Dave Swift - Press Biography

Born in Wolverhampton, Dave Swift was influenced by his two older brothers who both played guitar at home, motivating him to take up a musical instrument himself starting off with his brother’s acoustic and electric guitars. It wasn’t until he was 14 that he decided to take music seriously, and choose an instrument that he was really passionate about.

Deciding on the trombone, he started having lessons at school, and it wasn’t long before he was playing in every concievable type of band. Shortly afterwards he and some friends formed their own band but needed a bass guitar player. Having had some experience – albeit limited to playing a bit of guitar - Dave volunteered, as he was the only one who’d had any experience with a stringed instrument.

Already able to read music to a very high level it didn’t take Dave long to transfer his knowledge on to his new instrument. Unable to find a teacher for the bass guitar, Dave had no choice but to teach himself using whatever books and educational sources he could find. When Dave’s trombone teacher saw how he’d progressed on bass guitar, he advised him it would a be a wise move to take up acoustic bass as well, knowing that he would benefit from playing both instruments as he’d get many more gigs as a professional musician.

Turning professional aged 18 because of his excellent sight-reading skills and ability to play any style of music, Dave became an in demand session bassist, playing on film soundtracks, TV adverts and radio jingles. Dave then spent the next two years playing in various bands and travelling around the world on the most prestigious luxury cruise ships.

He eventually decided to move to London in 1988 and sought work as both a session musician as well as building up his jazz repertoire and his abilities to improvise at a high level. In 1991 he heard that Jools Holland was looking for a bass player, particularly one that played acoustic bass as well as bass guitar. This was a prestigious gig and demanded a strong bass player. With the renowned bassist Pino Palladino holding the bass chair in Holland’s band originally; the advantage from Dave’s position was that Palladino didn’t play upright acoustic bass. Dave went for the audition and got the gig there and then.

Since joining Jools Holland and His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra Dave has played at many prestigious events including North Sea jazz Festival, Dubai International Jazz Festival, Blue Note Tokyo, Amnesty International, the Montreux Jazz Festival, Glastonbury Music Festival, the G8 conference for world leaders including Tony Blair and Bill Clinton, also at the Millennium Night celebration at the Millennium Dome for Her majesty the Queen. The band also played a sold-out gig at the Sydney Opera House during their 2008 tour of Australia and New Zealand. Dave was also the house bassist for the primetime Saturday night Chris Evans' TV show 'Don't Forget Your Toothbrush', 'Name That Tune' on Channel 5, and since 1991 on Jools’ hugely popular and long-running TV show ‘Later…with Jools Holland’ on BBC2 as well as constantly touring around the UK and internationally. Dave also performs on 'The Jools Holland Show', Jools' popular BBC Radio 2 program.

During his time with Jools, Dave has played on several British movie soundtracks including: Secret Friends (Dennis Potter), MILK (Dawn French), Kevin and Perry Go Large (Harry Enfield, Cathy Burke), Hunting Venus (Martin Clunes). Most recently Dave played bass on the soundtrack to the period drama ‘Me & Orson Welles’ (staring Zac Efron, Christian McKay and Claire Danes). Set in 1937, Dave and the Rhythm & Blues Orchestra also make an on screen appearance as a dance band in the ballroom scene. Click here for more about the movie. The band have also played on and appeared in several TV commercials, including two for Bells Whiskey. Dave was also the house bassist on the Johnny Vaughan Tonight series on BBC3, but it’s his time as bassist on Jools’ ‘Later TV show (http://www.bbc.com/later)’ that has given him the biggest exposure.

Dave is still an in demand session musician outside of Jools’ band and has also played double bass for the 80’s pop star Rick Astley, American soul singer Gary U.S. Bonds, Ben E. King and on ex-Kinks frontman Ray Davis' album Other People's Lives. Since joining Jools’ band, Dave has played on the following albums:

· The A-Z Geographers Guide To The Piano
· Live Performance
· Sex & Jazz & Rock & Roll
· Lift The Lid
· The Best of
· Sunset Over London
· Hop The Wag
· The Informer
· Rockinghorse
· Me and Orson Welles

Double platinum selling albums:

· Small World Big Band
· More Friends (Small World Big Band II)
· Jack O The Green (Small World Big Band III)
· Tom Jones & Jools Holland
· Swinging The Blues Dancing The Ska
· Moving Out To The Country
· The Best Of Friends