Anders Swanson Page

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Anders Swanson is one of the newest members of the Billy Hill Blue Team that performs two days a week at the Golden Horseshoe. Anders began playing piano at age 9, violin at age 10, and bass at age 14, so it isn't any wonder that this talented man is the fine musician you see today. He toured Europe in 1981 with the Aptos High Jazz Band. He was musically educated at California State University in Long Beach with Jennifer Ruben, John Clayton, Chris Kollgaard and Paul Ellison. While attending CSULB, he was awarded the Woody Herman Music Scholarship, the Bank Of America Achievement Award and the Music Achievement Award from the CSULB Music Dept. From 1997-1998, he was a co-arranger of movie music for the Taiwanese Minister Of Culture.
He appeared as a guest soloist with All-Stars at Monterey Jazz Fest and was voted the Monterey Jazz Festival's "Best Soloist”. His musical credits include tours with the Long Beach Symphony, the Pacific Symphony, Ray Charles' tour of the U.S., Europe and Middle East in 1987, Michael Vlatkovich's U.S. and Canada in 1992-1993 and again in 1999, Jerry Lewis' tour of U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada in 1993-94, and Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra's tour of the Eastern U.S. in 1999. He played with the Hoagy Carmichael Centennial Celebration Tour of the United States in 2000.
Shown here with Billy Hill front man, Kirk Wall	He has also played with Ross Tompkins, Ritchie Cole, Ernie Andrews, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Virginia Symphony, Bill Watrous, Dave Frishberg, Bill Berry, Don Menza, Eddie Henderson, Sam & Abe Most, Billy Mitchell, and Vinny Golia. His theme park resume is equally impressive. During the 1980's while the Queen Mary was still a Disney operated attraction, he played with the Stowaways and the Seasicks. He has also played with Swing Soufflé and Red and the Red Hots. He has subbed as a jazz bassist with the Royal Street Bachelors, the Side Street Strutters and The River Rascals in New Orleans Square, Disneyland.
He has played with The Colin Mandell Group on "Strange and Savage Tales", Bill Plake on "South", the Michael Pierre Vlatkovick Trio on "Live In Toronto" in 2000 and "No Zee Two E's". He arranged music for the Ella Fitzgerald Tour,"All That Jazz" in 1990. He arranged "Superbass" with Ray Brown in 1990. He also appeared on "Triology" with A to Zink in 1996, Karen Gallinger on "My Foolish Heart" in 1998, Anders did the music for a Minolta Commercial in 1989. Jeanette Wrate and the Northern Lights Ensemble on "Echoes of a Northern Sky", Soraya Shaw on "Day Dreams", with Koonse, Swanson, and Wabich “Secret Tea” on Seabreeze Jazz in 2001, Mark Weber on "Beautemous Everlasting" and "Time Zone Differential" and with Glenn Horiuchi on "Calling is it and Now".
Turning to the bluegrass sound recently, he has subbed with The Barncats at Disney's California Adventure and is currently subbing with Billy Hill and the Hillbillies at the Golden Horseshoe Saloon in Frontierland at Disneyland. He has taught privately and with the Musician Trust Fund Series since 1985. He taught with the Four Seasons Youth Orchestra from 1990-1993 and the Los Alamitos Youth Center String Program from 1995-1999. He also taught bass guitar at Sam Ash Music in Cerritos in 1998-1999.Trained in classical and jazz traditions, he has specialized on string bass, electric bass and violin. He applies a bow technique to the Billy Hill and the Hillbillies Show few musicians would dare think of....but add to this wonderful sound the comical expressions and he is a joy to behold.