Grant Stewart is as dominating a tenor saxophonist as exists on the straight ahead jazz scene. The thirty-five year old native of Toronto, Canada came to New York City in 1990 and has become a mainstay by virtue of his weekly appearances at Smalls jazz club and other downtown venues. On "In the Still of the Night," his first release as a leader on Sharp Nine, he is joined by bebop piano master Tardo Hammer, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Joe Farnsworth for a program of jazz and songbook standards. Stewart possesses a huge, lush sound, a keen harmonic conception and a muscular rhythmic drive. This is a tenor player who must be heard by anyone who appreciates the timeless virtues of the hard bop era.