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John Swana

Go to JOHNSWANA.COM -  Official Website

  Here is the Webmaster's personal assessment :  "John is one of the best damned trumpet players in the world today!" 

    You can hear Swana all over the city on almost any given day.  We are quite blessed to have such an immense talent remain in Philly, when he could obviously make it anywhere in the world.   He scares New Yorkers out of their wits.  If you see him listed playing anywhere, go hear him in a club  while you can.  One day, we'll be paying premium prices to hear him in concert. As much as I hate to predict it, I don't think he'll stay in Philly forever.  Along with Tom Lawton, Glenn Guidone and Doug Markley, John is a graduate of my Alma Mater, Methacton High School in Collegeville, PA. Considering this school was built in the middle of a cornfield, you gotta admit it produced some pretty hip players ....

John can be heard on many Criss Cross records.

           Below is the official John Swana Biography.

"John Swana is one of the most exciting trumpeters to arrive for a decade," declares Mark Gardner,
co-author of Blackwell's Guide to Recorded Jazz.

Born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, Swana took up Trumpet at the age of
11. He was drawn to jazz at the age of 17 after hearing Dizzy Gillespie, and the interest developed into a
passion while he was in college. There he began transcribing the solos of Freddie Hubbard, Clifford
Brown, Miles Davis, and Tom Harrell.

Swana has performed in the Philadelphia and New York areas with well known jazz names such as
Don Patterson, Shirley Scott, Mickey Roker, Cecil Payne, Johnny Coles, Ralph Peterson, Charles
Fambrough, Bobby Watson, Trudy Pitts, Bootsie Barns, Craig Handy, Chris Potter, Stephen Scott,
Tim Warfield, Eric Alexander, Sam Newsome,Vincent Herring, Uri Caine, Peter Leitch Ralph Bowen,
and Robin Eubanks. He has also been heard with Freddie Hubbard, Phil Woods, Ronnie Cuber, Eddie
"Lockjaw" Davis, Clark Terry, Frank Foster, John Faddis, Slide Hampton, J.J. Johnson, Bob Minzer,
and Charlie Persip as a member of the Joe Sudler Swing Machine, a 16-piece big band based in
Philadelphia.

John Swana can be heard on recordings with: Benny Golson, Grover Washington Jr., Charles Fambrough, Craig Handy, Tito Puente, Bill O'Connell, Lenny White, Ricky Sabastian, Marlon Simon, Ed Simon, Dave Valentin, Cafe', Art Webb,Adam Holtzman, Ralph Bowen, Ron Blake, Peter Bernstein, Carl Allen, Mulgrew Miller, Benny Green, Kenny Barron,Tim Warfield, Lewis Nash, Clarence Penn, Kevin Hays, Chris McBride, Uri Caine, Peter Leitch, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Ralph Peterson, Bobby Zankel, and Tom Harrell.
Selected Discography
As a Leader...
"Introducing John Swana"
Features: Benny Green (Piano), Peter Washington (bass), Kenny Washington (drums), and Billy
Pierce (tenor sax).
"John Swana And Friends"
Features: Mulgrew Miller (piano), Ira Coleman (bass), Billy Drummond (drums) Tom Harrell (trumpet), and Billy Pierce (tenor sax).
"The Feelings Mutual"
Features: Steve Giordano (guitar), Dave Posmontier (B-3 Organ), Billy Drummond (drums), and
Chris Potter (Tenor sax, soprano sax, and alto flute).
"In The Moment"
Features: Kenny Barren(piano), Peter Washington (bass), Kenny Washington (drums), Steve Davis
(trombone), and Eric Alexander (tenor sax).
"Philly-New York Junction John Swana-Joe Magnarelli Sextet"
Features: Eric Alexander (tenor sax), Joe Magnarelli (trumpet), Peter Washington (bass), Kenny Washington (drums), and Joel Weiskopf (piano).
"Tug of War"
Features: Chris Potter (tenor sax, soprano sax, and alto flute), Byron Landham (drums), David Hazeltine (piano), and Dwayne Burno (bass).
As a sideman...
With Charles Fambrough:
"Keeper of the Spirit" Audio Quest Records
"City Tribes" Evidence Records
"Escue" A group colaboration on K-Jazz
"The K-Jazz Allstars" K-Jazz
With Peter Leitch: "Trio/Quartet 91" Concord Records
With Chris Potter: "Presenting Chris Potter" Criss Cross Jazz
With Eric Alexander:
"New York Calling" Criss Cross Jazz
"Full Range" Criss Cross Jazz
With Mike Boone:
"Better Late Then Never"
"Old Head"
With Benny Golson: "Brown Immortal" Key'Stone
With Bobby Zankel: "Prayer and Action" Creative Improvised Music Projects
With Clarence Penn: "Penn's Landing" Criss Cross Jazz
With Pete Smyser: "Out of Nowhere"