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David Manson

adventurous trombonist & composer

About Me

David Manson is a trombonist, composer, improvisor, presenter and music technologist with a diverse range of experience in music. His degrees include a doctorate from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He began his performance career with positions in the Florida West Coast Symphony Orchestra and Memphis Symphony Orchestra and taught low brass and jazz studies at Indiana State University before returning to Florida. He has been soloist and composer with the BONK New Music Festival, Subtropics New Music Festival, Society of Composers and SEAMUS. He has performed and recorded with Cecil Taylor, Sam Rivers, Eugene Chadbourne, John Lindberg, Davey Williams and other innovators. He has also backed popular artists including Henry Mancini, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Johnny Mathis, Burt Bacharach and toured with the Glenn Miller Orchestra.

David's solo recordings include “Modern Music for Trombone” (lps 3209) and “Beast” (isospin). His releases as leader, composer/arranger and soloist include “Particle Zoo” with ensemble SHIM, “Fluid Motion” with jazz legend Sam Rivers and “Infinita Bossa”, “A Kiss for Rio”,”Go!” and “Aberto” with Brazilian band O Som Do Jazz and “Radiant Forces” with the Helios Jazz Orchestra. He was trombonist and arranger for Bogus Pomp, a Frank Zappa repertoire band from 1993-2007.

David is a recipient of four Artist Fellowships in music composition from the National Endowment for the Arts, Florida Division of Arts and Culture, Creative Pinellas, a Fulbright- Hays project in Turkey, an artist feature in the JazzSouth radio program, and grants from Meet The Composer. His orchestral works have been performed by the Florida Orchestra. Recent television placements include HBO, Fox, CW, ABC, Showtime, BBC and AMC.

David directs the EMIT series of adventurous music at the Salvador Dali Museum and other venues and is former director of the Tampa Bay Composers' Forum (1995-2003). Through EMIT and the Composers Forum, David has presented over 500 concerts of adventurous music. He was awarded the title of Distinguished Faculty at St. Petersburg College in 2015.

He directs the Helios Jazz Orchestra, leads Brazilian group O Som Do Jazz and avant-jazz group ERG and teaches jazz studies and Pro Tools courses in the MIRA (Music Industry/Recording Arts) program at St. Petersburg College. He is the founder and director of the annual St. Petersburg Jazz Festival, in its 15th season and the EMIT Latin Jazz Fest.