David Dyson
Encyclopedia
David Dyson is an American bassist, songwriter, arranger, and producer. Throughout his career he has performed with an array of artists including New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block are an American boy band from Boston, Massachusetts, assembled in 1984 by producer Maurice Starr. The band currently consists of brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood.New Kids on the Block enjoyed success in the late 1980s and...

, Meshell Ndegeocello, Lalah Hathaway
Lalah Hathaway
Eulaulah Donyll Hathaway best known as Lalah Hathaway referred to as the First Daughter of Soul, is a contemporary R&B and jazz singer. She is the daughter of soul singer Donny Hathaway and a classically trained vocalist. In 1990, Lalah Hathaway released a self-titled album. The album's first...

, Pieces of a Dream
Pieces of a Dream (band)
Pieces of a Dream is an American R&B/jazz group from Philadelphia. The group was formed in 1976 by bassist Cedric Napoleon, drummer Curtis Harmon, and keyboardist James Lloyd. At the time, the three were all teenagers...

, George Duke
George Duke
George Duke is a multi-faceted American musician, known as a keyboard pioneer, composer, singer and producer in both jazz and popular mainstream musical genres. He has worked with numerous acclaimed artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and professor of music...

, Regina Bell, Jonathan Butler
Jonathan Butler
Jonathan Butler is a singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music is often classified as R&B, jazz fusion or worship music.-Biography:...

, Najee
Najee
Jerome Najee Rasheed , known professionally as Najee, is an urban jazz saxophonist and flautist.He attended New England Conservatory of Music in Boston where he studied with George Russell and Jaki Byard....

, Candy Dulfer
Candy Dulfer
Candy Dulfer is a Dutch smooth jazz alto saxophonist who began playing at the age of six. She founded her band, Funky Stuff, when she was fourteen years old. Her debut album Saxuality received a Grammy Award nomination. Dulfer has released nine studio albums, two live albums, and one compilation...

, Rick Braun
Rick Braun
Rick Braun is a smooth jazz trumpet player.Before embarking on a solo career, Braun got his start by playing in several bands, including guitarist Jeff Golub's Avenue Blue...

, Gerald Albright
Gerald Albright
Gerald Albright is an American jazz saxophonist.Albright has sold over 1,000,000 albums in the U.S. alone. His self-produced music features him on bass guitar, keyboards, flutes, drum programming, and background vocals.- Biography :...

, Norman Brown
Norman Brown (guitarist)
Norman Brown is a smooth jazz guitarist & singer, often compared to his contemporary George Benson.-Overview:...

, Bobby Lyle
Bobby Lyle
Bobby Lyle is a jazz, soul jazz, and smooth jazz pianist. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee but grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota in a home near the corner of Park Avenue and 32nd Street. His father, reportedly, was a sports writer for the Star Tribune newspaper.He had his first gig at 16 and...

, Doc Powell
Doc Powell
Doc Powell is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He was born and raised in Spring Valley, New York. He attended college at University of Charleston....

, and Michael Franks.

Early life

Born David Reeves Dyson on April 3, 1965 in Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Rapid...

. When he was two years old, his family relocated to the Washington metropolitan area
Washington Metropolitan Area
The Washington Metropolitan Area is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The area includes all of the federal district and parts of the U.S...

 where he was raised and attended school. Dyson played the baritone (euphonium
Euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...

) in school, but was inspired to switch to the bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

 at the age of twelve after hearing recordings of Larry Graham
Larry Graham
Larry Graham, Jr. is an African American bass guitar player, both with the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band Sly & the Family Stone, and as the founder and frontman of Graham Central Station...

 and Louis Johnson
Louis Johnson (bassist)
Louis Johnson is an American bass guitarist.Johnson is best known for his group The Brothers Johnson and his session playing on several hit albums of the 1970s and '80s including the "best selling album of all time" Thriller...

. At the age of fourteen, he decided that he wanted to pursue a career in music. After high school Dyson attended Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...

 in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

, Massachusetts, where he received a B.A. in 1988. Although he taught himself to play bass, Dyson did take several lessons while attending college. He also learned to play the upright bass, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...

, and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

.

Musical career

After graduating from Berklee Dyson was offered a bassist position with recording artist Walter Beasley
Walter Beasley
Walter Beasley is an American saxophonist, a professor of music at the Berklee College of Music, and founder of Affable Publishing and Affable Records.-Biography:Beasley grew up in El Centro, California...

. He performed with him from 1988-1989. In the fall of 1988 producer Maurice Starr
Maurice Starr
Maurice Starr is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer.-Biography:Starr, originally from Florida, moved to Boston with his brother Michael in the early 1970s. After moving to Boston he recorded two unsuccessful R&B albums, Flaming Starr and Spacey Lady...

 was searching for musicians for New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block are an American boy band from Boston, Massachusetts, assembled in 1984 by producer Maurice Starr. The band currently consists of brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood.New Kids on the Block enjoyed success in the late 1980s and...

. Dyson auditioned and landed the gig
Gig (musical performance)
Gig is slang for a musical engagement in which musicians are hired. Originally coined in the 1920s by jazz musicians, the term, short for the word "engagement", now refers to any aspect of performing such as assisting with performance and attending musical performance...

. He toured with them from 1989-1992 as their bassist and musical director. In 1992 he was a bassist and composer with Chico Freeman
Chico Freeman
Chico Freeman is a modern jazz tenor saxophonist and trumpeter and son of jazz saxophonist Von Freeman...

 and Brainstorm. From 1993–present Dyson has toured and recorded with Michael Franks
Michael Franks
Michael Franks is a smooth jazz singer and songwriter from the United States. He has recorded with a variety of well-known artists, such as Patti Austin, Brenda Russell, Art Garfunkel, and David Sanborn...

, Greg Osby
Greg Osby
Greg Osby is an American jazz saxophonist who plays mainly in the free jazz, free funk and M-Base idioms.-Biography:Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Osby studied at Howard University, where he majored in Jazz Studies, and then at the Berklee College of Music, with Andy McGhee...

, Terumasa Hino
Terumasa Hino
is a Japanese jazz trumpeter. Currently based in New York, Hino is widely acknowledged as one of Japan's finest jazz musicians. His instruments include the trumpet, cornet and flügelhorn.-Biography:...

, Gary Thomas
Gary Thomas
Gary Thomas is an American jazz saxophonist and flautist from Baltimore, Maryland. He is a member of Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition band and has worked with John McLaughlin, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Jim Hall, Dave Holland, Greg Osby, Wayne Shorter, Ravi Coltrane, Cassandra...

, Kevin Toney
Kevin Toney
Kevin Toney is an American pianist and composer, known as an original member of The Blackbyrds and now is a solo artist and performer.-Biography:...

, Takeshi Itoh
Takeshi Itoh
, nicknamed "T.K." by fans, , is a Japanese Saxophonist, EWIst, Lyriconist, Keyboardist and flutist and currently serves as saxophonist of the band, T-Square....

, Jack Lee, and Bob James
Bob James (musician)
Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date...

. He was a bassist with Steve Coleman
Steve Coleman
Steve Coleman, born , is an African American saxophone player, spontaneous composer, composer and band leader. His music and concepts have been a heavy influence on contemporary jazz.-Chicago:...

 and Five Elements in 1996. A bassist, composer, and co-producer with the Hagans/Belden band (trumpeter Tim Hagans
Tim Hagans
Tim Hagans is a jazz trumpeter and composer.He has been nominated for Grammys for Best Instrumental Composition for "Box of Cannoli" from The Avatar Session ; and Best Contemporary Jazz CD for Animation*Imagination and Re-Animation .He grew up in Dayton, Ohio...

 and producer Bob Belden
Bob Belden
James Robert Belden is an American saxophonist, arranger, composer, bandleader and producer. He is noted for his Grammy Award winning jazz orchestral recording titled The Black Dahlia. He is also a past head of A & R for Blue Note Records.Belden was born in Evanston, Illinois, and raised in...

) from 1999 and presently. Dyson began touring with Meshell Ndegeocello in May 1997. He continued through 1999 and from 2001-2002. From 2003-2006 he was a bassist with Jonathan Butler
Jonathan Butler
Jonathan Butler is a singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music is often classified as R&B, jazz fusion or worship music.-Biography:...

. He began playing with Pieces of a Dream
Pieces of a Dream (band)
Pieces of a Dream is an American R&B/jazz group from Philadelphia. The group was formed in 1976 by bassist Cedric Napoleon, drummer Curtis Harmon, and keyboardist James Lloyd. At the time, the three were all teenagers...

 in 2000 at a concert in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

, Maryland after substituting for the original bassist. He is still performing and recording with them presently. Dyson also performed with Peter White
Peter White (musician)
Peter White is a smooth jazz and jazz fusion guitarist. He also plays the accordion and the piano. His brother, Danny White, was one of the original members who formed the UK based band Matt Bianco.-Career:...

 from 2005–present, Chuck Brown
Chuck Brown
Chuck Brown is a guitarist and singer who is affectionately called "The Godfather of Go-go". Go-go is a subgenre of funk music developed in and around Washington, D.C. in the mid- and late 1970s...

 2006-2007, and Lalah Hathaway
Lalah Hathaway
Eulaulah Donyll Hathaway best known as Lalah Hathaway referred to as the First Daughter of Soul, is a contemporary R&B and jazz singer. She is the daughter of soul singer Donny Hathaway and a classically trained vocalist. In 1990, Lalah Hathaway released a self-titled album. The album's first...

 2008–present.

In addition, Dyson was a member of the Towson University
Towson University
Towson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S...

 faculty as a bass instructor in the department of music. He is currently instructing the course David Dyson's Groove Concepts at MusicDojo.com. Dyson is a faculty member of InDepth Jazz clinics & concerts and an instructor with Gerald Veasley
Gerald Veasley
Gerald Veasley is an American jazz bass guitarist.Veasley was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he played in R&B groups as a teenager. He worked with Joe Zawinul from 1988 to 1995, and began releasing his own records in 1992. He has also done extensive work as a studio musician....

's Bass BootCamp and Bass Break LIVE. He is also a staff writer for Bass Musician Magazine
Bass Musician Magazine
Bass Musician Magazine is a monthly, free, online publication published in Vancouver, Washington, USA for bass musicians and industry professionals. The magazine was founded in 2007 with Jake Kot as editor....

.

David Dyson has also established himself as a solo recording artist. He is the founder and president of Lil Doc Productions and Lohandfunk Records. Dyson released Soulmates his debut CD in 2000. The Dawning, his second in 2004 and his third Unleashed in 2008.

Signatures

In 2008 Dyson was presented with his first David Dyson/Lohandfunk signature series bass created by Pete Skjold. The specifications are: 5 string fretted, ash body, myrtle top, maple fingerboard, maple pick up covers and knobs, 5 piece maple/purpleheart neck, 2-SC-1 pick ups, audere 4-band pre w/5-position z-mode rotary switch - standard (also available with the Skjold/east custom pre-amp). In 2011 Dyson debuted his fretless Skjold signature series bass at the NAMM Show
NAMM Show
The NAMM Show is one of the largest music product trade shows in the world, founded in 1901. It is held every January in Anaheim, California, USA, at the Anaheim Convention Center...

 in Anaheim, California.

David Dyson also has several signature series cheesecakes created by Imagine Cheesecake. They include the Banana Candy Supreme and the Triple Chocolate Mocha Bass Kiss.

Discography

  • New Kids on the Block
    New Kids on the Block
    New Kids on the Block are an American boy band from Boston, Massachusetts, assembled in 1984 by producer Maurice Starr. The band currently consists of brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood.New Kids on the Block enjoyed success in the late 1980s and...

     – Step by Step (1990)
  • Chico Freeman
    Chico Freeman
    Chico Freeman is a modern jazz tenor saxophonist and trumpeter and son of jazz saxophonist Von Freeman...

     & Brainstorm – Threshold (1992)
  • Jack Lee – Gracefulee (1993), Where My Heart Goes (1996), Into the Night (1997), Message From Paris (2000)
  • Norman Hedman – Flight of the Spirit (1994)
  • Takeshi Itoh
    Takeshi Itoh
    , nicknamed "T.K." by fans, , is a Japanese Saxophonist, EWIst, Lyriconist, Keyboardist and flutist and currently serves as saxophonist of the band, T-Square....

     ("TK") – Groove Island (1994), T.K. Covers (1995)
  • Hino/Kikuchi Quintet – Moment (1996)
  • Masabumi Kikuchi
    Masabumi Kikuchi
    is a Japanese jazz pianist and composer born in Tokyo, Japan, notable for working with a variety of well known jazz musicians such as Lionel Hampton, Sonny Rollins, Woody Herman, Mal Waldron, Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Miles Davis, Billy Harper and Hannibal Peterson.-Select...

    /DJ Katsuya/DJ Hiro – Raw Material #1/M. Kikuchi (1996)
  • Steve Coleman
    Steve Coleman
    Steve Coleman, born , is an African American saxophone player, spontaneous composer, composer and band leader. His music and concepts have been a heavy influence on contemporary jazz.-Chicago:...

     – Genesis (1997), The Opening of the Way (1996)
  • Lee Eun Jeo – Monotone (1996)
  • Bob Belden
    Bob Belden
    James Robert Belden is an American saxophonist, arranger, composer, bandleader and producer. He is noted for his Grammy Award winning jazz orchestral recording titled The Black Dahlia. He is also a past head of A & R for Blue Note Records.Belden was born in Evanston, Illinois, and raised in...

    /Cassandra Wilson
    Cassandra Wilson
    Cassandra Wilson is an American jazz musician, vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi. Described by critic Gary Giddins as "a singer blessed with an unmistakable timbre and attack [who has] expanded the playing field" by incorporating country, blues and folk music into her...

    /Javon Jackson
    Javon Jackson
    Javon Jackson is an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He played in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers from 1987 until Blakey's death in 1990, and has also played with the Harper Brothers, Benny Green, Freddie Hubbard and Elvin Jones...

    /Dianne Reeves
    Dianne Reeves
    Dianne Reeves is an American jazz singer. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado.-Early life:Reeves was born in Detroit, Michigan to a very musical family. Her father, who died when she was two years old, was also a singer. Her mother, Vada Swanson, played trumpet. A cousin, George Duke, is a...

     – Strawberry Fields (1996)
  • John Stoddart
    John Stoddart
    Sir John Stoddart was a writer and lawyer, and editor of The Times.-Biography:Stoddart, eldest son of John Stoddart, lieutenant in the Royal Navy, was born at Salisbury. His only sister, Sarah, married, on 1 May 1808, William Hazlitt. He was educated at Salisbury grammar school, and matriculated...

     – Love So Real (1997)
  • Bob Belden
    Bob Belden
    James Robert Belden is an American saxophonist, arranger, composer, bandleader and producer. He is noted for his Grammy Award winning jazz orchestral recording titled The Black Dahlia. He is also a past head of A & R for Blue Note Records.Belden was born in Evanston, Illinois, and raised in...

     – Tapestry (1997), Black Dahlia (2001)
  • Various Artists – Drums Project on the 3 (Jpn) (1998)
  • The Shekinah Music & Arts Academy Mass Choir – Perfecting Our Praise (1998)
  • David Dyson – Soulmates (1999), The Dawning (2004), Unleashed (2008)
  • Scritti Politti
    Scritti Politti
    Scritti Politti are a British band, originally formed in 1977 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. Although there have been various changes to the line-up, Cardiff-born singer-songwriter Green Gartside was the founding member of the band and the only member to have remained throughout the group's...

     – Anomie & Bonhomie (1999)
  • Suttle Thoughts – Carribbean Nights (1999)
  • Tim Hagans
    Tim Hagans
    Tim Hagans is a jazz trumpeter and composer.He has been nominated for Grammys for Best Instrumental Composition for "Box of Cannoli" from The Avatar Session ; and Best Contemporary Jazz CD for Animation*Imagination and Re-Animation .He grew up in Dayton, Ohio...

     – Animation/Imagination (1999)
  • Meshell Ndegeocello – Lilith Fair Vol.3 (1999)
  • K'Alyn – CoCo (1999), The Beauty Of (2002)
  • Cabo Frio – Late Return (20th Anniversary CD) (2000)
  • Marcus Johnson – Urban Grooves (2000), Just Doing What I Do (2004), In Concert for a Cause (2006), Phoenix (2007), This is How I Rock (2010)
  • Marimelj Collective – It Takes a Village (2000)
  • Hagens/Belden – Re-Animation Live (2000)
  • Jaared
    Jaared
    Jaared is a Washington, DC-based contemporary jazz saxophonist.In 2002 he was nominated the Best New Artist of the Year for 2002 by The National Smooth Jazz Association...

     – Forward (2001)
  • Pieces of a Dream
    Pieces of a Dream (band)
    Pieces of a Dream is an American R&B/jazz group from Philadelphia. The group was formed in 1976 by bassist Cedric Napoleon, drummer Curtis Harmon, and keyboardist James Lloyd. At the time, the three were all teenagers...

     – Acquainted With the Night (2001), Love's Silhouette (2002), No Assembly Required (2004), Soul Intent (2009)
  • Jack Lee & Toninho Horta – Belo to Soul (2002), Episodes with Bob James (TBA)
  • Philip Bailey
    Philip Bailey
    Philip Irvin Bailey is an American R&B, soul, gospel and funk singer, songwriter, percussionist and actor, best known as one of the longtime members of Earth, Wind & Fire. Together with Verdine White, B. David Whitworth, and Ralph Johnson he forms the heart of the current EWF line-up on...

     – Soul on Jazz
    Soul on Jazz
    Soul on Jazz is a 2002 album by Philip Bailey which was released on Heads Up International Records. On Soul on Jazz Bailey covered Thelonious Monk's Ruby My Dear, Earth, Wind & Fire's Keep Your Head to the Sky, Joe Zawinul's Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, Gene McDaniels's Compared to What and Herbie...

    (2002)
  • Skip Pruitt – Eternity (2002)
  • Yahzahrah – Black Star (2003)
  • Ron Holloway
    Ron Holloway
    Ronald Edward "Ron" Holloway is an American tenor saxophonist. He is listed in the Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz where veteran jazz critic Ira Gitler described Holloway as a "bear-down-hard-bopper who can blow authentic R&B and croon a ballad with warm, blue feeling." Holloway is the recipient...

     – Live at the Montpelier Cultural Center (2003)
  • Marshall Keys – Times Aligned (2003)
  • Vince Evans – Emergence (2003)
  • Monique Steel – The Monique Steel Project (2003)
  • Yvonne Johnson – Malcolm's Set (2003)
  • Stoney Ellis – Love Changes (2003)
  • Frederic Yonnet
    Frédéric Yonnet
    Frédéric Yonnet is a French musician, producer and recording artist who is best known for his use of the harmonica as a lead in jazz, R&B, funk, gospel and hip-hop influenced music...

     – Front & Center (2004)
  • Bobby Lyle
    Bobby Lyle
    Bobby Lyle is a jazz, soul jazz, and smooth jazz pianist. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee but grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota in a home near the corner of Park Avenue and 32nd Street. His father, reportedly, was a sports writer for the Star Tribune newspaper.He had his first gig at 16 and...

     – Straight & Smooth (2004)
  • Alyson Williams
    Alyson Williams
    -Career:The daughter of bandleader / trumpeter Bobby Booker, she began her career by singing background vocals for various artists including, Curtis Hairston, Melba Moore , B. B. & Q. Band, Cashflow, Unlimited Touch, Bobby Brown and Barbara Mitchell before joining the group High Fashion, which also...

     – It's About Time (2004)
  • Jazziz magazine – Cool Summer vol.3 (2004)
  • Brian Lenair – The Journey (2004)
  • Art Sherrod – All 4 Love (2004)
  • Kim Jordan – Full Circle (2004)
  • Three Keys – Men in Action Against Breast Cancer (2005), Private Stock (2005)
  • Various Bassists – As One (The Tsunami Relief Project) (2005)
  • Temika Moore – Doing Just Fine (2005)
  • Jonathan Butler
    Jonathan Butler
    Jonathan Butler is a singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music is often classified as R&B, jazz fusion or worship music.-Biography:...

     – Jonathan (2005)
  • Tracy Hamlin – Seasons (2005), Better Days (2009)
  • Kendall King – For a Reason (2005)
  • Keith Ailer – Solacoustics (2005)
  • Peter White
    Peter White (musician)
    Peter White is a smooth jazz and jazz fusion guitarist. He also plays the accordion and the piano. His brother, Danny White, was one of the original members who formed the UK based band Matt Bianco.-Career:...

     – Playin Favorites (2006)
  • Rick Braun
    Rick Braun
    Rick Braun is a smooth jazz trumpet player.Before embarking on a solo career, Braun got his start by playing in several bands, including guitarist Jeff Golub's Avenue Blue...

     – Yours Truly (2006)
  • Nolan Williams – Inspirations (2007)
  • Benjie Porecki – How Does It Feel? (2007)
  • Jackiem Joyner – Baby Soul (2007)
  • Al Williams – Heart Song (2008)
  • Najee
    Najee
    Jerome Najee Rasheed , known professionally as Najee, is an urban jazz saxophonist and flautist.He attended New England Conservatory of Music in Boston where he studied with George Russell and Jaki Byard....

     – Rising Sun (2009)

External links

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