill Stewart Trio is one of the most exciting formations on the jazz and improvisation scene. With the exceptional drummer Bill Stewart, the outstanding bassist Larry Grenadier and the brilliant saxophonist Walter Smith III, this trio unites three of the most influential voices in modern jazz.

In recent years, the band has made several extended guest appearances at the legendary Village Vanguard in New York and released a highly acclaimed recording with Band Menu. Stewart and Grenadier have a long-standing musical partnership, including in the bands of Pat Metheny and John Scofield. The collaboration with Walter Smith III began in the studio - and quickly developed into an extraordinary artistic connection.

Bill Stewart, born in Des Moines in 1966, has been one of the most sought-after drummers in the world for over three decades. He has worked with greats such as Joe Lovano, Joshua Redman, Charlie Haden and Maceo Parker. As a bandleader, he has released numerous albums, including Snide Remarks, which was named one of the best jazz recordings of 1995 by The New York Times. His most recent release Live at the Village Vanguard (2025) impressively documents the energy of this trio.

Larry Grenadier is one of the most important bassists of his generation. Known for his melodic playing and intuitive musicality, he has worked with Brad Mehldau, Joe Henderson and Stan Getz, among others. In addition to his numerous projects, he is a professor at the Jazzcampus Basel and continues to tour worldwide.

Walter Smith III is one of the most distinctive saxophonists of his generation - a versatile artist, composer and teacher. He has played with Terence Blanchard, Roy Haynes and Christian McBride, among others, and is a professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston. His music combines tradition and the present - in the spirit of Dizzy Gillespie, who once said: "You have to have one foot in the past and one in the future."

Together, this trio creates a sound that is characterized by deep musical understanding, spontaneous interaction and enormous expressiveness. Or, as the critic Nate Chinen put it: Bill Stewart's particular strength lies in "making a good band sound even better in an inexplicable way".

Line-up: Walter Smith III (sax); Larry Grenadier (db); Bill Stewart (dr)