David Lizmi is an electric and upright bassist, recording musician, percussionist, sound designer, and producer based between New York City and the Hudson Valley. Comfortable across styles and drawn to music from many traditions, his playing is shaped by popular music across eras — especially soul, Motown, disco, and jazz — alongside African percussion, Gnawa, and global traditions. Whether holding down a pocket, navigating an arrangement, or following a more open-ended improvisation, David brings presence, deep listening, and a producer’s ear for texture, processed low-end possibilities, and the occasional unconventional detour.

David has spent the past two decades recording, touring, and performing with  artists such as George Ezra, Fun., Bombino, Matt Corby, MS MR, Saha Gnawa, Sinkane, Roc Marciano, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Ximena Sariñana, Mannarino, and others, with appearances on SNL, Letterman, Fallon, and Corden. Recent credits include electric/upright bass on John Legend’s Sufjan Stevens-produced My Favorite Dream, a two-time Grammy-nominated album, and Grammy-nominated work with Innov Gnawa on Bonobo’s Migration track “Bambro Koyo Ganda.”

David also serves as Senior Music Producer for PremiumBeat/Shutterstock and Pond5, producing and curating music sessions with artists around the world.