Steve Swell

Steve Swell (born in Newark, New Jersey, December 6, 1954) is an American free jazz trombonist, composer, and educator.

Steve Swell
Born	(1954-12-06) December 6, 1954 (age 69) Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, free jazz
Occupation	Musician
Instrument	Trombone
Years active	1975–present
Website	www.steveswell.com

Steve Swell, Arts for Art - Vision Festival 2024. Photo by Marek Lazarski

Music career

Swell studied at Jersey City State Teachers College^[1] before moving to New York City in 1975 where he began his musical life, playing in top 40 bands, salsa bands, big bands (most notably those of Buddy Rich and Lionel Hampton) and performed on Broadway in Bob Fosse's Dancin' . He then became a member of Makanda Ken McIntyre's band which led to tours and recordings with Tim Berne, Joey Baron, Herb Robertson, Jemeel Moondoc, Anthony Braxton, Cecil Taylor, William Parker, Bill Dixon, Butch Morris, John Zorn, Dave Burrell, Elliott Sharp, Rob Mazurek, Perry Robinson, Ken Vandermark.

He is greatly influenced by Roswell Rudd, with whom he studied in the mid-1970s.^[1] He was also a student of Grachan Moncur III and Jimmy Knepper.

Swell has led a number of projects, including Slammin' the Infinite (w/Sabir Mateen, Matthew Heyner, Klaus Kugel), Fire Into Music (with William Parker, Jemeel Moondoc, Hamid Drake), Unified Theory of Sound (with Cooper-Moore, Matt Lavelle) and his large ensemble Nation of We (aka NOW Ensemble).

Swell has received a number of awards including a USArts International (NEA) travel grant in 2006, grants from MCAF (LMCC) in 2008 & 2012, Foundation for Contemporary Arts and was nominated for Trombonist of Year, 2008, 2011 & 2020 by the Jazz Journalists Association. He was chosen Trombonist of the Year 2008-2010, 2012, 2014-2021 & 2023 by El Intruso, the Argentine jazz journal. In 2008 he received a fellowship award from The Jubilation Foundation of the Tides Foundation for his work in the New York City public school system and was selected by the Down Beat Critics Poll in the Trombone category 2010-2023. He also received the 2014 Creative Curricula grant from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Steve is an inaugural recipient of a Jazz Road Tours grant (SouthArts.org) begun in 2019 and received a 2020 Creative Engagement grant (Lower Manhattan Cultural Council) for performances in Manhattan. In 2021 Steve received the City Artists Corps Grant (NYC). Steve earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from SUNY in 2016.

Discography

As leader or co-leader

• Imbued With Light Hommage a Galina Ustvolskaya (Silkheart 2024)- Steve Swell, Herb Robertson, Ben Stapp, Sara Schoenbeck, Chris Hoffman, Robert Boston, Harris Eisenstadt
• For the People of the Open Heart (Fundacja Sluchaj! 2023)- Steve Swell, Mark Tokar, Klaus Kugel
• Over the Wall (RogueArt 2023)- Michel Edelin, Steve Swell, Rob Brown, John Betsch, Peter Giron
• Space Cube Jazz (RogueArt 2021)- Matt Shipp & Steve Swell
• Soul Travelers (RogueArt, 2016)- Steve Swell, Jemeel Moondoc, Dave Burrell, William Parker, Gerald Cleaver
• Kende Dreams (Silkheart, 2015)- Steve Swell, Rob Brown, Connie Crothers, William Parker, Chad Taylor
• Music for Six Musicians: Hommage À Olivier Messiaen (Silkheart, 2017)- Steve Swell, Rob Brown, Jason Kao Hwang, Tomas Ulrich, Robert Boston, Jim Pugliese
• Swimming in a Galaxy of Goodwill and Sorrow (RogueArt, 2007)- Steve Swell's Fire Into Music w/Jemeel Moondoc, William Parker, Hamid Drake
• Welcom to the Troposhphere (Fundacja Sluchaj!, 2022)- Steve Swell, Elisabeth Harnik Live in Munich
• Dances With Questions (NotTwo, 2019)- Steve Swell, with Carlos Zingaro, Elisabeth Coudoux, Mikolaj Trzaska, Signe Emmeluth, Gebhard Ullmann, Hanne de Backer, Niklas Brano, Per Ake Holmlander, Elisabeth Harnik, Jon Rune Strom, Paal Nilssen-Love Live in Krakow
• Moons of Jupiter (CIMP, 1997) - Steve Swell Quartet w/Mark Whitecage, Dominic Duval, Jay Rosen
• Atmospheels (CIMP, 1999) - Steve Swell Trio w/Will Connell, Lou Grassi
• Flurries Warm and Clear (CIMP, 1999) - Steve Swell Trio w/Ned Rothenberg, Tomas Ulrich
• Steve Swell presents Particle Data Group (Cadence, 2001)
• The Implicate Order at Seixal (Clean Feed, 2001) - Steve Swell, Ken Filiano, Lou Grassi + Rodrigo Amado, Paulo Curado
• Poets of the Now (CIMP, 2002)
• Unified Theory Of Sound: This Now! - (Cadence Jazz, 2003) - Steve Swell, Jemeel Moondoc, Cooper-Moore, Wilber Morris, Kevin Norton, Matt LaVelle
• New York BrassWood Trio: Still in Movement (CIMP, 2003)
• Suite for Players, Listeners and Other Dreamers (CIMP, 2003) - Steve Swell, Roy Campbell, Charles Burnham, Will Connell, Kevin Norton, Francois Grillot
• Invisible Cities (Drimala, 2004) - Steve Swell/Perry Robinson Duo
• Not Just... (CIMP, 2005) - Steve Swell/Dave Taylor Quintet Billy Bang, Tomas Ulrich, Ken Filiano
• Double Dipoid (CIMP, 2006) - Steve Swell/Dave Taylor Quartet w/Warren Smith, Chad Taylor
• Rivers of Sound Ensemble: News from the Mystic Auricle (Not Two, 2008) - Steve Swell, Roy Campbell, Sabir Mateen, Hilliard "Hill" Greene, Klaus Kugel
• Magical Listening Hour (Cadence Jazz, 2009) - Steve Swell/Nate Wooley/Michael Attias/Louie Belogenis
• Planet Dream (Clean Feed, 2009) - Steve Swell, Rob Brown, Daniel Levin
• Feynman's Diagrams (Nacht, 2013)- Steve Swell/Kirk Knuffke Duo
• Kanreki (Not Two, 2015)
• Observations (CIMP, 1996) - Steve Swell & Chris Kelsey Duo
• Out and About (CIMP, 1996) - Steve Swell Quartet featuring Roswell Rudd w/Ken Filiano, Lou Grassi

With Slammin' the Infinite

• Slammin' the Infinite (Cadence Jazz, 2004)- Steve Swell, Sabir Mateen, Matt Heyner, Klaus Kugel
• Remember Now (NotTwo, 2006) - Steve Swell, Sabir Mateen, Matt Heyner, Klaus Kugel
• Live @ the Vision Festival (NotTwo, 2007) - Steve Swell, Sabir Mateen, Matt Heyner, Klaus Kugel, John Blum
• 5000 Poems (NotTwo, 2010) - Steve Swell, Sabir Mateen, Matt Heyner, Klaus Kugel, John Blum

With Ullmann/Swell 4 with Barry Altschul and Hilliard Greene

• We're Playing in Here? (NoBusiness, 2022)
• Desert Songs and Other Landscapes (CIMP, 2004)
• News? No News! (Jazzwerskstatt, 2010)
• Live in Montreal (CIMP, 2010)

With Nation of We

• Live at the Bowery Poetry Club (Ayler, 2006)
• The Business of Here (Cadence Jazz, 2012)

With Inner Ear

• Breathing Steam (Kilogram, 2010) Mikolaj Trzaska, Steve Swell, Per Ake Holmlander, Tim Daisy
• Return from the Center of the Earth (Bocian, 2013) - Mikolaj Trzaska, Steve Swell, Per Ake Holmlander, Tim Daisy

With Marshall Allen

• PoZest (CIMP, 2000)

Collaborations

• The Trascendentalists: Real Time Messengers (CIMP, 2003) - Steve Swell, Daniel Carter, Tom Abbs, Dave Brandt
• The Diplomats: We Are Not Obstinate Islands (Clean Feed, 2006) - Rob Brown, Harris Eisenstadt
• International Trio: Donkere Golven (W.E.R.F., 2011) - Joachim Badenhorst, Steve Swell, Ziv Ravitz
• Platform 1: Takes Off (Clean Feed, 2012) - Ken Vandermark, Magnus Broo, Steve Swell, Joe Williamson, Michael Vatcher
• Dragonfly Breath (NotTwo, 2013) - Paul Flaherty/Weasel Walter/C Spenser Yeh/Steve Swell
• Latecomers (Ictus, 2013) - Andrea Centazzo/Giancarlo Schiaffini/Steve Swell/Anthony Coleman
• Estuaries (dEN, 2013) - Andrew Raffo Dewar/Garrison Fewell/Steve Swell
• Window and Doorway (Driff, 2013) - Pandelis Karayorgis/Guillermo Gregorio/Steve Swell
• New Atlantis Octet: Unto the Sun (NotTwo, 2013) - Ed Ricart, Roy Campbell, Steve Swell, Aaron Martin, Jason Ajemian, Vattel Cherry, Andrew Barker, Sam Lohman
• Turning Point (NoBusiness, 2014) - Dave Burrell / Steve Swell

Digital release

• Schemata and Heuristics for Four Clarinets #1 (Relay, 2014) - Ned Rothenberg/Guillermo Gregorio/Zara Acosta-Chen/Miguel Malla - https://web.archive.org/web/20140508042901/http://timdaisyrelayrecords.bandcamp.com/track/schemata-and-heuristics-for-clarinets-1-by-steve-swell-relay-new-composers-004
• Steve Swell's Nation Of We (Ayler, 2006) - Saxes: Rob Brown, Will Connell, Saco Yasuma, Sabir Mateen, Ras Moshe; Trumpets: Roy Campbell, Lewis Barnes, Matt LaVelle; Trombones: Dick Griffin, Peter Zummo, Steve Swell, Dave Taylor; Piano: Chris Forbes; Bass: Matthew Heyner, Todd Nicholson; Drums: Jackson Krall - https://ayler-records.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-the-bowery-poetry-club

As sideman

With Active Ingredients (Chad Taylor, Jemeel Moondoc, Tom Abbs, Swell)

• Titration (Delmark, 2002 [2003])

With Joey Baron

• Tongue in Groove (JMT, 1992)
• Crackshot (Avant, 1995)

With Tim Berne

• Pace Yourself (JMT, 1991)
• Nice View (JMT, 1994)

With Anthony Braxton

• Trillium R Opera (Braxton House, 1997)

With Rob Brown

• Radiant Pools (RogueArt, 2005)

With Jaki Byard and the Apollo Stompers

• Phantasies (Soul Note, 1984)

With Bill Dixon

• 17 Musicians in Search of a Sound: Darfur (AUM Fidelity, 2007)

With Jemeel Moondoc

• Spirit House (Eremite, 2001)
• Live at the Vision Festival (Ayler, 2003)
• The Zookeeper's House (Relative Pitch, 2014)

With William Parker

• Flowers Grow in My Room (Centering, 1994)
• Sunrise in the Tone World (AUM Fidelity, 1995)
• Mayor of Punkville (AUM Fidelity, 1999)
• Raincoat in the River (Eremite, 2001)
• Spontaneous (Splasc(H), 2002)
• For Percy Heath (Victo, 2005)
• Essence of Ellington (Centering, 2012)

With Roswell Rudd

• Broad Strokes (Knitting Factory, 2000)

With Alan Silva

• Alan Silva & the Sound Visions Orchestra (Eremite, 2001)
• H.Con.Res.57/Treasure Box (Eremite, 2003)

With Cecil Taylor

• All the Notes (DVD) Cecil Taylor and Orchestra Humane - Chris Felver Films (2005)

With Ken Vandermark

• Resonance Ensemble: Head Above Water
• Resonance Ensemble: What Country Is This?
• Resonance Ensemble: Kafka in Flight
• Resonance Ensemble: Live in Krakow
• Resonance Ensemble: Live in the Ukraine

With Tom Varner

• The Mystery of Compassion (Soul Note, 1992)

References

1. Drouot, Alain. "Steve Swell: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-10-25.

External links

• Official website
• Steve Swell @ All About Jazz