David Cook

Pianist, composer and Musical Director David Cook was born in San Diego to a musical family and raised in Columbus, Ohio. Now living in New York City, he has enjoyed a varied career of performing, recording and producing.


A graduate of the University of Michigan school of music, David has Music Directed and/or played for many notable artists, including 12-time Grammy Award-winner Taylor Swift, Thomas Rhett, Maren Morris, Emmy/Oscar/Tony winner Ben Platt, Shoshana Bean, Lizz Wright, EGOT-winner Jennifer Hudson, Kesha, Utada Hikaru, Halsey, NSYNC, Billy Porter, Joshua Bassett, Blu DeTiger and Shayna Steele. He has also played piano in jazz groups led by drummers Mark Guiliana and Red Baraat’s Sunny Jain, guitarist Greg Howe, saxophonists Adam Kolker and Bob Reynolds as well as 2-time Grammy-nominated trombonist Alan Ferber. He also was a featured guest artist and associate producer for Nicole Zuraitis’ 2024 Grammy-award winning record How Love Begins in the Vocal Jazz category. 

David has released 3 critically acclaimed records as a leader, Loyal Returns (2023), Scenic Design (2015) and Pathway (2010). Produced by Ben Wendel, Loyal Returns features Philip Dizack on trumpet, Wendel on saxophone, Matt Clohesy on bass and Kendrick Scott on drums. Fred Hersch says “this is an album of contemporary jazz composition and performance at its finest.” And 2-time Grammy Award-winner composer and bandleader Maria Schneider says of Scenic Design “...it is full of heart, intelligence, and simply fantastic playing…every piece thoughtfully carries the listener along with evolving nuance, expression and harmonic details.”

David is a member of the faculty at Montclair State University as adjunct professor of jazz at the John J. Cali school of music. He also represented the United States in 2008 and 2017 with ensembles through Jazz at Lincoln Center and the U.S. State Department. Those travels included Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Yemen, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, giving performances and clinics to audiences across the regions.

Other musicians that David has recorded or performed with include Dennis Chambers, Quincy Davis, John Ellis, Nir Felder, Tomas Fujiwara, Christian McBride, Donny McCaslin, Marcus Miller, Robert Randolph, Sachal Vasandani and Victor Wooten.

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