Ernest Stuart

Philly area native and Temple University graduate Ernest Stuart moved north to take his bite out of the Big Apple shortly after graduation. The versatile trombonist performed at many of the major jazz clubs and connected with top musicians, but decided to return to Philadelphia in 2010 to record his debut album, Solitary Walker. The project features a killer band, guest vocalist Chrissy Loftus, and is steeped in the tradition of Philadelphia Soul. Stuart founded the celebrated Center City Jazz Festival in Philadelphia in 2012. The annual event has grown in popularity and has become an important destination for jazz enthusiasts from Philadelphia and beyond. Utilizing a small group of venues in walking distance to one another, the festival showcases of the hidden treasures of downtown Philadelphia while presenting some of the nation’s top-notch artists. The 2014 release of the EP Love/Loss 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. He followed that release up with his second solo EP titled Same Walking Animals. This project was inspired by his experiences while on tour. Ernest has been fortunate enough to perform with an impressive list of artist including The Roots, Orrin Evans, Billy Paul, Aretha Franklin, Terell Stafford, Seal, John Legend, Red Baraat, the Teskey Brothers and many others.

Photo Credit: Jauhien Sasnou