Dave Swift
| Dave Swift | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Born |
January 11, 1964 Wolverhampton England |
| Genres | Jazz, Ska, Reggae, Funk, Rock, Pop, Blues, R&B, Soul |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, bassist, music educator |
| Instruments | double bass, bass guitar, trombone |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Associated acts | Jools Holland |
| Website | daveswiftbass |
| Known for |
Later… with Jools Holland (on BBC2) & The Jools Holland Show (on BBC Radio 2) |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
Dave Swift (born 11 January 1964) is a British bassist. He is best known for his work on the BBC2 Television program Later... with Jools Holland as part of Jools's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra.
Born in Wolverhampton, England, Swift's musical experience began in the local school choir and church as a singer. Throughout his childhood Swift was exposed to the acoustic guitar, which both of his brothers played in trio’s childhood home. His musical interest piqued, Swift was fourteen when he decided to take up the trombone at school. In his hometown, the demand for bassists was on the rise, and Swift volunteered to join local bands. Swift's trombone teacher saw how quickly Swift progressed on bass guitar and encouraged him to also pursue the double bass, knowing that Swift would benefit from the ability to play both instruments as a professional musician.
Swift turned professional aged 18. As a highly skilled sight-reader, and being well acclimatised to each of his three instruments, he became a session bassist in and around the Midlands. In 1988 Swift moved to London and quickly became involved in the session and jazz scene.
In 1991 Swift heard that Jools Holland, ex-Squeeze keyboardist and TV presenter, was searching for a bassist who played both double bass and bass guitar. With the renowned bassist Pino Palladino then holding the “bass chair” in Holland’s band, this was a bold move on the young bassist’s part. The advantage from Dave’s position was that he also played double bass and was already highly skilled in sight-reading. Swift auditioned, was hired on the spot, and has been Jools's bassist ever since.
Thanks to his talent and growing popularity, Swift is often invited at shows and camps. Recently, Swift was invited to appear at the annual Warwick Bass Camp in Germany in 2016 as a VIP guest, along with numerous popular bass luminaries from all over the world. The 2016 Warwick Bass Cam was held in Markeneukirchen, Germany, and had a roster of outstanding bassists. Attending professors included Alphonso Johnson, Felix Pastorius, Anthony Wellington and Steve Bailey. Swift was also a guest lecturer at the March 2016 Bass Guitar Show at Earls Court Olympia that filled the room to capacity.
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