Album Notes

Bruce Swaim is another jazz artist who would be better known if he lived and performed in New York. An accomplished tenor saxophonist who has lived in the Washington D.C. area since 1981, Swaim has been active in studio work as well as live performance with artists from both jazz and popular genres
Here Swaim focuses on his jazz credentials, working in a quartet setting that gives him room to stretch out and display his considerable technique and fertile imagination. On his website, Swaim lists his influences as "(in no particular order) Dexter Gordon, John Coltrane, Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, Stan Getz, Gene Ammons, Stanley Turrentine, King Curtis, Jr. Walker, Bobby Keys, Red Prysock, Lee Allen, Sil Austin, Hank Mobley, Johnny Griffin, Charlie Rouse and Lester Young." Wow! That's a pretty comprehensive list, although, ironically, my first impression of Swaim's tenor reminded me of another fine tenor player, the Englishman Tubby Hayes. That is high praise, but Swaim has all the fluency and rhythmic drive that constituted Hayes best work. More important, however, Swaim has put all these influences together in his own way and emerged with a personal voice. He is not one of the many Coltrane/Brecker clones to be found in New York, so he has probably done well to avoid spending too much time in the city. Neverthless, this is great playing by any standards.
Pianist Jay Cooley is another stalwart of the Washington music scene. Both his robust soloing and his sensitive work behind Swaim demonstrate why. Bassist Paul Langosch and drummer Dominic Smith Smith complete a rhythm section that both push and support the tenor saxophonist throughout.
Peter Westbrook
Jazz Review.com