David Ellington - BIOGRAPHY

David Ellington

davidellington.com

Growing up playing music, David Ellington studied the traditional classical fare that kids typically learn. But as adolescence hit and FM radio came into its own, David became attracted to all these other styles of music that he heard on the radio in the late 60’s/early 70’s - and everything changed. Throughout his teenage years, he played in garage bands and with friends, in school, and rocking’ church musicals; always trying to learn more of the music that he heard all around him. After graduating high school, he left his home town in Connecticut and moved to Boston. There he attended Berklee College of Music in the early 80’s, before moving to New Orleans in 1983.

Immersed in the extraordinary music scene in New Orleans, David worked and recorded with dozens of artists, including: ‘Walter Wolfman Washington’ - CD ‘Out of the Dark', The Wild Magnolias - CD ‘Life is a Carnival', Leigh ‘Lil’ Queen’ Harris - CD ‘Roy-G-Biv’, Troi Bechet - CD ‘Vo-Du Bleu’, Josh Paxton/Dave Ellington Trio, Los Vecinos, Rick Trolsen, the late greats;

Marva Wright and Tommy RIdgely, among many others. David also created the group ‘Chevere’; a fiery afro-cuban jazz group. The CD recording by Chevere entitled, ‘Baila Mi Ritmo”, was chosen by Times Picayune music critic Keith Spera as not of the ‘Top 20 recordings of 2001. ‘Chevere’ played the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival every year and always received a top tier ‘4 umbrella’ rating for their live performances at the Fest. David also had the good fortune to study with Ellis Marsalis while attending the

University of New Orleans in the mid 90’s.

Since moving to Atlanta in 2005, David has been busy focusing on the Hammond organ with the ‘David Ellington Organ Trio’ and with numerous established Atlanta groups and leaders. Some are: ’The Dan Baraszu & David Ellington Group’ - CD ‘Organ Trio’, ‘The Rick Lollar Band’ - CD ‘Soulful Hang’, Will Scruggs’s “CC Booker 3rd” - CD ’CC Booker 3rd’, Dan Baraszu’s ‘Planet Zu’ - CD ‘In the Light of Day’, ‘The Karen Greene Quartet’ - CD in the works!, ’The Dan Coy Group’, The ‘Dave & Dave Duo’ w/David Freeman, ’Scott Glazer’s Mojo Dojo’, ‘The Yellow King’, Ken Gregory’s ‘Solid State’, ‘Kenyon Carter Group’ - and also accompanying jazz singers; Kayla Taylor, Laura Coyle, Gwen Hughes, and Karin Williams.

Although his focus is on Hammond B3 Organ, David also performs on acoustic piano, as well as some very select vintage and modern keyboard gear: Vintage Vibe Electric Piano [custom Rhodes clone], Vintage Vibe Vibanet [custom D6 Clavinet clone], Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Mellotron, Vox Continental Organ, Farfisa Mini Compact Organ, Moog synthesizer, Korg SV1, and Nord Electro 5.

David with Joey DeFrancesco

Biography