Thus far,
Michael "Patches" Stewart's role as a trumpeter has been primarily to fill in for the late
Miles Davis. Playing muted with
Marcus Miller,
Stewart can often sound very similar to
Davis during the latter's later years. He became a professional when he was 16, making his recording debut that same year on a
Patti LaBelle record.
Stewart has since worked with
Quincy Jones,
David Sanborn,
George Duke. and
Whitney Houston, and he spent eight years as part of
Al Jarreau's backup band. From the mid-'90s on,
Stewart's most notable association has been with
Marcus Miller in a band that sounds eerily like
Miles Davis' final group. In addition to his recordings with
Miller,
Stewart has recorded his own dates for the Hip Bop label. ~ Scott Yanow