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LIVE AT THE BOWERY POETRY CLUB--DECLARATION OF INTERDEPENDENCE

"The idea for this band grew out of a need, I felt, to bring together different members of the many improvising communities residing in New York City. It has seemed to me, for quite a while now, that these different communities or "camps", are entrenched in their own worlds with very few people crossing over into each other's communities to experience the many ways in which to approach improvisation that is being practised, not just here, but all over the world."
-Steve Swell from the liner notes

"Building strength on ideals of tolerance, respect and peace, Swell's piece goes from strength to strength. Featuring a strong trombone line up - Dick Griffin, Peter Zummo, Dave Talyor and Steve Swell, along with a blazing trumpet section - Roy Campbell, Lewis Barnes and Matt LaVelle - the band has the highs and lows covered. In addition, the saxophone section is exceptionally strong with names such as Rob Brown, Will Connell, Saco Yasuma, Sabir Mateen and Ras Moshe. Pianist Chris Forbes plays impressive layered motifs underneath the rowdiness happening at the top. Despite what would sound like complete chaos, bassists Matthew Heyner and Todd Nicholson are given a couple of opportunities to shine off on their skills [their duo on "Second Part" serves as a break-point and is highly commendable]. The way the music is written, each member of the Ensemble gets a fair chance to have at least a solo and show themselves off in an interactive duo or trio setting with other members. Though chaos is usually associated with these kinds of set-ups, there's none here.

Sure, there are strong and vivacious solos, but overall, the interaction is flawless. What we get is a very strong showing from this ensemble that will hopefully see more fruits in the years to come.."
-Tom Sekowski ,www.gaz-eta.vivo.pl, December 2006

with Roy Campbell, Flip Barnes, Matt LaVelle, Rob Brown, Will Connell, Saco Yasuma, Sabir Mateen, Ras Moshe, Dick Griffin, Peter Zummo, Dave Taylor, Matt Heyner, Todd Nicholson, Chris Forbes, Jackson Krall Ulrich, (Ayler Records--ayIDL-005)

REMEMBER NOW....

"The first set that night was yet another of this festival's highlights: Steve Swell's Slammin' the Infinite featuring Steve on trombone & compositions, Sabir Mateen on reeds, John Blum on piano, Matt Heyner on bass and Klaus Kugel on drums. This was indeed one of the most intense and explosive sets of this year's fest. The band was on fire some the first note and my man, Sabir Mateen, erupted on the first solo on alto sax, the impressive rhythm team kicking hard underneath Sabir's screaming sax. Matt Heyner opened the next piece with some mysterious bowed bass, and soon the theme evolved with a most memorable melody and superb slow burning solos from Steve's trombone and Sabir's tenor sax. Sabir's solo started out softly and soon built to boiling point. The third piece had one of those enchanting South African-like gospelish themes that we all love so dear, with the under-recognized John Blum playing another of his great piano solos. Both Steve on trombone and Sabir on various reeds took a number of impressive solos throughout this fine set. This is, without a doubt, one of the finest bands to emerge from the downtown scene in many years, check out their new disc on Not Two for further proof."
-Bruce Gallanter review of Vision Festival XI, 2006 in DMG Newsletter

"Trombonist Steve Swell's Slammin' The Infinite released their first self-titled record on Cadence and it was a worthwhile endeavor. "Remember Now is their second release and as good as the first one was, this one is light years beyond that. They now sound more like a unit. Rather than two front line soloists with a rhythm section, on this release they seem like a group of four equals. The rhythm section of Matthew Heyner (who is amazing on this disc) and Klaus Kugel (ditto) has really developed into a team that is just as able to step out in front and lead the band as to drive it along from behind. And the material Swell has written takes full advantage of this

"Every track has something to offer. Each are cut so closely that the effect is of an hour-long suite. It's almost hard to take this disc off once one puts it on. Remember Now makes a good case for Slammin' The Infinite being one of the most exciting working grups in jazz/improvised music today."
-Robert Iannapollo , AllAboutJazz, New York,September 2006

with Sabir Mateen, Matthew Heyner, Klaus Kugel (NotTwo, 2005)

Painting by Kara Rusch

NOT JUST....

"to improvise is to have hope, faith in something, yourself, the people you are involved with while engaged in an improvisation situation... its to shine a light where there was no light before, to be in touch with the mystical, gather the spirits that are always there, ready to be called upon, to get to the beyond by going beyond what words and ideas are strangling our synapses, to defeat JUST. it is not JUST, but it IS PLAYING, IMPROVISING. they have stood on their own for eons, and will continue to... they don't; need to be qualified or dumbed down, it is a higher searching, LONGING than what is given credit for. not JUST or MERELY now... but NOW. to JUST play is to connote adding all the how’s, why’s and wherefore’s which will JUST add more questioning to the maze of logic and reasoning, enlarging doubt, our minds running in larger circles... killing any hope of getting to the source. to we...."
-Steve Swell from the liner notes

"This is a felicitous outing by two trombonists who are as logical a tandem in their own right as Jay and Kai. Both players are masters of tonal color and both have a way with a line. The bass-tenor trombone, too, is interesting and appropriate. But they do not stop at this: they assemble a kind of string trio as the complement and counterpart of their bone concepts....The upshot is an intriguing set of pieces that bear repeated hearing....There is nothing quite like this set. Congratulations to masters Swell and Taylor for this successful venture into unchartered territory. Lovers of the trombone in all its moods and modes and those who don't shy away from a pure yet invigorating form of chamber jazz should definitely give this one a listen."
-Grego Applegate Edwards , Cadence,January 2006

with Billy Bang, Tomas Ulrich, Ken Filiano (CIMP, 2005)

Design by Hillary Rusch

SLAMMIN' THE INFINITE

"There are divers reasons for listening to "Slammin' the Infinite." To hear all the "voices"-the inflections-singing, telling their stories of singleness and purality, of subjectivity spread and punctured. Of weather rolling by, the dropping of those keys, the odd sea-change mid-phrase in Dresden, in the East Village mid-morning. Two-fold vibrations....the sound of many worlds whirring in ours, decentering us and pleasuring us. Enter the whole universe built on shims, wedges, and something that almost fits. The music of this recording is about that desire."
-Gerald Schwartz, poet

"There are subtle, new directions in the performance of trombonist/ leader Steve Swell on what must be his umpteenth recording (virtually all outstanding) on Cadence Jazz Records and its sister label, CIMP. His confident demeanor results in a nuanced blend that incorporates a diverse range of sound, largely a result of a quartet of performers that is able to navigate Swell's complex compositions. While the trombonist's awe-inspiring technical skills are the equal of virtually any other trombonist, what is just as impressive is his compositional acumen that brings out the best in his group. Sabir Mateen, has rarely sounded better, his quintet of instruments adding depth and diversity, helping to make this sound like a "band" and not merely an ad hoc small group. Whether he is playing a unison line on flute with Swell's trombone, or rubber-banding on one ofhis clarinets, the results are electrifying. Klaus Kugel is great at adding tension, without being too intrusive, a quality exemplified on the engaging "East Village Meet and Greet," where he energizes the band, and the lengthy "Dresden Art Maneuvers," where he and Swell duel about as hard as possible. Matthew Heyner must have worked up a sweat at the pace he keeps, and on "Box Set he hits hard with a ferocious focus, his frenzied solo capping off brilliant concoctions by Swell, whose improvisation might be described as Roswell Rudd ramped up three notches, and by Mateen with his steaming falsetto. There is a jazzy feel to Swell's writing, particularly on the title piece, the post-boppish "Slammin' the Infinite," with its repetitive head that seems impossibly fast, but on which the trombonist cuts through the velvet. "For Frank Lowe" is suitably reverent, with traces of Coltrane in the melody, while "Voices from the Asphalt" is a study in color, the leader's muted bone juxtaposed against Mateen's raw flute, all taken at a snail's pace.

This is an album not to be missed, reflecting a progressive vision and exemplary performances from a quartet of modern masters. It is exciting, exuberant, celebratory, and sophisticated - free and at times breathtaking, without sacrificing melody or charm. "

-Steven Loewy , AllMusicGuide,January 2005

with with Sabir Mateen, Matthew Heyner, Klaus Kugel (Cadence Jazz Records, 2003)

Painting by Kara Rusch

DESERT SONGS AND OTHER LANDSCAPES

"Music the way I understand it is all about communication. This is true in particular for what I call jazz, a music that covers way more musical ground than most people are aware. Improvisation and communication in music has been and still is a major part of the musical heritage, something that I find true and alive in my travels around the world.....I am looking forward to how it [this band ] will sound in the future as aI am a strong believer in band projects and the way music, human communication, and relations develop over time."

-Gebhard Ullman, from the liner notes (July, 2004)

"This quartet, fronted by reedist Gebhard Ullmann and trombonist Steve Swell, along with the bolstering, yet limber rhythms of bassist Hilliard Greene and drummer Barry Altschul, demonstrates the importance of collective music-making with a sense of purpose and direction. Perhaps the reason why this date works so well is that the record was recorded at the conclusion of a ten-city tour. The collective’s opening night in Chicago revealed that they had several kinks to work out—new charts, different personalities and experiences—all of which had to be resolved on the road. The journey, however, was kind to these gentlemen, as the results show that they are not only musically and emotionally attuned, but also that the joy of playing together rings through clearly.
The road-tested results that define these absorbing compositions verify the deep commitment that these players have to the music. With each undertaking of Desert Songs And Other Landscapes, the group’s goal of earnest communication proves quite compelling. "

-Jay Collins , OneFinalNote.com,January 7, 2005

with Hill Greene, bass; Barry Altschul, drums(CIMP, 2004)

INVISIBILE CITIES

"If you are reading these notes, I doubt the music of Steve Swell and Perry Robinson will be a stranger to you. But you may not be familiar with their music, stripped of sidemen and the ubiquitious rhythm section. Both, like the wandering Marco Polo, have traveled far in their musical journeys. And both have found a quiet oasis of peace in their musical kinship that this recording allows them to fully savor.
Calvino wrote of a world where fantasy, reality and philosophy became intertwined with no past and no future. On INVISIBLE CITIES, Swell and Robinson create a musical world where influence, genre, style, and tradition meld in the creation of a new musical reality with no past and no future. I hope this momentary pause on your listening journey brings you this shared sense of oneness."
-Philip R. Egert, producer, from the liner notes (October, 2003)

"There is a certain rustic quality to both clarinet and trombone, especially as played by musical peripatetics and students of folk music such as Swell and Robinson; both men have very dusty feet. However, the matter of timbre hardly works against the city metaphor. Both men are travelers, after all, passing through, sharing and arguing over observations as well as the significance of those observations.
The level of musical, if not purely psychological, sympathy here is as remarkable as on any set of duets this reviewer can call up from recent memory. A performance such as the aptly titled "The Places Have Mingled Relationships" (the track titles are a kind of found poetry derived from Calvino's text) is, in addition to being a stunning demonstration of the productive potential of active listening, a unified musical statement of real substance.
I would ask you to grant that the final words of Invisible Cities itself yield some context.
"And Polo said: 'The inferno of the living is not something that will be; if there is one, it is what is already here, the inferno where we live every day, that we form by being together. There are two ways to escape suffering it. The first is easy for many: accept the inferno and become such a part of it that you can no longer see it. The second is risky and demands constant vigilance and apprehension: seek and learn to recognize who and what, in the midst of the inferno, are not inferno, then make them endure, give them space.'"
It may take a few listens, just as Calvino's book demands more than one reading, but those spaces are here in Swell's and Robinson's compact duets, and you will be able to find them. "

-Joe Milazzo , OneFinalNote.com,April 2, 2004

with Perry Robinson - clarinet/Steve Swell - trombone (Drimala, 2003)

NUMBER 2 IN THE 2004 CADENCE READER'S POLL

SUITE FOR PLAYERS, LISTENERS AND OTHER DREAMERS

THEY ARE REALLY SOMETHING ELSE,
TOTAL INFORMATION AWARENESS WITHOUT
THE INFORMATION OR
THE AWARENESS,
ALWAYS NEEDING SOMETHING ELSE,
I. E. THUG DISTRACTION,
MIND DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE REAL
SOME THING THEY
ARE DOING ONCE AGAIN.
GET READY FOR SOMETHING ELSE
GOOSESTEPPING TO YOUR DOOR,
REMEMBER THOUGH THAT ITS JUST
SOMETHING ELSE, AGAIN.

-Steve Swell, August, 2003, from the liner notes

"The entire suite has both the flow and unity of a large compositional work and the spontaneity of a jam session. Thanks to its directness and loose-limbed swing, this proves to be one of the most accessible of Swell's many notable sessions—an excellent place to start on a journey into the trombonist's intriguing musical world."

-David Dupont, OneFinalNote.com,February, 2004

with Will Connell- alto, Roy Campbell - trumpet, Charles Burnham - violin, Francois Grillot - bass, Kevin Norton - drums (CIMP, 2004)

THIS CD WAS NUMBER 2 IN THE 2004 CADENCE READERS POLL

Painting by MP Landis

Steve Swell Recordings

UNIFIED THEORY OF SOUND

"I think what struck me most profoundly about this music was the substance and maturity of it. Not so much "serious music" as music of considerable depth, it is executed by a sextet of musicians who are accomplished and respect their craft and art by applying thought, dedication, and a respect for the listeners's ears and intelligence....What you have here are artistic glories that will not fade over time."
-Bob Rusch, producer, from the liner notes

"This wonderful gem was recorded live at Roulette (NYC) in November of 2001 and a fine downtown all-star sextet playing three long and intense pieces. Longtime downtown bass giant Wilber Morris has since passed and this release is dedicated to him. Wilber's powerful probing bass kicks off "This Now" and soon the great Cooper-Moore splashes his flurries of notes as Kevin Norton also spins striking flashes of percussion fire. What is most uplifting is Steve's charts, swaggering horns with gnarly harmonies, reminding me of the grand Brotherhood of Breath who mix gospel melodies with that free-jazz fire! Although this is only a sextet, they have the spirit and sound of a small big band! There is incredible layered dialogue going on here, as Wilber keeps that central groove pumping, while the piano and drums dance together and the horns sail together on top. Eventually everyone playing gets to bare their souls with inspired solos from each player. These cats are consistently on fire and on target as they often solo together and swirl around one another with fierce dedication and resourceful spirits. A completely fabulous and engaging work from beginning to the end and about an hour in length. Give it up for Steve Swell's dynamic Unified Theory of Sound!!"

-Bruce Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery,May, 2003

with Jemeel Moondoc - alto, Matt LaVelle - trumpet, Cooper-Moore - piano, Wilber Morris - bass, Kevin Norton - drums, MP Landis - cover (CIMP, 2003)

NEW YORK BRASSWOOD TRIO

...new material from the artistic designs of one of today's most formidable improvising trombonists....
-Bob Rusch, producer, from the liner notes

" Steve Swell's trio repays listener imagination with serious improvisational interplay...he's developed an approach to the trombone that builds on the best facets of tradition and innovation. His tone can easily run the gamut from Kid Ory-worthy tailgate smears to abstracted metallic breath sounds in line with the likes of Paul Rutherford."

-Derek Taylor, allaboutjazz.com, June, 2003

with Tom Abbs - bass, tuba, Geoff Mann - drums, cornet (CIMP, 2003)

POETS OF THE NOW

All engineers should get a chance to work with musicians who are not only talented and need no artificial enhancement, but who are also able to take advantage of a recording situation such as this one. Watching the creative process unfold live was interesting, but even more interesting and rewarding is being able to, at any time, sit back and experience the efforts that were made on this date. From driving to minimalist, it is all here. Enjoy.
-Marc D. Rusch, engineer, from the liner notes

" Steve Swell is certainly one of the finest trombone players I've known and is now on some twenty releases on the CIMP and Cadence group of labels. The Tom and Geoff rhythm team also seem to keep extremely busy, between sessions with Ori Kaplan, Andy Bemkey and others. The title track is first and it has a an instantly memorable opening theme and swaggering riff. There is a consistently inspired connection between the piano and the trombone, as they throw the energy back and forth and erupt together. The rhythm section also sounds as if they have been playing together for years as they also play with natural force, locked in intricate patterns as one team. "Bluesy" is just that with some burning bone from the ever-inspired Steve Swell, as well as an erupting duo with the piano and bass exploding together and then winding down to somber, playful solo for brushes. Even the freer piece, like "Ursel Surveying the Scene" flows in a most organic way as the quartet spin their web in flurries, always connected in some way. I caught this great quartet at the Brecht Forum a few months ago and this cd does capture them at their best, so dig in and enjoy their great sounds."

-Bruce Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery, February, 2003

with Tom Abbs - bass, Geoff Mann - drums (CIMP, 2002)

IMPLICATE ORDER/AT SEIXAL

Perhaps the thing most listeners notice first about Swell's work is the great speed and range he displays. Not many trombonists come close to him in this respect due to his having the foresight to hear a trombone used like this and the desire to develop the chops and extended technique to make it come true. For one hundred years or so jazz trombonists have had to reinvent their instruments, and Swell continues to do so mindful of the changes going on in jazz currently.

-Harvey Pekar, from the liner notes

"...This group of new masters know how to build to a decrescendo...a strong recommended set."

-Dave Dupont, Cadence Magazine, July, 2001

with Ken Filiano - bass, Lou Grassi - drums (Clean Feed/Trem Azul, 2001)

THE TRANSCENDENTALISTS: REAL TIME MESSENGERS

MESSENGERS OF REAL TIME
Hovering on the perimeter of nowness,
Invoking future memories for their richness of longing,
Real Time Messengers using delivery systems of wood, metal, breath,

Not only to satisfy fleeting corporeal needs,
But out of necessity,
Real time messages,
For all life's benefit,
For all time,
Messages that always seem to be floating up on the shores of mindfulness.

Not the vague, self serving messages,
Email messages, instant messages, Easter Sunday messages,
Secret messages, subtle messages, phone messaging systems,
Messages in a bottle.

But the Real Time Messages, resonating to remind and refresh
People's Real Time Needs.
The same old messages for a new time.

Message to self:
Stop the violence in Real Time
Feed the hungry in Real Time
Pray for the clarity of thought for all
in Real Time,
once and for all,
for all time.
-Steve Swell, from the liner notes

"............."

-..........., ...................., ,,,,,,,,2003

with Daniel Carter - trumpet, reeds, Tom Abbs - bass, Dave Brandt - drums (CIMP, 2002)

THE TRANSCENDENTALISTS/VISION

This is a live set from the 2001 Vision Festival at the Knitting Factory.

"With little fanfare -- which probably reflects his playing style - - New York based Steve Swell has become one of the most accomplished improvising trombonists. Someone whose experience encompasses stints in aggregations as varied as Lionel Hampton's swing band and drummer Joey Baron's hard-hitting Barrondown. Swell has achieved what he has through hard work, not some major label publicity machine."

-Ken Waxman, Jazz Weekly, August, 2001 (reviewed along with Implicate Order/at Seixal)

with Daniel Carter - trumpet, reeds, Tom Abbs - bass, Dave Brandt - drums (Jump Arts, 2001)

Painting by Barbara Manes

PARTICLE DATA GROUP

Like the best of improvised conversations I've known, this one has its fabulous moments. For me they are moments of surprise and joy, as when a voice coins a whole new sound, and the group jointly turns it into a formerly unimagined phrase. Or when a new combination of elements never heard before joins up with one that feels so at home because a previous statement led you to anticipate its return. Its no wonder that the sequence of these tracks preserves the integrity of their original recording order. Each motion forward takes you back and then out again. What I'm hearing then is a sonic ecology, an intensity disciplined zone where great ears, deep listening, finely honed reflexes, and the spirit of collective participation burst forth in creative explosion. This is a conversation about co-evolution, a feeling for being together, working together in space and time.
-Steve Feld, Professor of Music, Columbia University, from the liner notes

"...discovering a striking example of how to transform one string, one horn and one percussion instrument into a combo that creates orchestrally rather than in miniatures is no more difficult that finding this CD."

-Ken Waxman, Jazzweekly, 2001

with Greg Bendian - vibes, Bruce Eisenbeil - guitar, Barbara Manes - cover art (painting, "Glycerine Cylinder") (Cadence Jazz Records, 2000)

FLURRIES WARM AND CLEAR

Everyday we seem to be losing touch, more and more, with our humanness, with our imagination, our instincts, even our follies and foibles. In the last forty years everything has become processed and therefore "perfect" for societal consumption. We find the fastest and cheapest way to do everything so people with a lot of money can have more: from food to music to how our lives are supposed to begin and end. Things weren't eally meant to be that way, and when one of us is too stressed by trying to conform to this ideal all the time, the first thing we reach for is our guns. Polarization is anoher way of processing people, something that is done to us all the time through the media. Young poeple, for example, are being manipulated because they are vulnerable and need to fit in. So the powers that be have everyone running around with their heads cut off trying to figure out what's "cool" and that cuts them off from what's real.
-SteveSwell, from the liner notes

"Why this Newark-born brass master is not better known outside New York trombone and free-jazz circles is a fair question, because he deserves to be...Very well recorded, and thoroughly recommended"

-Greg Robinson, JazzTimes, 2001

with Ned Rothenberg - clarinet, bass clarinet, alto sax, Tomas Ulrich - cello (CIMP, 1999)

ATMOSPHEELS

This project was special in that it brought two friends of mine together. Lou and I have known each other for twenty-five years, from our days at Jersey City State Teacher's College, and Will and I have known each other for about 15 years in various musical situations including, more recently, William Parker's Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra. They both gave their all to this project.
-Steve Swell, from the liner notes

"Don't let the stripped down instrumentation of this trio fool you. These three players make music of such breadth and scope that if often sounds as if there were twice their number. Their playing is both visceral and vigorous and they communicate an urgent energy barely controlled by the confines of the tunes...Thanks to Bob Rusch and everyone at CIMP all three of these players are finally getiing their well deserved due through ongoing opportunities to record the wonderful music that inhabits their fertile minds. Hopefully these fruitful associations will continue to produce sessions of this high caliber for years to come"

-Derek Taylor, allaboutjazz.com, 2000

with Will Connell - alto, clarinet, bass clarinet, Lou Grassi - drums (CIMP, 1998)

MOONS OF JUPITER

You never know where you might find life. It can be found in the most unexpected places. Possibly in the form of organisms scientists tell us we might find on a moon of Jupiter. Or it might be found right in our own backyard, in the form of the creative expression of a recluse no one expected was capable of anything beyond barely living out a natural existence. An example of one such life is Henry Darger's. Darger, a painter and writer, survived a tumultuous childhood and , as a "harmlessly mad" adult, worked incessantly at his art for over fifty years in the privacy of his Chicago apartment. His work never saw the light of day until his death in 1973 when his landlord found hundreds of paintings and thousands of handwritten and typewritten pages of manuscript in his apartment. Even though his work is considered controversial, and no matter how sad or disturbing it might be to some, his "act" of creating reinforces in me a feeling of joy and accomplishment which he must have also felt by being able to produce such monumental visions. Hopefully, his accomplishments sustained him emotionally and made his troubled life more tolerable. His work was his life. It was as simple as that. When listening to this CD, my hope is that you find some interesting forms of life for yourself and will be enlightened by them.
-Steve Swell, from the liner notes

"Steve Swell extends the lineage of adventurous trombonists, Roswell Rudd, Grachan Moncur III and George Lewis with his daring sense of playing and composition. Swell boasts an intriguing set that keenly balances the hemispheres of the free and structured...which makes Moons Of Jupiter one of the most varied and engaging free jazz recordings of recent times."

-John Murph, JazzTimes, May '98

with Mark Whitecage - reeds, Dominic Duval - bass, Jay Rosen - drums (CIMP, 1997)

OUT AND ABOUT

On a summer afternoon in 1970 when I was 15 years old, and had already been playing the trombone for about five years, I turned on the radio to WRVR (out of NYC) and a show I listened to religiously called "Just Jazz" with Ed Beach. That day I made a startling discovery: Roswell Rudd. Although I was still relatively new to my instrument, nothing prepared me for the jolt I got that day, hearing him for the first time (and to this day too, for that matter.) The way he approached his instrument opened up new and endless possibilities. Suddenly, the trombone became more than scales and technical studies. Here was a musician who "spoke" to you, expressed "feelings" and was truly "spontaneous". There was joy, anger, humor, beauty, dissent, and so much more. Five years later, after having moved to Manhattan, I had the good luck to meet and study with Roswell through the "Jazz Interactions" program. Around the mid-80s, I rekindled my contact with Roswell, which usually took the form of a phone call from an airport just before a tour. Those conversations led to this project. This CD brings me full circle in my musical life and provides a jumping off point for doing more of my own projects and redifining, for myself and others, exactly where I'm coming from and where I hope to go.
-Steve Swell, from the liner notes

"A pleasant surprise of this outing was the creative improvising of Swell. He more than holds his own with Rudd, and their styles neatly mesh in a way that was not completely expected. One looks with relish to future groups led by him."

-Steven A. Loewy, Cadence, April '97

with Roswell Rudd - trombone, Ken Filiano - bass, & Lou Grassi - drums (CIMP, 1996)

OBSERVATIONS

While I've been fortunate enough to have played and recorded as a sideman with many wonderful musicians, the duo format presents me with an altogether challenge - to express myself as an equal in a musical partnership, rather than being put through the filter of the sideman experience. Chris has brought back the element of fun to my (our) playing that I'd been missing. He's pushed me constantly to rediscover technical and creative aspects of my playing that I thought were long-gone, but have happily found again.

"...the Swell/Kelsey duo has developed a remarkably emphatic synchronicity...creative wit and an inventiveness rife with on-the-spot reaction timing." - Sam Prestianni, Jazziz

Steve Swell - trombone
Chris Kelsey - soprano saxophone (CIMP, 1996)

Discography

Thank you!