Slam Stewart Papers

Leroy Elliott “Slam” Stewart was one of the pre-eminent double-bass players in American jazz. Born in Englewood, New Jersey on 21 September 1914, Stewart originally studied the violin but soon switched over to the bass. During his years at the Boston Conservatory of Music, he developed his signature technique of bowing and humming a melody simultaneously at the interval of an octave. In 1935, he began a successful partnership with the guitarist Slim Gaillard – the duo called themselves “Slim and Slam.” Their song, “Flat Foot Floogie,” became very popular. In 1941, Stewart joined Art Tatum’s trio, with which he appeared intermittently until Tatum’s death in 1956. He also formed his own ensembles on 52nd or “Swing” Street, with the pianists Billy Taylor, Erroll Garner, and Johnny Guarnieri. Stewart appeared in several Hollywood films, including “Hellzapoppin” (1941) and “Stormy Weather” (1943). He also played with Benny Goodman’s Sextet and Big Band, from 1945 to 1947. During the 1950s, Stewart performed with Roy Eldridge’s Quartet and the pianist and singer Rose Murphy. Stewart also played with some of the leading Bop musicians, notably Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker.

In 1971, SUNY Binghamton invited Stewart to join the music faculty. During this time, Stewart toured extensively, appearing with the Goodman Sextet, Bucky Pizzarelli, and the Newport Jazz Festival All-Stars, among others. Stewart also turned his attention to Baroque and Classical repertoires, assisted by the Lincoln and Lenox Quartets and the harpsichordists Christine Lindsay and Frances Cole. Stewart received many awards, as well as a Grammy nomination. In 1984, SUNY Binghamton awarded him an honorary doctorate. Stewart died in Binghamton on 10 December 1987.