Celebrating the music of Naptown bassist Heavy Swain – Part 3

September 21, 2025

This is the final episode in our three-part series celebrating the work of the bass player Leonard Wilson Swain Jr., better known as “Heavy” Swain, an unsung hero of the Avenue music scene. During his career, Swain performed with many legendary jazz and R&B musicians, including Dinah Washington, Cootie Williams and more. 

On this edition, we’ll focus on Swain’s work with Tiny Bradshaw, Willis Jackson, T.N.T Tribble, and Frank Motley. 

Swain was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1916. By the 1930s, he was living in Indianapolis. The 1940 census listed his address as 2039 North Capitol. Swain began working professionally in music as a teenager, performing at Avenue venues like the Cotton Club, and Mitchellyne. In 1942, Heavy left Naptown, with the bandleader Tiny Bradshaw. Swain died in Washington D.C., in August of 1964. His body was brought back to his hometown of Indianapolis, and he was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery.