Longtime Jools Holland house bassist shares some great stories about the gig, equipment and lots more
Exclusive video interview with FBPO’s Jon Liebman
May 18, 2016
A native of Wolverhampton, England, Dave Swift took up the bass guitar as a teenager, after stints with guitar and trombone. Soon afterward, he began learning double bass, upon the encouragement of his music teacher, who recognized his talent. Swift became a professional music at 18.
In the late ‘80s, Dave moved to London, where he began playing sessions and jazz gigs. In 1991, he heard that former Squeeze member Jools Holland was looking for a bassist who doubled on electric and upright to perform on his TV and radio broadcasts. Dave auditioned and got the job, which he’s still has to this day.
The exposure of the Jools Holland shows catapulted Swift’s career immeasurably. In addition to being a regular fixture on TV and radio, Dave has performed in many of the major jazz festivals throughout the world, as well as on several movie soundtracks and commercials. He has also performed and/or recorded with Rick Astley, Gary U.S. Bonds, Ben E. King, ex-Kinks frontman Ray Davies and many others.
FBPO’s Jon Liebman caught up with Dave at the 2016 London Bass Guitar Show.
Watch our interview with Dave!
