Slam Stewart

Infobox musical artist
Name = Slam Stewart


Img_capt = Slam Stewart, ca. 1946
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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = Leroy Elliott Stewart
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Born = birth date|1914|9|21
Died = death date and age|1987|12|10|1914|9|21
Origin = flagicon|USA Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.
Instrument = double bass
violin
Voice_type =
Genre = Jazz
Occupation =
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Leroy Eliot 'Slam' Stewart (born 21 September 1914 - died 10 December 1987) was an African American jazz bass player whose trademark style was his ability to bow the bass (arco) and simultaneously hum or sing an octave higher. He was originally a violin player before switching to bass at the age of 20.

Biography

Stewart was born in Englewood, New Jersey in 1914. While attending the Boston Conservatory, he heard Ray Perry singing along with his violin. This gave him the inspiration to follow suit with his bass. In 1937 Stewart teamed with Slim Gaillard to form the novelty jazz act Slim and Slam. The duo's biggest hit was "Flat Foot Floogie (with a Floy Floy)" in 1938 (see 1938 in music).

Stewart found regular session work throughout the 1940s with Art Tatum, Johnny Guarnieri, the Benny Goodman Sextet, and other jazz greats. 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."

Throughout the rest of his career, Stewart worked regularly and employed his unique and enjoyable bass-playing style. He died in 1987 in Binghamton, New York.

Audio samples

multi-listen item
filename = GroovinHigh.ogg
title = "Groovin' High", written by Dizzy Gillespie and Frank Paparelli
description = This sample highlights Slam Stewart's style of bowing and simultaneously singing/humming one octave higher. Stewart's solo picks up at the end of a Charlie Parker saxophone solo, and leads into a trumpet solo by Dizzy Gillespie.|

Discography

tudio albums

*"Slam Stewart" (1971)
*"Fish Scales" (1975)
*"Two Big Mice" (1977)
*"Dialogue" (1978)
*"Shut Yo' Mouth!" (1981)
*"The Cats Are Swingin"' (1987)
*"Slam Bam" (2000)
*"Slamboree" (2002)

Compilations

*"Bowin' Singin' Slam" (1945)
*" Memorial Album 1914-1987" (1978)
*"1945-1946" (1997)
*" Jumpin' at the Deuces"

ources

* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:px1m964o3ep5~T1|Slam Stewart at the All Music Guide]
* [http://airjudden.tripod.com/jazz/slamstewart.html A Slam Stewart Biography]

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/slamstewart www.myspace.com/slamstewart - Fan page with music, videos, more]
* [http://www.soundfountain.org/rem/conlist.html - Slam Stewart and other musicians on Don Gabor's Continental Records]