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 and walks of life, 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, sound design, processed low-end possibilities, and the occasional unconventional detour.

Born in Milan to a Moroccan mother and Lebanese father, raised in Houston, and trained at Berklee College of Music, David has spent the last two decades recording, touring, and performing with artists including John Legend, George Ezra, Fun., Bombino, Matt Corby, MS MR, Saha Gnawa, Innov Gnawa, Roc Marciano, Sinkane, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Ximena Sariñana, Mannarino. His television appearances include Saturday Night Live, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and The Late Late Show with James Corden.

Recent recording credits include electric and double bass on John Legend’s Sufjan Stevens-produced My Favorite Dream, a project recognized with two 2025 Grammy nominations. David is also a Grammy-nominated member of Innov Gnawa, whose collaboration with Bonobo, “Bambro Koyo Ganda,” was nominated for Best Dance Recording. He is currently active with Saha Gnawa, a more experimental evolution of that circle, where Moroccan Gnawa tradition meets New York jazz, groove, electronics, and improvisation.

Beyond performance and recording, David serves as Senior Music Producer for PremiumBeat/Shutterstock and Pond5, producing and curating music sessions with artists around the world. He also makes chopped-and-screwed remixes as Spicy Legato.