Double Bass Steve Swallow

#3
Steve Swallow is a great bassist. In his upright bass era he played extensively with Art Farmer, Jim Hall and Pete LaRoca. It’s my personal theory that Jim Hall is an often overlooked influence on Mr Swallow’s electric bass concept.

Steve also played extensively with Paul Bley, specifically on the highly influential album Footloose, and with the Jimmy Giuffre 3.
 
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#4
I love that Art Farmer group with Swallow and Jim Hall. Live At The Half Note is a great album. I also really like Gary Burton’s Duster album, with Swallow, Haynes and Larry Coryell- that was one of the first jazz records I owned when I was a kid, and it has some great tunes and great playing all around.
 
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#7
Pete LaRoca's BASRA (with Steve Kuhn and Joe Henderson) is a nice one. There are some out takes of the first recording session for Stan Getz's SWEET RAIN with Steve and Roy Haynes that are floating around. The story I heard was that Stan was "substancely encumbered" for the session and Creed Taylor stopped the session and wanted to reschedule, but that would have put it over budget. So he went to management and blamed the cancellation on Roy, who got fired. When Steve heard about it, he quit in solidarity. So Creed got Ron and Grady Tate to come in for the recording that was released...
 
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#9
ejnachtrab said:
It’s my personal theory that Jim Hall is an often overlooked influence on Mr Swallow’s electric bass concept.
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It was his theory, too! He talked about it in interviews. He said he would hand Jim the BG when they were on tour and he would rip Jim Hall lines with a pick.
I am glad he is pretty well recorded on both instruments. He did ground breaking work on both.
 
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#10
damonsmith said:
It was his theory, too! He talked about it in interviews. He said he would hand Jim the BG when they were on tour and he would rip Jim Hall lines with a pick.
I am glad he is pretty well recorded on both instruments. He did ground breaking work on both.
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Ha! I guess it’s not “my personal theory” then… it’s nice to hear that. It seems to me that generally when bassists talk about the evolution of Steve Swallow’s playing Jim Hall gets left out of the equation and that’s who I hear the most in his BG playing!
 
#13
This is the album.

I think Jimmy Raney and Zoot are on the right channel, Jim Hall on the left channel with Steve Swallow, drums on both.
Oh ! Sometimes Zoot is on both ! I suppose he was moving.
Jimmy Raney plays more articulated, more attack and less legato.
Jim Hall is more "modern", more legato but swing is there.
I like this swinging Black Orpheus !
 
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#16
hdiddy said:
That's the only one i know of. The Jimmy Raney thing is new to me and I'm a Raney fan too sooooooo

woohoo!!!!
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Just FYI, my former band mate and best friend Jon Raney has published, with Chuck Sher, a book of his father’s (Jimmy Raney) improvisational exercises with Jon’s analysis and his own approach to incorporating the material…
www.shermusic.com

The Jimmy Raney Book by Jimmy Raney & Jon Raney | Sher Music Co.

A unique jazz method book from guitar legend Jimmy Raney!
www.shermusic.com www.shermusic.com
 
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