1. Steve Swallow was one of the first jazz double bassists to switch entirely to electric bass guitar.
11 Facts About Steve Swallow
1. 2.
Steve Swallow was first introduced to the electric bass while doing a music trade show with Gary Burton and trying a Gibson EB-2.
3.
Steve Swallow plays with a pick, and his style involves intricate solos in the upper register.
4.
Steve Swallow was one of the early adopters of the high C string on a bass guitar.
5.
From 1974 to 1976, Steve Swallow taught at the Berklee College of Music.
6.
Steve Swallow contributed several of his compositions to the Berklee students who assembled the first edition of The Real Book.
7.
Steve Swallow later recorded an album, Real Book, with the picture of a well-worn, coffee-stained book on the cover.
8.
In 1978, Steve Swallow became a member of Carla Bley's band.
9.
Steve Swallow was Bley's romantic partner from the 1980s until her death in 2023.
10.
Steve Swallow toured extensively with John Scofield in the early 1980s, and has returned to this collaboration several times over the years.
11.
Steve Swallow's compositions have been covered by, among others, Jim Hall, Bill Evans, Chick Corea, Stan Getz and Gary Burton.