Depending on which book you read, most agree that pianist Ian Stewart co-founded the Rolling Stones with Brian Jones. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman filled out the lineup, and Stewart was eventually shuffled to the side because he didn’t “look” the part. But he stayed on as road manager and tinkled the ivories as the undisputable “sixth Stone” until 1985, the year of his passing. While other keyboardists, notably Nicky Hopkins, would add their own spin to various Stones recordings, it was always Stewart on the road, weary of minor keys, but ready to boogie-woogie with the band. No doubt, he would have appreciated the sentiment of fellow boogie-woogie pianist Ben Waters, who spent a year putting Boogie 4 Stu: A Tribute To Ian Stewart together.
According to the liner notes of this 11-track disc, Waters, of the A, B, C & D of Boogie Woogie, which also includes Charlie Watts, had wanted to make the record for years. Stewart was an idol and Waters simply wanted to thank him in a special and musical way. Adding to the integrity of the project, Waters opted to donate proceeds from sales of the album to the British Heart Foundation. Once Watts signed on to play drums, other musicians expressed interest in being involved. Most had known Stewart, and wanted to express their thanks in a more personal way. As it worked out, other members of the Rolling Stones, past and present, came aboard, transforming a simple tribute into a star-studded ballyhoo.
The majority of the CD is immersed in the boogie-woogie style piano playing of Ben Waters. For as well respected as Stewart was, it’s hard to imagine him as sharp and in the groove as Waters when it comes to the inducing elements of boogie-woogie. On “Boogie Woogie Stomp,” Waters is merely warming up. After he, Richards, Wyman and a few well-placed horns shuffle through a satisfying slab of Amos Wilburn’s “Rooming House Boogie,” the party begins to percolate. Richards delivers a smooth lead vocal on “Worried Life Blues,” and is joined by Ron Wood, who adds some tasty slide and sings the last verse. This isn’t the last we hear from members of the Rolling Stones.
Things grow more eclectic as Jools Holland, another old friend of Stewart’s, contributes piano and vocals to “Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor.” But no one is more out of left field than PJ Harvey, whose connection to the record goes deeper than most. For one, her parents were close friends with Stewart. But then an even stranger coincidence: Harvey and Waters are cousins. Harvey’s breathy vocal on Stephen Marley’s “Lonely Avenue” works as the perfect set-up for the album’s centerpiece, Bob Dylan’s “Watching The River Flow.” Here, Richards, Wood, Watts and Wyman are joined by Jagger, who pulls out a greasy reading like another superstar day at the office. This, of course, marks the first song the other Stones have cut with Wyman in over 20 years. Waters takes the reins for “Roll ‘Em Pete” and “Suitcase Blues,” before ceding to the master himself — a 1984 live recording of Ian Stewart and his band Rocket 88 raving it up on Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home To Me.” Could there have been a more appropriate closing? As a complete package, Boogie 4 Stu: A Tribute To Ian Stewart is an album with a lot of heart for a good cause. It doubles as a loving salute to one of rock’s greatest unsung heroes.
~ Shawn Perry
