Steve Swallow

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Steve Swallow (born in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, October 4, 1940), is one of the leading bassists and composers in jazz. He originally started on piano and trumpet before settling on the acoustic bass as a teenager.
Swallow joined the Paul Bley trio in 1960 and with Bley was a part of an avant-garde version of the Jimmy Giuffre 3 during 1960-1962.
Swallow recorded with George Russell and was a member of Art Farmer's quartet (1962-1965), Stan Getz's band (1965-1967), and an important edition of Gary Burton's quartet (1967-1970). The latter group (starting with the addition of guitarist Larry Coryell) was actually one of the first fusion groups, and it was during that time that Swallow began playing electric bass; within a few years he stopped playing acoustic altogether.
Swallow has 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, Bill Evans, Chick Corea, Stan Getz and Gary Burton.

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