| Trumpet player, composer and member of 1980s band The Style Council, Stewart Prosser is releasing his first solo work as a triptych of tracks. Entitled ‘Far From Home’, the EP will be released digitally through Elm Tree Records on 14 February 2025. A single, ‘Fogbound’, will arrive first on 17 January 2025. Commenting on the work, Stewart said, “The compositions were prompted by my deep concerns about how difficult the world has become for young people to navigate. The melodies came to me as I was trying to capture a mood that sits somewhere between jazz and ambient sounds. From searching for meaning and sparring with constraints, to reflecting on the right path and self-care, I hope the tracks speak to personal fortitude, optimism and resilience. Each musical statement has that at its core.” Raised amongst a strict small-town religious backdrop, music was an early escape for Stewart. The trumpet fell into his hands, he felt connected: hearing Miles at the same time as The Beatles, Beethoven and early jazz rock brass voicings lit a fuse. Moving to London was the bedrock step. Hardened in clubs gigging with a feisty soul band he became increasingly in demand in the studio. Being noticed and hired by The Style Council brought opportunities to tour the world, record, arrange, perform, learn. Number one album, top ten singles. Love and the need to provide pushed his creative energies in another direction for a while. Valuable new skills were learned. Serious illness a later turning point. A reassessment which allowed time to develop a broader musical palette and vocabulary. Collaborations with composer Damian Montagu and actor Hugh Bonneville followed, generating a number one classical album and a number one single. He received growing notices as a jazz player, and continued his musical evolution, often playing with – and learning from – other musicians. The triptych itself was recorded in Autumn 2024, and produced by Jody Smith, a seasoned Irish multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer who has performed with artists such as Van Morrison, Clannad, Bill Shanley, Nigel Price and Carl Orr. His film and soundtrack work has been featured on numerous TV channels and streaming services, and his help on ‘Far From Home’ was essential to create the atmosphere, tone and character of Stewart’s vision. Now Stewart is here to tell his own story and encourage others, ‘Far From Home’ immerses the listener in a probing of the social iniquities heaped upon the younger generations. Reflecting his search for meaning after serious illness and with references from Jon Hassell and Miles Davis to Kenny Wheeler and Nils Frahm, this triptych is a perfect winter reflection. |
