Longtime Jools Holland show bassist talks new Rod Stewart album and how to develop good time on the bass

Exclusive video interview with FBPO’s Jon Liebman
February 12, 2024

Originally from Wolverhampton, England, Dave Swift is an outstanding doubler on both electric and upright bass, where he arrived after stints with guitar and trombone. Since the early ‘90s, Dave’s been holding down the bass chair for Later… With Jools Holland, a longtime British-based TV show hosted by former Squeeze keyboardist Jools Holland. In addition to the endless list of musical icons he’s accompanied on the show, including Smokey Robinson, Eric Clapton, and Paul Simon, Dave has performed at many of the major jazz festivals around the world, as well as on several film soundtracks and commercials. He’s also worked with Rick Astley, Gary U.S. Bonds, Ben E. King, and ex-Kinks frontman Ray Davies. His latest project is the just-completed recording with Rod Stewart, Swing Fever, featuring covers of 13 classic big band numbers, which is scheduled for release on February 23.

Watch our interview with Dave!

See Jon’s blog, with key takeaways from this interview here.