Leroy Eliot "Slam" Stewart (September 21, 1914December 10, 1987) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

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 and began playing string bass while attending

Dwight Morrow High School Dwight Morrow High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Englewood, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Englewood Public School District. The school also serves students from Engle ...

. While attending the

Boston Conservatory Boston Conservatory at Berklee (formerly The Boston Conservatory) is a private performing arts conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance, music, and theater. Boston Conservatory was founded ...

, 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. Stewart found regular session work throughout the 1940s with

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most ...

, Fats Waller,

Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first p ...

Erroll Garner Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad " Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first r ...

Art Tatum Arthur Tatum Jr. (, October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956) was an American jazz pianist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest in his field. From early in his career, Tatum's technical ability was regarded by fellow musicians as extraord ...

Johnny Guarnieri John Albert Guarnieri (March 23, 1917 – January 7, 1985) was an American jazz and stride pianist, born in New York City. Career Guarnieri joined the George Hall orchestra in 1937. He is possibly best known for his big band stints with Be ...

Red Norvo Red Norvo (born Kenneth Norville; March 31, 1908 – April 6, 1999) was an American musician, one of jazz's early vibraphonists, known as "Mr. Swing". He helped establish the xylophone, marimba, and vibraphone as jazz instruments. His reco ...

Don Byas Carlos Wesley "Don" Byas (October 21, 1912 – August 24, 1972) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, associated with swing and bebop. He played with Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Art Blakey, and Dizzy Gillespie, among others, and also led ...

, Benny Goodman, and Beryl Booker. 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 Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

). Out of those sessions came some of the classics of

bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early-to-mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo, complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerous changes of key, instrumen ...

such as "

Groovin' High "Groovin' High" is an influential 1945 song by jazz composer and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. The song was a bebop mainstay that became a jazz standard, one of Gillespie's best known hits, and according to ''Bebop: The Music and Its Players'' author ...

" and "

Dizzy Atmosphere ''Dizzy Atmosphere'' is a jazz standard by Dizzy Gillespie originally recorded in 1945 with Charlie Parker. Harmonically, it is based on the chord progression found in George Gershwin's I Got Rhythm "I Got Rhythm" is a piece composed by George ...

". He taught at Binghamton University in Binghamton, New York, and at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

. He died of congestive heart failure on December 10, 1987, in Binghamton, aged 73.

Discography

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 Major "Mule" Holley Jr. (July 10, 1924 – October 25, 1990) was an American jazz upright bassist. Biography Holley was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States. He attended the prestigious Cass Technical High School in Detroit. Holley played ...

* ''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

* Audio_of_Slam_Stuart_improvising_at_a_1970_Binghamton_Symphony_concertwww.myspace.com/slamstewart_-_Fan_page_with_music,_videos,_more
* ttp://backbeatmagazine.wordpress.com/2013/09/03/transcription-slam-stewart-i-got-rhythm/_Slam_Stewart_solo_transcription_on_"I_Got_Rhythm"_at_Back_Beat_Magazine {{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart,_Slam 1914_births 1987_deaths American_jazz_bandleaders American_jazz_double-bassists Male_double-bassists Boston_Conservatory_at_Berklee_alumni American_jazz_composers American_male_jazz_composers Musicians_from_New_Jersey Dwight_Morrow_High_School_alumni People_from_Englewood,_New_Jersey Savoy_Records_artists Swing_double-bassists Manor_Records_artists 20th-century_American_composers Binghamton_University_faculty 20th-century_double-bassists 20th-century_American_male_musicians Slim_&_Slam_members Black_&_Blue_Records_artists 20th-century_jazz_composers 20th-century_African-American_musicianshtml" ;"title="Slam Stewart at AllMusic]
Audio of Slam Stuart improvising at a 1970 Binghamton Symphony concertwww.myspace.com/slamstewart - Fan page with music, videos, more
* ttp://backbeatmagazine.wordpress.com/2013/09/03/transcription-slam-stewart-i-got-rhythm/ Slam Stewart solo transcription on "I Got Rhythm" at Back Beat Magazine {{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, Slam 1914 births 1987 deaths American jazz bandleaders American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists Boston Conservatory at Berklee alumni American jazz composers American male jazz composers Musicians from New Jersey Dwight Morrow High School alumni People from Englewood, New Jersey Savoy Records artists Swing double-bassists Manor Records artists 20th-century American composers Binghamton University faculty 20th-century double-bassists 20th-century American male musicians Slim & Slam members Black & Blue Records artists 20th-century jazz composers 20th-century African-American musicians>Slam Stewart at AllMusicbr>Audio of Slam Stuart improvising at a 1970 Binghamton Symphony concertwww.myspace.com/slamstewart - Fan page with music, videos, more
* ttp://backbeatmagazine.wordpress.com/2013/09/03/transcription-slam-stewart-i-got-rhythm/ Slam Stewart solo transcription on "I Got Rhythm" at Back Beat Magazine {{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, Slam 1914 births 1987 deaths American jazz bandleaders American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists Boston Conservatory at Berklee alumni American jazz composers American male jazz composers Musicians from New Jersey Dwight Morrow High School alumni People from Englewood, New Jersey Savoy Records artists Swing double-bassists Manor Records artists 20th-century American composers Binghamton University faculty 20th-century double-bassists 20th-century American male musicians Slim & Slam members Black & Blue Records artists 20th-century jazz composers 20th-century African-American musicians