Vibraphonist born David Alan Samuels in Waukegan, Illinois, who started banging the drums at six years of age and then swapped his drumsticks for mallets at Boston College. He graduated with a degree in psychology and furthered his education at the vaunted Berklee College of Music where he studied with Gary Burton and eventually went on to teach.
While in Beantown, he worked with artists such as John Scofield and Pat Metheny. Opportunity knocked in 1974 when Gerry Mulligan plucked him for some concert and studio dates. In the late ‘70s, he began recording with the jazz-outfit, Spyro Gyra. He appeared on their eponymous debut and recorded off and on with them through 2002’s Original Cinema. Although he was credited on most of their recordings, he was only an official member from 1986 through 1994.
In between, he moonlighted on several projects, including the soundtracks of The Cotton Club and The Firm, and Sergio Salvatore’s self-titled album, which was released in 1993. Other albums on which you can hear him include The Instrumental History of Jazz, Jazz 101 – Introduction to Latin Jazz, 100% Jazz – Volume 3 – 2002, and This is Jazz 18 – Gerry Mulligan.
Dave was active with his own group, The Caribbean Jazz Project. They won a Grammy award for 2003’s The Gathering in the category of “Best Latin Jazz Recording. Birds of a Feather and Here and Now – Live in Concert were also nominated.
The CD era is rife with recordings, compilations and re-issues to whet your appetite for mallet instruments, including Diane Schuur’s 2005 release, Schuur Fire, the anthology, Various Artists: Archives Vol. 4, and Stephen King’s Children of the Corn (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) 25th Anniversary Edition.
He died in April 2019 due to a long-term illness. He was 70 years old.
Spyro Gyra recordings
Morning Dance (Jay Beckenstein)
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