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Jeff Swanson
Chicago-based guitarist and composer
About Me
Guitarist Jeff Swanson has made his unique voice and open mind a valued part of Chicago’s diverse
music scene. A strong player in many disciplines, he has been featured at the Chicago Jazz Festival, Hyde
Park Jazz Festival, Iowa City Jazz Festival, Chicago Gospel Festival.
Case-fitter, is Swanson’s first original full-length release. It was recorded over four weeks in April 2017
during a residency at The Whistler in Chicago. Each week the group used a set repertoire and added
members to its core trio, exploring a different experience each week and concluding with the final
recorded performance as an octet.
Swanson brings a fresh lyrical approach to meshing jazz, improvisation, electronic and post-rock music
together on this release. Featuring a cast of rare talent, Case-fitter explores these seven new
compositions to paint boundless landscapes with craft and care.
As a composer his work is also featured in the New York/Chicago based trio, Whirlpool. Featuring
Caroline Davis and Charles Rumback, the group's first record This World and One More was released on
Ears&Eyes Records in 2013. In 2015 the group released Dancing on the Inside, featuring Ron Miles on
cornet. His original music has also been paired with saxophonist Artie Black in Living Bridge. The group’s
first self-titled album featuring Marcus Evans and John Sims was released in February of 2016 on
Ears&Eyes Records.
His adaptability and creativity as a sideman has lead him to perform and record with Dustin Laurenzi’s
Natural Language, Juan Pastor’s Chinchano, Quentin Coaxum Quintet, Doug Rosenberg’s Better Than TV,
Marquis Hill, Matt Ulery, Greg Ward, Sam Trump, Nick Mazzarella, Christopher McBride.
Since graduating from Northern Illinois University in 2010, Jeff has been a featured clinician at
university’s and schools across the country including Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, University
of Colorado Boulder, Northern Illinois University, and Denver Schools of the Arts. In addition to teaching
while traveling, Jeff also maintains a private studio of students in Chicago.