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Brian Swartz

Brian Swartz Radio

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Down With Downs
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Down With Downs
Album: Portraiture
Released: Feb 28, 2008
Label:

General Info

  • Genre: Jazz / Latin / Pop

    Location LOS ANGELES, Please select your region, Un

    Profile Views: 54992

    Last Login: 8/8/2011

    Member Since 7/20/2006

    Website http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmJyaWFuc3dhcnR6LmNvbQ==

    Record Label Summit Records

    Type of Label Indie

  • Bio

    Brian Swartz's CD's are available for download @ iTunes! and emusic.com and for purchase @ amazon.com, cduniverse.com, or directly from summitrecords.com. Brian Swartz's composition, "Down with Downs," has been selected as the Grand Prize winner in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in the jazz category. 2009 John Lennon Songwriting Contest. In his most recent release "Three," on Summit Records in June 2006, Brian Swartz pays homage to the great trumpeter Chet Baker and his trio of the late 1970's. By channeling the power of simplicity from those landmark recordings, Swartz's trio (featuring Larry Koonse on guitar and Darek Oles on bass) infuses life into the concept of interpreting standards. In May 2000, Swartz completed his debut CD as a leader, "Theres Only Me," which was released worldwide on Noir Records. In 2003, Swartz began working with a new quartet featuring Bob Florence on piano. The group plays standards with a unique twist that only Swartz and Florence can provide. Swartz's second CD, "Live at the Jazz Bakery," released in July 2005 by Summit Records, features this adventurous group. Swartz is a second-generation trumpeter; his father played for 30 years in the United States Air Force. This early exposure to music made a profound influence on him and he started playing trumpet at the age of ten. He studied with trumpet guru Bobby Shew, John Coppola (SFO), Bill Bing (CSUN), and LA studio legend Uan Rasey. Swartz's dedication to mastering his craft and continually building upon his knowledge has brought him to prominence in the Los Angeles jazz scene. Swartz started his own group in 1996 and has become an accomplished composer and arranger, securing performances at most of the major jazz venues in Los Angeles. Swartz's quintet has featured some of LA's top sideman such as saxophonists Keith Fiddmont, George Harper and Matt Otto; pianists Brad Mehldau, Billy Childs, John Beasley, Bob Florence, Theo Saunders and Bill Cunliffe; bassists Jeff Littleton, Kevin Axt, Jeff D'Angelo and Darek Oles; and drummers Lorca Hart, Dick Weller and Aaron Serfaty. Swartz hosted a series at Lunaria in Century City called "The Best of LA's Trumpets" which featured his quintet backing up many of LA's greatest jazz trumpeters. For three years Swartz was a regular member of one of LA's best swing bands, Red and the Red Hots, with whom he appeared on the Donnie and Marie Show and Everybody Loves Raymond. Swartz also performed at the 1999 Playboy Jazz Festival with actor/pianist Jeff Goldblum's Miriam Schnitzer Orchestra. Swartz played and acted as contractor for the Tom Harrell Big Band which performed music from Harrell's Grammy nominated CD Times Mirror (RCA/Victor), at the Jazz Bakery in December of 1999. This band also performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival in September of 2000. More recently, Swartz performed at the 2001 Playboy Jazz Festival in Pasadena with Bruce Lofgren's fusion orchestra, After Burner. In 2002, Swartz formed The Quorum in which he explored his fusion roots. The group featured Swartz's nimbleness on the Akai/Steiner EVI, a wind driven synthesizer based on the trumpet. Brian's latest electronic foray is with the co-led group, SLanG. It features freely improvised music performed by Brian, keyboardist Andy Langham and drummer Gerry Gibbs. In 2007, Brian Swartz had the honor of performing Mary Lou Williams' "Mass for Peace" at Disney Hall with the Luckman Jazz Orchestra and the L.A. Master Chorale... Swartz's versatility as either a jazz soloist or a powerful section player has made him a much sought after sideman. He can be heard on recordings with Joe Henry, Keb' Mo,' Michael Buble, Patti Labelle, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Jackie Green, The Dixie Chicks, Taylor Eigsti, the Buddy Childers Big Band, Red and the Red Hots, Jane Getz, Dale Fielder, Todd Hunter, Rebecca Kyler Downs, Teddy Thompson, Dave Sherr's Artmusic Ensemble, Josh Nelson, Raya Yarbrough, Gerry Gibbs and numerous other TV and film studio dates. On stage, Swartz has performed with Buddy Childers, Jack Sheldon's Big Band, Bob Florence's Limited Edition, Canadian crooner Michael Buble', Lupe Fiasco, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, The O'Jays, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Francisco Aguabella's Latin Jazz Sextet, Johnny Vatos' Tribute to Oingo Boingo, The Jazz on the Latin Side All Stars, The Luckman Jazz Orchestra, The L.A. Master Chorale, The Bjorkestra, Jane Getz, Gerry Gibbs, Todd Hunter, Buddy Montgomery, Carmen Lundy, Dale Fielder, Black/Note, Don Rickles, Phil Vieux, Bruce Lofgren's After Burner, Bobby White, Chuck Flores, The Jazz Spot Orchestra, Rebecca Kyler Downs, Bruce Eskovitz's Jazz Orchestra, Dina Deluxe, Sandra Booker and Raya Yarbrough. Artists with whom Brian Swartz has performed Since 1996, Swartz has been a core member with the critically acclaimed Jazzantiqua, a dance company which performs extended works live with a jazz quintet. The company has performed to rave reviews at the LA Theater Center and at the John Anson Ford Amphitheater. Throughout his professional career, Swartz has understood the importance of passing down the tradition of trumpet playing and he maintains a busy schedule of private students in the Los Angeles area.

  • Members

    My band varies depending on the context. For my 2006 Summit Records release, "Three," I had Larry Koonse on guitar and Darek Oles on bass... The house band, The Gnu Sextet, for my Wednesday jam sessions at the Club 1160 is me on trumpet, Matt Otto or Robby Marshall on Tenor Sax, Martin Sullivan on trombone, Andy Langham on piano, J.P. Maramba on bass and Jens Kuross on drums. Visit The Gnu Sextet page at myspace.com/thegnusextet. Also, be sure to check out the MySpace.com page for SLanG, Brian's latest avant garde/fusion/free improvisation project at myspace.com/slangjazz.

  • Influences

    I am truly open to listening to all music. If I had to name my trumpet influences they would be: Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan, Chet Baker, Tom Harrell, Tim Hagans, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Thad Jones, Don Cherry, Kenny Dorham, Rex Stewart, Brian Lynch, Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard, Fats Navarro, Lester Bowie, Randy Brecker, Bobby Shew, Steve Huffsteter, Ron Stout, Tony Lujan, Wynton Marsalis (yes, I said Wynton), Art Farmer, Dave Douglas, Nicholas Payton and many others. My influences are not limited to trumpet players... I should also list John Coltrane, Michael Brecker, Cannonball Adderly, Charlie Parker, Johnny Griffin, Phil Woods, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, Wayne Shorter, Jaco Pastorius, Brad Mehldau, Kenny Kirkland, Bill Evans, Benny Golson, Art Blakey, Jack DeJohnette, Tony Williams, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Branford Marsalis, Don Grolnick, Sarah Vaughn, Herbie Hancock, Horace Silver, Joe Henderson, Joe Lovano, Kenny Garrett, Ornette Coleman, Oliver Nelson, Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum and many others. As I said earlier, I love all music. Regardless of genre. Any artist who is truly expressing him or her self is worth listening to. There is a place and an audience for all of us. My top five jazz musicians of all time are: Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane and Charlie Parker.

  • Sounds Like

    I have to say that when I'm playing jazz, at times, I am consciously emulating a mix of Tom Harrell, Tim Hagans, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Lee Morgan and a bunch of my own thing. As far as playing lead, I grew up listening to Conrad Gozzo and Uan Rasey on the Tutti's Trumpets and Billy May records. Also, Snooky Young with Count Basie is some of the best lead trumpet work ever. For horn section (pop, rock) work, I love Blood, Sweat & Tears; Tower of Power; Earth, Wind & Fire; and anything that Jerry Hey has done (Michael Jackson, Al Jarreau, etc.).

Stream

  1. Brian Swartz

    Posted a new song: "Mì Soñita" http://lnk.ms/W0jlB #music

  2. Brian Swartz

    Added a new video: "Brian Swartz & The Swartzestra (big band) at Typhoon in Santa Mo..." http://lnk.ms/Vjrty #video

  3. Brian Swartz

    I'm playing tonight with Scott Healy's Tentet @ Vitello's starting at 8pm! Great band, great venue, great food! NOT TO BE MISSED!!!! http://lnk.ms/0fgjH

    Mood: jubilant jubilant

  4. Brian Swartz

    Practice, practice, practice.

    Mood: determined determined

  5. Brian Swartz

    Playing this Saturday, 7/30/11, with Boingo Dance Party at the Brixton at the Redondo Beach Pier!!!! NOT TO BE MISSED!!!! http://lnk.ms/09GdM

    Mood: ecstatic ecstatic

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