Steve Swell was born in Newark, NJ and has been an active member the NYC music scene since 1975. He has recorded and toured with many artists, including mainstream stars like Buddy Rich and Lionel Hampton, as well as outsiders such as Bill Dixon, Cecil Taylor, Bill Dixon, and Anthony Braxton. He is featured on over 100 releases and has more than 30 CDs to his credit as a leader/co-leader. He is an international workshop leader and a teacher in the NYC public schools system, focusing on special-needs children. Swell worked in music transcriptions for Steve Feld, a MacArthur fellow in 2000. In the Cadence Readers Poll 2004, his CD, “Suite For Players, Listeners and Other Dreamers (CIMP),” ranked 2nd. In 2006, he was awarded grants by USArtists International. He also received MCAF (LMCC), awards in 2008 and 2013. He has been commissioned twice to interpret the Merkin Hall Interpretations Series in 2006 and Roulette in 2012. Steve was nominated as Trombonist-of-the Year 2008.
