Jimmy Stewart

Jimmy Stewart (born September 8, 1937) is an American guitarist who has performed a wide variety of music since the late 1950s. He is best known for his association with jazz guitarist Gábor Szabó, but he has been extensively involved in many genres of music as an arranger, conductor, producer, orchestrator, musical director, and educator. Stewart has appeared on over 1,200 recordings. Early life and education Stewart was born on September 8, 1937, in San Francisco, California. At the age of four, he commenced piano lessons, switching to guitar when he was eight. He sneaked out of the family house late at night to go to clubs. A professional by age 15, he received the opportunity to play with Earl Hines when he was 16. After working in Lake Tahoe, he studied at the College of San Mateo, earning a degree in 1957, and the next year married Janet McCoy. In 1960 he attended the Chicago School of Music, where he was a student of classical guitarist and teacher, Richard Pick. He received a certificate in composition and modern arranging from the Berklee School of Music in 1964. He also engaged in private studies with Albert Harris (composition, film scoring and orchestration), Jack Lee (conducting), George M. Smith (classical guitar and studio guitar), Paul Miller (fretted instruments), and Bud Young (dance band arrangements, harmony, and composition from 16th–18th centuries). US Army From 1958 to 1960, Stewart served in the US Army, where he became a broadcast specialist. He recorded the 1959 Playboy Jazz Festival for the Armed Forces radio station, was musical director for the weekly radio show, At Ease Show, and produced Parade Rest for St. Louis television. He also played guitar on variety shows and produced radio programs.