Produced by the acclaimed pianist Bruce Barth, Featuring New York fixtures Mark Ferber on drums and Matt Clohesy on bass, the music on "Pathway" veers from straight-ahead swinging to odd-meter long form compositions, to New Orleans-inspired 2nd line grooves and back again.
Originally from Columbus, Ohio, David attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he studied with Ellen Rowe, Barton Polot, Gerald Cleaver and the late Donald Walden. Upon moving to New York, he continued his studies with Bruce Barth, Fred Hersch and Kenny Werner.
David has played for many notable singers, including Lizz Wright, Natasha Bedingfield, Marianne Faithfull, Jennifer Hudson, Shayna Steele, Darius DeHaas, Billy Porter and Utada Hikaru. He has played in small groups led by bassists Francois Moutin, Michael Blanco and Nicholas D’Amato, guitarists Greg Howe, Scott Sharrard and Al Street, saxophonists Arun Luthra, Bob Reynolds and Mark Small as well as drummer Sunny Jain. He has played in larger ensembles led by trombonist Alan Ferber, big bands led by Asuka Kakatani and JC Sanford, and Travis Sullivan’s Bjorkestra.
In 2008, David was selected to represent the United States in the American Music Abroad program with the band Exegesis, sponsored by Jazz at Lincoln Center and the U.S. State Department. The ensemble traveled to Bahrain, Yemen, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait over the course of 5 weeks, giving performance and clinics to audiences across the region.
Some of the other musicians that David has recorded or performed with include Obed Calvaire, Dennis Chambers, Jay Collins, Quincy Davis, Dave Douglas Shane Endsley (Kneebody), John Ellis, Nir Felder, Tomas Fujiwara, Janek Gwizdala, Charlie Hunter, Paul Keller, Pete McCann, Donny McCaslin, John O’Gallagher, Ulysses Owens, Rich Perry, Lew Soloff and Victor Wooten, among others.
“After spending years in New York learning and performing other musicians’ works, I began to re-dedicate time specifically for writing," Cook said in a recent interview. "I found myself slowly absorbing all the different beautiful musical influences surrounding me and channeling them into tunes of my own. It’ll take me years to fully process everything I’ve heard and learned lately, but I decided a good place to start was through the palette of the classic piano trio setting. Mark Ferber and Matt Clohesy have been frequent rhythm section band mates of mine in different settings; they have such a good hookup that all I needed to do was write some tunes and get in the studio together."
In his liner notes, producer Bruce Barth sums up the music: "Pathway is the work of a dedicated artist who has found his authentic and clear voice as a pianist and composer. The music on this recording is fresh, original, daring. Dave has found sympathetic and inspiring bandmates in Matt and Mark, and the trio ranges far and deep in exploring Dave's music. They play with power and groove hard, while keeping an ear out for shades of color and nuance. On "The Thing," we hear intriguing sepentine melodies spun over a funky groove; in "Fresh Remnants," the trio can change directions in a flash and walk a tightrope; in "Napali," one can visualize majestic peaks, yet also feel a sense of urgency created by the driving bass line and 7/4 groove. These are just a few of the many musical riches contained in "Pathways," as this recording is the culmination of Dave's ambitious work in crafting these outstanding compositions. It is also a celebration of this trio listening, interacting, and making compelling music together."
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