Neil Swainson worked for two years in Victoria with Paul Horn. He played with Woody Shaw frequently in the 1980s and also gigged with James Moody, George Coleman, and Zoot Sims. A member of Moe Koffman's quintet during 1978-1982, Swainson gained his greatest fame when he started working with George Shearing in 1988, an association that continued into the late '90s. The reliable bassist has also recorded with Jay McShann, Ed Bickert, and Rob McConnell, among others.