Rob Swift

• Genre: Instrumental (East Coast)
• Hometown: Queens

About

Jazz and hip-hop form an eloquent alliance solidified by the visionary spirit and uncanny manual dexterity of DJ Rob Swift. A founding member of turntablist supergroup the X-ecutioners, he's embarked on solo projects that are anything but. Unlike many DJ's compositions, which feature turntables as the only instruments and their masters as the only musicians, his work incorporates the talents of several MCs, jazz musicians, and producers as he plays ringmaster in a circus of the sublime. From behind the tables and the sound booth glass, he coaxes Cool Jazz and smoldering hip-hop into harmonies of the two that showcase the finer points of both. Fans of scratch action needn't worry though. While MCs rhyme and horns blow, Swift cuts plenty of wax to shreds, and yes, there are many turntable solos. Not that you'd forget, but the X-ecutioners lend a wrist or two (or ten) to remind you this is DJ music.

- Alex Henning