[Dixielandjazz] Fw: David Swift

Thu Sep 27 16:23:49 PDT 2012

List Mates,

Here is some info about the Firehouse 5 that might shed a little light on the drummer.  This is from Roy Brewer. Roy worked at the Disney Studios in Burbank from 1954 until a few years ago when he retired. He used to hang out at lunch time on Tuesdays and Thursdays when the FH5+2 rehearsed on the lot.  

Roy also was a trombone player and was the first trombonist in my Great Pacific JB before Bob Havens.  

As I understand it, the whole thing started with guys bringing in Jazz records at lunch time. Eventually people started bringing in instruments and playing along. That is how the FH5+2 was born.  

After Ward disbanded the band, musicians who worked at Disney, including Frank Thomas, long-time FH5+2 pianist still got together at lunch to jam. Other musicians were invited to the sessions also.  

When I first moved to Los Angeles in 1979, Pete Daily, who was playing at the sessions, invited me to come along with him. That is how I eventually met the guys whom I formed my Great Pacific JB with. 

--Bob Ringwald

From: A76DIXIE at aol.com 
Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 1:39 PM
To: rsr at ringwald.com 
Subject: Re: Fw: [Dixielandjazz] David Swift

HI Bob,

As far as I know, the guys who first got together at lunchtime were far from Pros and the drummer
I always knew as the first one was Jimmy Mac Donald.  He eventually ingratiated himself at Disney, in 
the role of one who could manufacture custom made sound efx for cartoon insertion.  The drawing units in the beginning were designated as Music Rooms, each with a Director.  They laid everything out to meter 
on what they called Bar Sheets - basically, custom music bars like a score, as they were conscious 
of the appealing result to have everything on a beat and in rhythm. The sheets included dialogue and film footages for timing of hits and crashes, etc., and were brought to the mixing session with each mixer having his own copy to follow along as they re-recorded.  

An elaborate system of 5 pencil spotlights overhead, across the board, interlinked with the master in the middle as a stylus, so when the Asst. director in the middle, who knew the picture well, moved his pencil spotlight across the page, all the rest would go where his went.  Each of the them beamed a small circle of light on the same spot on each mixer's bar sheets and they all knew where they were.  I think that also necessitated a page turner for each mixer too, since their hands were full with turning the knobs! 

Later Jimmy fell into doing vocal sound efx, miscellaneous dialogue lines and a constant stream of inventions of elaborate toy-like contraptions of water drips in tune, storm sounds with lightening claps, etc. etc.!  By the
time I was hired in 1954, I can't recall seeing or hearing anything about David Swift?

If David Swift was around early on, I'm sure he would be welcome to sit in and maybe he played some
gigs with them?  I know later on when they needed a drummer for a rehearsal, Jimmy would play drums.
Ward Kimball the trombone-playing leader and crazy man of hilarious stunts and gimmicks like one 
actually a real siren that he fixed up with a foot-pedal, so that on the last chorus of Tiger Rag as an 
example, he would use that foot-pedal on the out chorus and it always sounding like the loud siren was in tune and in sync with the band.  Yes, Ward was a genius and when stimulated by a few drinks, which was always, he would do crazy obscene things that turned the crowds on.  

I don't know if you were ever at the Beverly Caverns in Hollywood... an oft used home for Kid Ory, Teddy Buckner, Firehouse Five +2 and another band called the Tailgate Ramblers!  Yes, yes I know... this is 
more information than you possibly wanted, but . . . One night Ward Kimball did a balancing act on
the tiny tables in the Caverns intentionally small to get more people in the room, with a foot on one table and the other foot on another table, he played a chorus with a funnel using it as a wah wah mute and when 
he was done with his solo, while the rest of the band continued playing, he took the funnel, stuck it in the 
top of his loose blue pants held up by white suspenders that went well with his red shirt and white Fire Hat 
along with his official fireman badge, then he took a full pitcher of beer and slowly poured it into the top of the 
funnel in his pants, until the last drop had cascaded down through his pants out any opening there was, to go splashing on the table, the floor and on a few less than happy patrons!   But that was Ward Kimball!   He was truly ONE for the books!

David Swift?  I don't know... COULD BE? 
Best regards,

Roy Brewer

In a message dated 9/27/2012 11:32:01 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, rsr at ringwald.com writes:
  Hi Roy,

  Someone on DJML is asking a question about the FH5+2. Since you were there, I thought you might know the answer.  

  Read the message on the bottom first and then one answer at the top.  

  Best,

  --Bob

  From: david richoux 
  Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2012 10:32 PM
  To: Bob Ringwald 
  Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List 
  Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] David Swift

  Wiki says he worked directly for Ward Kimball, and this site has much
  more http://www.cartoonbrew.com/tag/david-swift (Swift apparently was
  a WW2 B-17 bomber pilot!) but there is nothing specific about him
  being in Firehouse 5+2 that I can currently find. He went on to
  produce some major films and TV shows.

  I also just found a link to an upcoming Ward Kimball bio that might be
  of interest: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0811866319

  David Richoux

  On Wed, Sep 26, 2012 at 6:39 PM, Anton Crouch
  <anton.crouch at optusnet.com.au> wrote:
  > Hello all
  >
  > The 1962 hospital drama /The interns/ turned-up on local TV recently and I
  > see that IMDb claims that the director, David Swift, was the original
  > drummer for the Firehouse Five Plus Two. Can anyone verify this?
  >
  > Interestingly, the movie soundtrack contains some jazz but the producers did
  > not use FF+2. The music is played by Turk Murphy and his San Francisco Jazz
  > band.
  >
  > All the best,
  > Anton
  >
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