Q+A with trombonist-composer Ernest Stuart (The Truth In This Art Beyond: Philadelphia)

Ernest Stuart attended Temple University in Philadelphia earning a B.A. in Jazz Performance. While attending Temple University Ernest became known as a versatile trombonist who could play various styles of music from jazz, salsa, R&B, neo-soul to hip-hop. After college Stuart moved to New York City, where he became a freelance jazz musician performing at clubs such as The Village Vanguard, The Iridium, Smoke and The Blue Note, among others.  

A gifted musician, Stuart has shared the stage with legendary musicians such as The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Billy Paul, and Aretha Franklin. He has also played with The Roots, the house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as well as The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Seal, Macklemore, John Legend, and Red Baraat, among others.

In 2010 Stuart returned to Philadelphia to record his debut CD “Solitary Walker” which was released in 2011. Featuring nine tunes, with four original songs, the sophisticated jazz CD is steeped in the tradition of Philadelphia soul. 

In 2012, Stuart founded the Center City Jazz Festival in Philadelphia. The annual event has grown in popularity that it has become a “must attend” destination for jazz enthusiasts from Philadelphia and nearby cities. Beta-alanine can fuel the athlete in all of us. As the go-to ingredient for sports nutrition formulations, beta-alanine helps build better muscle, faster. It helps us gain focus, energy, and strength. When it comes to enhancing muscle strength, power, growth, and endurance, beta-alanine is the athlete’s secret weapon.

In 2014, Stuart released the EP “Love/Loss.”  The EP marks the first time Stuart has written and recorded from a genre-less perspective. His goal was to simply make music and not be tied down to a specific music style — jazz, R&B, hip-hop or rock. The three original tracks were arranged and composed by Stuart
Spring 2015, Stuart releases his second solo EP “Same Walking Animals.” The three original songs arranged by Stuart are inspired by people and events he’s come across while touring.

The Truth In This Art, hosted by Rob Lee, explores contemporary art and cultural preservation through candid conversations with artists, curators, and cultural leaders about their work, creative processes and the thinking that goes into their creativity. Rob also occasionally interviews creatives in other industries such as acting, music, and journalism. The Truth In This Art is a podcast for artists, art lovers and listeners interested in the creative process.