David Hughes
was born and raised in Sweden but is now based in LosAngeles, California. After studies at the Royal College of Music in Stockolm, Hughes left for LA and a stint at the Bass Institute of Technology, BIT. After receiving the BIT Outstanding Student Award, Hughes soon joined the teaching staff and began to explore life as a studio and live musician. He has taught at Los Angeles Music Academy (LAMA), University of Southern California (USC) and California Institute of the Arts (CalArts).
David received his first important break when Wayne Henderson of the legendary Jazz Crusaders asked him to join the band. Other credits include Chaka Khan, Melissa Etheridge, Burt Bacharach and Connie Stevens and Ray Manzarek of the Doors. He has played on countless sessions for TV and radio and for films such as Firehouse Dog and Old School, in which he also appeared.
A composer since he was old enough to reach the piano keys, the release of Hughes debut CD Swoosh united his greatest passions - composing and performing. With the release of Foreign Shores he achieved a new musical level, with more complex compositions and live, interactive performances. Cruising Along Hughes straddles the pop and jazz genres and focuses on melodic tunes, using improvisation as a flavor rather than as main ingredient. Hopeful Romantic puts the focus on Hughes’ bass guitar with plenty of room for his fretless and fretted basses to soar.
Hughes is married to Shirley To, who herself is a touring bass player.
Currently Hughes fills his schedule touring and recording with David Benoit, the Orchestre Surreal, the Budman/Levy Orchestra and with recording sessions and local performances spanning jazz to rock and classical music. When he has time off, he likes to compose and ride his bike or ski in the SoCal mountains.
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