Steve Swell (born in Newark, New Jersey, December 6, 1954) 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 (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. 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

With Slammin' the Infinite With Ullmann/Swell 4 with Barry Altschul and Hilliard Greene With Nation of We With Inner Ear With Marshall Allen

Collaborations

Digital release

As sideman

With Active Ingredients (Chad Taylor, Jemeel Moondoc, Tom Abbs, Swell) With Joey Baron With Tim Berne With Anthony Braxton With Rob Brown With Jaki Byard and the Apollo Stompers With Bill Dixon With Jemeel Moondoc With William Parker With Roswell Rudd With Alan Silva With Cecil Taylor With Ken Vandermark With Tom Varner