Biography
Rex William Stewart Jnr., 22 February 1907, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, d. 7 September 1967, Los Angeles, California, USA. Stewart began playing cornet in his early teens, having previously tried several other instruments. By 1921 he was in New York where he played in a succession of bands over the next three or four years. A spell with Elmer Snowden in the mid-20s was followed by a job with Fletcher Henderson. Over the next few years he worked in a number of bands, frequently returning to Henderson, and then, in 1934, joined Duke Ellington. He remained with Ellington until 1945, with spells out of the band for engagements with Benny Carter and others. In the late 40s and 50s he led his own bands in the USA and Europe, and was the driving force behind the re-formed Henderson All Stars band at the South Bay Jazz Festival in 1957. In the 60s Stewart developed a parallel career as a broadcaster and writer. One of the most distinctive cornetists in jazz, Stewart...
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