Steve Swallow
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Steve Swallow | |
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 Photo by Natalia Dobryszycka
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Steve Swallow |
| Born | October 4, 1940 |
| Origin | Fair Lawn, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genre(s) | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Double bassist, Electric bassist |
| Instrument(s) | Double bass, Electric Bass |
| Associated acts | Jimmy Giuffre, Art Farmer, Carla Bley |
Steve Swallow (b. October 4, 1940) is a jazz bass guitarist and composer born in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.
As a child, Swallow studied piano and trumpet before turning to the double bass at age 14. While attending a prep school, he began trying his hand in jazz improvisation. In 1960 he left Yale, where he was studying composition, and settled in New York City, playing at the time in Jimmy Giuffre's trio along with Paul Bley. Since joining Art Farmer's quartet in 1964, Swallow began to write. It is in the 1960s that his long-term association with Gary Burton's various bands began.
In the early 1970s, Swallow switched exclusively to bass guitar, of which he prefers the 5-string variety. Along with Bob Cranshaw, Swallow was among the first jazz bassists to do so (with much encouragement from Roy Haynes, Swallow's favorite drummer). He plays with a pick (made of copper by Hotlicks), and his style involves intricate solos in the upper register; he was one of the early adopters of the high C string on a bass guitar.
In 1974-76 Swallow taught at the Berklee College of Music. It is often speculated that he had an influence on the contents of The Real Book, which includes a fair number of his early compositions. He later recorded an album of the same name, with the picture of a well-worn, coffee-stained Real Book on the cover.
In 1978 Swallow became an essential and constant member of Carla Bley's band. He toured extensively with John Scofield in the early 1980s, and had returned to this collaboration several times over the years.
Swallow had consistently won the electric bass category in Down Beat yearly polls, both Critics' and Readers', since the mid-80s. His compositions have been covered by, among others, Jim Hall (who recorded his very first tune, "Eiderdown"), Bill Evans, Chick Corea, Stan Getz and Gary Burton.
[edit] Quotations
"I believe it's written somewhere: 'Steve Swallow has to sit uneasily at the piano for ten hours before receiving his next idea,' so I sit there as patiently as possible. Eventually, an idea always comes..."
"Occasionally, when I run into a great bass backstage at a festival I'll play a few notes on the low E string, just to feel the instrument vibrate against my belly."
[edit] Selected discography (as leader or co-leader)
- Hotel Hello (with Gary Burton)
- Duets (with Carla Bley)
- Go Together (with Carla Bley)
- Are We There Yet? (with Carla Bley)
- Carla
- Swallow
- Real Book
- Deconstructed
- Always Pack Your Uniform On Top
- Damaged in Transit
- L'Histoire du Clochard (with Ohad Talmor)
- What a wonderful world (guest on "R.I.P." LP : http://www.myspace.com/ripsound) , 2007.
- Your Songs: The Music of Elton John (with Paul Motian, Gil Goldstein and Pietro Tonolo) on ObliqSound, 2007
