Album Notes

Eric Swinderman Has been one of the Bay Area's premier guitar player's for the last 25 years. Known primarily through his work with the dynamic jazz and blues singer , Brenda Boykin, Eric continues to create an exciting blend of Straight ahead jazz, blues, and "roots" music. His recordings are always easy to listen to, and filled with enough variety to keep the listener interested. His latest recording, "In Pursuit of the Sound", Flows in such a natural manner that the listener never needs to jump tracks. Plug it in, play it, and relax. If you like the classic sounds of a piano-guitar quartet, beautiful solo jazz guitar, a touch of hot horns (on 4 selections), blues, raggae pop, or a soothing bossa nova( "Speak to Me"}, sung by Joyce Grant, this is the C.D. for you.

Eric Swinderman “In Pursuit Of The Sound”


C.D. Review

My interest in jazz guitarists began during the time I spent with two record companies, both of which featured major guitarists. Concord Records and Fantasy Records provided me with an inordinate amount of exposure to some of the world’s greatest guitarists. As jazz radio promotion director for both companies, I promoted these artists: Charlie Byrd, Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis (individually and as The Great Guitars), Joe Pass (the greatest), Jim Hall, Eddie Duran, Howard Alden, Jimmy Bruno, Bruce Forman, Laurindo Almeida and countless others.


Eric Swinderman is a guitarist worthy of inclusion in this august group.

It must have been in the late seventies that I first experienced Eric’s playing. It was at a small club (the Pasand Lounge) on Union Street in San Francisco and I do recall that he was accompanying vocalist Denise Perrier. After all these years, I still remember his performance that night long ago.

And now, after two recordings made with the magnificent Brenda Boykin (in 1997 and 2001), Eric Swinderman has recorded his first under his own name In Pursuit Of The Sound. It becomes apparent that Eric is influenced by the same guitarists that I worked with while with Concord and Fantasy.

Those two recordings Eric made with the tremendously talented Brenda Boykin are tangible evidence of the wide musical experience he received from this partnership. For over fifteen years they performed together, including standing ovations on tours of Mexico and Japan. With Brenda, Eric explored the African roots of jazz. He shared in her enthusiastic performance of the blues---rural and urban. Audiences everywhere have been captivated by this “world-class act.”


The late Phil Elwood, for years the preeminent music critic for the San Francisco Examiner, describes Eric Swinderman as “a marvelous guitar player---unassuming, imaginative. He projects a clear, strong line.” That description matches my impression of Eric’s playing on this new recording---the influence of Jim Hall (mellowness of tone) and Wes Montgomery (finger style playing). Both are evident in Eric Swinderman’s new recording, “In Pursuit Of The Sound”.


John Rogers
Host of “Jazz With John Rogers”
KCSM-FM, San Mateo CA