Brian Swartz's CD's are available for download @ iTunes! and emusic.com and for purchase @ amazon.com, cduniverse.com, or directly from summitrecords.com.
Brian Swartz's composition, "Down with Downs," has been selected as the Grand Prize winner in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in the jazz category.
2009 John Lennon Songwriting Contest.
In his most recent release "Three," on Summit Records in June 2006, Brian Swartz pays homage to the great trumpeter Chet Baker and his trio of the late 1970's. By channeling the power of simplicity from those landmark recordings, Swartz's trio (featuring Larry Koonse on guitar and Darek Oles on bass) infuses life into the concept of interpreting standards.
In May 2000, Swartz completed his debut CD as a leader, "Theres Only Me," which was released worldwide on Noir Records. In 2003, Swartz began working with a new quartet featuring Bob Florence on piano. The group plays standards with a unique twist that only Swartz and Florence can provide. Swartz's second CD, "Live at the Jazz Bakery," released in July 2005 by Summit Records, features this adventurous group.
Swartz is a second-generation trumpeter; his father played for 30 years in the United States Air Force. This early exposure to music made a profound influence on him and he started playing trumpet at the age of ten. He studied with trumpet guru Bobby Shew, John Coppola (SFO), Bill Bing (CSUN), and LA studio legend Uan Rasey. Swartz's dedication to mastering his craft and continually building upon his knowledge has brought him to prominence in the Los Angeles jazz scene.
Swartz started his own group in 1996 and has become an accomplished composer and arranger, securing performances at most of the major jazz venues in Los Angeles. Swartz's quintet has featured some of LA's top sideman such as saxophonists Keith Fiddmont, George Harper and Matt Otto; pianists Brad Mehldau, Billy Childs, John Beasley, Bob Florence, Theo Saunders and Bill Cunliffe; bassists Jeff Littleton, Kevin Axt, Jeff D'Angelo and Darek Oles; and drummers Lorca Hart, Dick Weller and Aaron Serfaty. Swartz hosted a series at Lunaria in Century City called "The Best of LA's Trumpets" which featured his quintet backing up many of LA's greatest jazz trumpeters.
For three years Swartz was a regular member of one of LA's best swing bands, Red and the Red Hots, with whom he appeared on the Donnie and Marie Show and Everybody Loves Raymond. Swartz also performed at the 1999 Playboy Jazz Festival with actor/pianist Jeff Goldblum's Miriam Schnitzer Orchestra. Swartz played and acted as contractor for the Tom Harrell Big Band which performed music from Harrell's Grammy nominated CD Times Mirror (RCA/Victor), at the Jazz Bakery in December of 1999. This band also performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival in September of 2000. More recently, Swartz performed at the 2001 Playboy Jazz Festival in Pasadena with Bruce Lofgren's fusion orchestra, After Burner. In 2002, Swartz formed The Quorum in which he explored his fusion roots. The group featured Swartz's nimbleness on the Akai/Steiner EVI, a wind driven synthesizer based on the trumpet. Brian's latest electronic foray is with the co-led group, SLanG. It features freely improvised music performed by Brian, keyboardist Andy Langham and drummer Gerry Gibbs. In 2007, Brian Swartz had the honor of performing Mary Lou Williams' "Mass for Peace" at Disney Hall with the Luckman Jazz Orchestra and the L.A. Master Chorale.
Swartz's versatility as either a jazz soloist or a powerful section player has made him a much sought after sideman. He can be heard on recordings with Joe Henry, Keb' Mo,' Michael Buble, Patti Labelle, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Jackie Green, The Dixie Chicks, Taylor Eigsti, the Buddy Childers Big Band, Red and the Red Hots, Jane Getz, Dale Fielder, Todd Hunter, Rebecca Kyler Downs, Teddy Thompson, Dave Sherr's Artmusic Ensemble, Josh Nelson, Raya Yarbrough, Gerry Gibbs and numerous other TV and film studio dates.
On stage, Swartz has performed with Buddy Childers, Jack Sheldon's Big Band, Bob Florence's Limited Edition, Canadian crooner Michael Buble', Lupe Fiasco, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, The O'Jays, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Francisco Aguabella's Latin Jazz Sextet, Johnny Vatos' Tribute to Oingo Boingo, The Jazz on the Latin Side All Stars, The Luckman Jazz Orchestra, The L.A. Master Chorale, The Bjorkestra, Jane Getz, Gerry Gibbs, Todd Hunter, Buddy Montgomery, Carmen Lundy, Dale Fielder, Black/Note, Don Rickles, Phil Vieux, Bruce Lofgren's After Burner, Bobby White, Chuck Flores, The Jazz Spot Orchestra, Rebecca Kyler Downs, Bruce Eskovitz's Jazz Orchestra, Dina Deluxe, Sandra Booker and Raya Yarbrough.
Artists with whom Brian Swartz has performed
Since 1996, Swartz has been a core member with the critically acclaimed Jazzantiqua, a dance company which performs extended works live with a jazz quintet. The company has performed to rave reviews at the LA Theater Center and at the John Anson Ford Amphitheater. Throughout his professional career, Swartz has understood the importance of passing down the tradition of trumpet playing and he maintains a busy schedule of private students in the Los Angeles area.
