David is a trumpet player, an accomplished composer, producer and
cultural inventor who brings a spirit of intensity and inquiry to everything he does,
as he and his gifted co-conspirators go for the jugular. Starting as a student of jazz
legend Freddie Stone, David has best been known for many years as the leader of
the oft JUNO-nominated and world-renowned FLYING BULGAR KLEZMER BAND; in
the last few years he has returned to his roots, stepping into the limelight as a jazz
composer and performer with his eponymous ensemble, and has just released his
first solo CD, SHURUM BURUM Jazz Circus. Featuring some of the most interesting
performers and improvisers in the land, SHURUM BURUM Jazz Circus has been
getting extensive airplay and rave reviews across the country, recognized for the
idiosyncratic freshness of the compositions, the great playing of the ensemble and
the clarity and immediacy of the production. It has just been nominated for a
JUNO award in the Contemporary Jazz category, making David one of the few artists
to have been nominated in more than one of the “arts” genres.David also plays in numerous other World Music groups, including Arab/Jewish Jazz
fusion group MEDINA and in the last few years he has been co-presenting projects
with his wife, dancer/musician/actor Roula Said, including IMAGINE THE SOUND of
PEACE and the music/dance series FEAST of the EAST. Recognized internationally
for his new Jewish compositions and instrumental style, he also created and was
the artistic director of ASHKENAZ: A Festival of New Yiddish Culture from 1994-2001,
which was a week-long explosion of sound, movement, colour and celebration.
David has composed the scores for six feature films, animated short, and for theatre and
modern dance. He is currently working on the Odessa/Havana project – the Jewish/Cuban musical mash-up.