by Don Berryman
Bassist and composer Steve Swallow has released a finely crafted new album, Winter Songs, on ECM records with a seasoned sextet that includes Chris Cheek on tenor saxophone, Mike Rodriguez on trumpet, Steve Cardenas on guitar, Gil Goldstein on piano, and Adam Nussbaum on drums. It is Steve Swallow’s first release as a leader since Into The Woodworks, 2013, and his first recorded appearance on ECM; after John Scofield’s Swallow Tales and Carla Bley’s Life Goes On in 2020. (Both of which appeared in my article 20 from 2020 – New Music that Helped).
Steve Swallow
In 1960 Swallow was in Jimmy Giuffre’s trio along with Paul Bley then he joined Art Farmer’s quartet in 1963, and began playing in Gary Burton’s bands recording several of his compositions including “Come En Vietnam” with Burton and Keith Jarrett in 1970. In 1978, Swallow became a member of Carla Bley’s band. He was Bley’s romantic partner from the 1980s until her death in 2023. He has recorded with many other jazz greats including Stan Getz, Paul Motian, Steve Khun, George Russel, and John Scofield with whom he recorded 9 albums.
Electric Bass Guitar
Swallow was one of the pioneers of the electric bass in jazz leading the way for the likes of Stanley Clarke and Jaco Pastorius before fusion was a thing. Having earned his place in the jazz world playing the upright bass he switched early in his career to electric bass guitar: “ I just happened to touch the electric bass when I was 30 years old, and a lightning bolt descended from the sky and that was the end of it for me.” Swallow said in an interview by Nick Millevoi for Premiere Guitar Magazine, “That experience was so strong that I’ve never questioned it. It never occurred to me for a moment to return to the acoustic bass. It was an absolutely decisive moment when everything changed. That’s a remarkable thing to happen to somebody when he’s 30 years old. I had a perfectly good career as an acoustic bass player. I was really happy. I loved the acoustic bass. I couldn’t believe that everything shifted so radically under my feet and all of a sudden I’ve got to learn this new instrument”. Now he plays a 5 string bass guitar with a high C string added enabling clear and sustained tones when playing high notes.
Composition
Many of Swallow’s Compositions have become jazz standards and are included in The Real Book. Now 85 years old, Swallow remains as inventive as ever with nine new compositions (names “One” through “Nine”) on Winter Songs. He describes the process as having come full circle: “I was there when this music was written. In fact my hand held the pencil. I began with the need to do something to fill each long day, and music rushed forward to sustain me. Before Winter Songs I had given music whatever I could, but as I made this album the tables turned: it gave me what I needed. Music is elemental, like the air we breathe.”
The Music on Winter Songs
Winter Songs is a cohesive musical statement featuring Steve Swallow’s intelligent post-bop compositions performed by these great musicians to produce a stunningly beautiful album. I have listened to this over and over again and I never tire of it.
Tracks
The opening track “One” starts with Gil Goldstein on piano as the lead voice gently supported by a rhythm section of Steve Cardenas on guitar, Steve Swallow on bass, and Adam Nussbaum on drums. About half way in, Mike Rodriguez takes over with a melodic trumpet solo with the ensemble..- “Two” follows with a very similar harmonic structure and sounds like a continuation of the first track but the rhythm has changed to a meandering waltz. It features Chris Cheek on saxophone.
- “Three” features Gil Goldstein on piano with Steve Cardenas on guitar, Steve Swallow on bass, and Adam Nussbaum on drums, without horns.
- “Four” is an uplifting track with a bouncing 4/4 beat and a catchy repeating motif.
- “Five” is a slower number that features Steve Cardenas’ guitar work followed by an earthy tenor solo by Chris Cheek.
- “Six” is uptempo with Chris Cheek playfully exploring melodic possibilities on tenor over walking bass
- On “Seven” Steve Swallow opens with a solo showing the tone of his high notes. Steve Cardenas’ guitar enters with a solo starting in the same register.
- “Eight” is a ballad that opens with an extended piano intro before the ensemble joins in leading to a hearty solo by Chris Cheek on tenor followed by Mike Rodriguez on trumpet.
- “Nine” starts with a piano guitar duo before the ensemble joins in and Mike Rodriguez delivers a soulful and plaintive trumpet solo, This is a perfect close, and along with the gentle opening track serves to bookend this complete work with symmetry. .
Link to original Jazz Police:t https://www.jazzpolice.com/steve-swallows-winter-songs-on-ecm
