Steve Swallow dabbled in trumpet and piano before trying his hand at double bass. At 20 years-old, the musician played in a jazz trio along with Paul Bley. Gigs with George Russell and Stan Getz, among others, followed. In 1967, Swallow joined the Gary Burton Quartet. Soon after, he turned his focus to electric bass. Starting in the late 1970s, he began to collaborate with Carla Bley. In 1979, the bassist served as leader for the first time on Home, an album inspired by the poems of Robert Creeley. The project was followed up with the 2006 recording So There. In the meantime, Swallow, a musician still in demand, is involved in many projects on stage and in studio.