David Finck

A talented bassist and ensemble director residing in New York, David Finck has built recognition for refined acoustic jazz recordings grounded in traditional approaches. His professional path opened during the 1980s through extensive session engagements and touring, during which he accompanied multiple Grammy-winning artists across pop and jazz, among them Rod Stewart, Natalie Cole, André Previn, and Elton John. Leading his own compact ensembles as a solo performer, he has earned favorable notice for the albums Future Day in 2008, Low Standards in 2017, and Bassically Jazz in 2019.

Finck came into the world in 1958 in Rochester, New York, where he was raised amid a household centered on music and first took up the bass at age ten. In his teenage years he received private lessons from Michael Shahan and Sam Goradetzer, both members of the Philadelphia Orchestra. After completing high school he secured a degree from the Eastman School of Music, joined tours with Woody Herman, and settled in New York in 1981. His sideman credits encompass performances and recordings with an expansive roster of musicians drawn from varied styles, including Michel Legrand, Tony Bennett, Elton John, Herbie Hancock, Natalie Cole, Dizzy Gillespie, Rod Stewart, Dionne Warwick, Rosemary Clooney, Jon Secada, and Paquito D'Rivera. In parallel with his independent jazz projects he has served since the 1990s as a steady member of pianist Steve Kuhn’s group. He also collaborated with pianist André Previn across multiple engagements that produced the 1998 album We Got Rhythm: Gershwin Songbook, the 1999 release We Got It Bad and That Ain't Good: An Ellington Songbook, and the 2001 concert recording Live at the Jazz Standard.

Finck stepped forward as a leader with the 2008 quartet album Future Day, which featured vibraphonist Joe Locke, pianist Tom Ranier, and drummer Joe La Barbera. He next joined pianist Roger Davidson for the 2011 tribute project Umbrellas & Sunshine: The Music of Michel Legrand. A stretch of recordings alongside guitarist Tisziji Munoz preceded his 2017 releases, among them Low Standards with pianist Gary Versace and drummer Carl Allen, together with the duo album The Deep recorded with pianist Shelly Berg. In 2019 he issued Bassically Jazz, which included appearances by vocalists Linda Eder and Alexis Cole.