Steve Swell


Steve Swell is an American free jazz trombonist, composer, and educator.

Music career

Swell studied at Jersey City State Teachers College before moving to New York City in 1975 where he began his musical life, playing in top 40 bands, salsa bands, big bands 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.
In 2016, Swell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from the State University of New York.
He is greatly influenced by Roswell Rudd, with whom he studied in the mid-1970s. He was also a student of Grachan Moncur III and Jimmy Knepper.
Swell has led a number of projects, including the groups Slammin' the Infinite, Fire Into Music, Unified Theory of Sound and his large ensemble, Nation of We.
Swell has received a number of awards including a USArts International travel grant in 2006, grants from MCAF in 2008 and 2012, a Foundation for Contemporary Arts grant. He was nominated for Trombonist of Year in 2008, 2011, and 2020 by the Jazz Journalists Association, and respectively, in 2008-2010, 2012, 2014-2021, and 2023, by the Argentine jazz journal El Intruso. 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. He was selected by the DownBeat Critics Poll for the Trombone category from 2010-2023. He also received the 2014 Creative Curricula grant and the 2020 Creative Engagement grant for performances in Manhattan, both from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Swell is an inaugural recipient of a Jazz Road Tours grant from South Arts, which begun in 2019. In 2021, Swell received the City Artists Corps Grant.

Discography

As leader or co-leader

Release yearAlbumLabelPersonnel
2004Slammin' the InfiniteCadence JazzSabir Mateen, Matt Heyner, Klaus Kugel
2006Remember NowNot TwoSabir Mateen, Matt Heyner, Klaus Kugel
2007Live @ the Vision FestivalNot TwoSabir Mateen, Matt Heyner, Klaus Kugel, John Blum
20105000 PoemsNot TwoSabir Mateen, Matt Heyner, Klaus Kugel, John Blum

Release yearAlbumLabelPersonnel
2006Live at the Bowery Poetry ClubAylersaxophone: Rob Brown, Will Connell, Saco Yasuma, Sabir Mateen, Ras Moshe; trumpet: Roy Campbell, Lewis Barnes, Matt Lavelle; trombone: Dick Griffin, Peter Zummo, Dave Taylor; piano: Chris Forbes; bass: Matthew Heyner, Todd Nicholson; drums:Jackson Krall
2012The Business of HereCadence Jazzalto saxophone: Darius Jones, Giuseppe Logan, Saco Yasuma, Will Connell; soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone: Bill Gagliardi; tenor saxophone, flute: Ras Moshe, Sabir Mateen; baritone saxophone, harmonica: Dave Sewelson; trumpet: Chris DiMeglio, Flip Barnes; trumpet, bass clarinet: Matt Lavelle; trombone: Peter Zummo; bass trombone: Dave Taylor; bass trombone, shells: Aaron Johnson; violin: Jason Hwang, Rosi Hertlein; cello: Daniel Levin; bass: Todd Nicholson; bass, voice : Albey Balgochian; drums, percussion: Jackson Krall

Release yearAlbumLabelPersonnel
2000PoZestCIMPMarshall Allen, Lou Grassi, Perry Robinson, Paul Smoker, Wilber Morris

Collaborations

Release yearAlbumLabelPersonnelAccess link
2006Steve Swell's Nation Of WeAylerSaxes: Rob Brown, Will Connell, Saco Yasuma, Sabir Mateen, Ras Moshe; trumpets: Roy Campbell, Lewis Barnes, Matt Lavelle; trombones: Dick Griffin, Peter Zummo, Dave Taylor; piano: Chris Forbes; bass: Matthew Heyner, Todd Nicholson; drums: Jackson Krall
2014Schemata and Heuristics for Four Clarinets #1RelayNed Rothenberg, Guillermo Gregorio, Zara Acosta-Chen, Miguel Malla

As sideman

With Active Ingredients
  • Titration
With Joey Baron
  • Tongue in Groove
  • Crackshot
With Tim Berne
  • Pace Yourself
  • Nice View
With Anthony Braxton
  • Trillium R Opera
With Rob Brown
  • Radiant Pools
With Jaki Byard and the Apollo Stompers
  • Phantasies
With Bill Dixon
  • 17 Musicians in Search of a Sound: Darfur
With Jemeel Moondoc
  • Spirit House
  • Live at the Vision Festival
  • The Zookeeper's House
With William Parker
  • Flowers Grow in My Room
  • Sunrise in the Tone World
  • Mayor of Punkville
  • Raincoat in the River
  • Spontaneous
  • For Percy Heath
  • Essence of Ellington
With Roswell Rudd
  • Broad Strokes
With Samo Salamon
  • Dream Suites Vol. 1
With Alan Silva
  • Alan Silva & the Sound Visions Orchestra
  • H.Con.Res.57/Treasure Box
With Cecil Taylor
  • All the Notes Cecil Taylor and Orchestra Humane - Chris Felver Films
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''