Biography

Pianist/composer David Cook is a Brooklyn-based musician heavily invested in the New York jazz scene and beyond.

Born in to a musical family based in 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 music directed and/or played for many notable singers, including 7-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, Lizz Wright, Natasha Bedingfield, Marianne Faithfull, Academy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson, Shayna Steele, Darius DeHaas, Billy Porter and Utada Hikaru.

As musical director for Swift, he has also played with guest artists including James Taylor, Carly Simon, Usher, T.I., Jennifer Lopez, Tegan & Sara, Sara Bareilles, Tim McGraw, Ronnie Dunn, Nelly, Emeli Sande, Ed Sheeran and many more.

He has also played in small groups led by bassists Chris Tarry, Francois Moutin and Michael Blanco, guitarists Greg Howe, Scott Sharrard and Al Street, saxophonists Grace Kelly, Bob Reynolds and Adam Kolker as well as drummer Sunny Jain (Red Baraat). He has played in big bands led by trombonists Alan Ferber and JC Sanford, writer/arranger Asuka Kakatani and Travis Sullivan's Bjorkestra. (Ferber's "March Sublime" was nominated for a Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album Grammy in 2014.) He is currently a member of the Brooklyn Jazz Underground, an association of independent artists with a shared commitment to creativity and community. The BJU aims to build greater awareness of original music emerging from Brooklyn.

In 2010, David released his first cd as a leader on the BJUR label. "Pathway" represents a move forward after years of sideman work in New York, nationally and internationally. Produced by jazz piano great Bruce Barth, featuring Matt Clohesy on bass and Mark Ferber on drums, "Pathway" is a collection of original works written for modern piano trio.

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.

Other musicians that David has recorded or performed with include Dennis Chambers, Jay Collins, Quincy Davis, Shane Endsley, John Ellis, Nir Felder, Tomas Fujiwara, Mark Guiliana, Janek Gwizdala, Eric Harland, Paul Keller, Gregoire Maret, Christian McBride, Pete McCann, Donny McCaslin, Marcus Miller, John O'Gallagher, Ulysses Owens, Rich Perry, Robert Randolph, Lew Soloff, Sachal Vasandani and Victor Wooten, among others.

- IMDb mini biography by: David Cook