David Ian Baker

David Baker is currently serving as Assistant Professor and Area Coordinator of Jazz & Commercial Music at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He received his Doctor of Arts from the University of Northern Colorado in Jazz Studies emphasizing in performance and composition. He has been an active performer for over fifteen years including performances at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Gene Harris Jazz Festival, The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, Dazzle™ Jazz & Supper Club, The Velvet Note, and The Jazz Education Network Conference. He has shared the stage with Greg Gisbert, Bob Sheppard, Corey Christiansen, Chase Baird, Carmen Bradford, and Jay Lawrence. David was awarded the First Alternate position in the International Society of Bassists' 2019 Jazz Performance Competition. David is an active member of the Utah jazz community and can be seen regularly performing throughout the state. Similarly, he has a long-standing musical relationship with Alex Sjobeck, Ryan Fourt, Jack Roben, Jenna McLean, and other artists throughout the country.

David is well-versed in popular music styles and can be heard on records with Emily Merrell and Sam Costigan. He has likewise been hired by The Platters, Frankie Avalon, Bryce Merritt, and the Colorado Symphony as an electric bassist. He is currently an active member of the Diamond Empire band and Hot House West and can be seen performing all over the Intermountain West. David works as a singer/songwriter, and has been writing and recording his own music for over ten years. He combines these skills with music business, graphic design, and marketing under Moddl Records™, his independent record label.

David has given masterclasses and lectures across the United States including most recently at the 2021 and 2019 International Society of Bassists Convention and the 2020 Jazz Educator's Network Conference in New Orleans. His recent research aims to redefine early jazz history and focuses on the consequential role of pluralism and religion in the creation of jazz.

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