Ben Waters
Boogie 4 Stu: A Tribute To Ian Stewart
Eagle Records
www.eaglerockent.com
By George W. Harris

Those music fans who are “in the know” of rock and blues recognize the
name Ian Stewart (along with Nanker Fledge). Dubbed “the sixth Rolling
Stone,” Stewart was the barrel house boogie pianist on the Stones’
early and most earthy recordings, eventually becoming their road
manager before dying in 1985. This session, lead by 8-to-the-bar
pianist Ben Waters, takes some of the tunes associated with Stewart,
along with some originals and tunes that would have made the blues
pianist proud.

A couple solo boogie pieces by Waters set the mood; no frills here,
just toe tapping music that hits you right in the gut. There’s
something about that groove that just gets under your skin! The songs
include a ton of mixes and matches with guests which include the
various Stones, with Charlie Watts holding down the drums most of the
time very well, thank you. Ronnie Wood and Mick Jagger get together for
one of the real highlights, a barnburning take of Dylan’s “Watching The
River Flow” that might be the singer’s best outing in decades, while
Keith Richards does some nice work on “Worried Life Blues” as well. A
vintage 1984 recording of Stewart caught at the Montreux Jazz Festival
concludes the disc with a spirited take of “Bring It On Home To Me,”
making this disc a must for blues, boogie and Stones fans.