Slam Stewart
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Leroy Eliot "Slam" Stewart (September 21, 1914Template:Spaced ndashDecember 10, 1987)[1] was an American jazz double-bass player whose trademark style was his ability to bow the bass (arco) and simultaneously hum or sing an octave higher. He was a violinist before switching to bass at the age of 20.
Biography
Stewart was born in Englewood, New Jersey, United States[2] and began playing string bass while attending Dwight Morrow High School.[3] While attending the Boston Conservatory, he heard Ray Perry singing along with his violin.[1] This gave him the inspiration to follow suit with his bass.[1] In 1937, Stewart teamed with Slim Gaillard to form the novelty jazz act Slim and Slam.[1] The duo's biggest hit was "Flat Foot Floogie (with a Floy Floy)" in 1938.[1]
Stewart found regular session work throughout the 1940s with Lester Young, Fats Waller, Coleman Hawkins, Erroll Garner, Art Tatum, Johnny Guarnieri, Red Norvo, Don Byas, Benny Goodman, and Beryl Booker.[1] One of the most famous sessions he played on took place in 1945, when Stewart played with Dizzy Gillespie's group (which featured Charlie Parker). Out of those sessions came some of the classics of bebop such as "Groovin' High" and "Dizzy Atmosphere".
He taught at Binghamton University in Binghamton, New York, and at Yale University. He died of congestive heart failure on December 10, 1987, in Binghamton, aged 73.[4]
Discography
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Studio albums
- Slam Stewart (1946)
- Slam Bam (1971)
- Slamboree (1972)
- Fish Scales (1975)
- Two Big Mice (1977)
- Dialogue (1978)
- Shut Yo' Mouth! (1981) with Major Holley
- The Cats Are Swingin' (1987)
As sideman
- Slipped Disc, 1945–46 (1990, Benny Goodman Sextet)
- Art Tatum Live 1951–1953 Volume 6 (2004)
- Big Joe Turner, Texas Style (Black and Blue, 1971)
Filmography
- Hellzapoppin' (1941)
- Almost Married (1942)
- Boy! What a Girl! (1947)
References
External links
- Stewart at AllMusic
- Audio of Slam Stuart improvising at a 1970 Binghamton Symphony concert
- A Slam Stewart Biography
- www.myspace.com/slamstewart - Fan page with music, videos, more
- Slam Stewart and other jazz musicians on Don Gabor's Continental Records
- Slam Stewart solo transcription on "I Got Rhythm" at Back Beat Magazine
- Pages with script errors
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- 1914 births
- 1987 deaths
- American jazz bandleaders
- American jazz double-bassists
- American male double-bassists
- Boston Conservatory at Berklee alumni
- American male jazz composers
- Dwight Morrow High School alumni
- Musicians from Englewood, New Jersey
- Savoy Records artists
- Swing double-bassists
- Manor Records artists
- Binghamton University faculty
- 20th-century American double-bassists
- 20th-century American male musicians
- Slim & Slam members
- Black & Blue Records artists
- 20th-century American jazz composers
- 20th-century African-American musicians