A superior and flexible bassist able to contribute to a wide variety of advanced settings, Harvie Swartz is perhaps best known for his series of duet recordings and performances with singer Sheila Jordan. Originally a pianist, he started playing bass fairly late (in 1967, when he was already 19) but developed quickly. After attending Berklee, he performed in the Boston area with Al Cohn and Zoot Sims, Mose Allison, and Chris Connor, among others. After moving to New York in 1972, Swartz worked with Jackie & Roy, Jackie Paris, Thad Jones, Gil Evans, Lee Konitz, Barry Miles' Silverlight (1974-1976), David Friedman, Double Image, Dave Matthews' big band, Steve Kuhn (1977-1981), Paul Motian, and countless other top musicians. Harvie Swartz has headed several of his own groups, including Urban Earth (which recorded for Gramavision); he has also led dates for Bluemoon and Novus, and recorded often with Sheila Jordan.