David Lizmi is a freelance bass player who has recorded, performed and toured with more than 50 groups in the 10 plus years since graduating from Boston’s Berklee College of Music.

Recent tour highlights include such high-profile, platinum-selling groups as George Ezra, MS MR, Fun., and Ximena Sariñana, and chances are, you’ve caught him performing with one of these groups on late night TV shows that include Saturday NightLive, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and The Late Late Show with James Corden.

While most recognized for electric bass and synth, David is also an accomplished upright bassist, percussionist and ghimbri player.

His labor of love projects include the country folk band Northwood, of which he is a founding member, and traditional Morroccan gnawa music. Being half-Morroccan himself, gnawa music offers a valued connection to David’s roots. He’s recently helped to form and promote the New York-based group Innov Gnawa, fronted by Master Hassan Ben Jaafer. Other notable “world music” projects include the Afrobeat band, Zongo Junction and the Baluchi Klezmer band, Sandaraa.

In addition to his performing and touring career, David has served as music director, band manager, and producer for a number of other projects. Recently, he signed on as the New Music Content & Licensing Coordinator for PremiumBeats music license library.

Born in Milan, Italy to a Morroccan mother and Lebanese father, David grew up in Houston, TX from the age of two after his father, a drummer who toured in the ’60s with bands that include the Rolling Stones and The Animals, could no longer tour due to visa complications.

David’s initial interest in the bass was further developed through playing in the orchestra in local musical productions. In Houston, his social circle included other New York greats, Alan Hampton (Andrew Bird), Dan Molad (Via Audio co-founding member, life-long music collaborator and current drummer of Lucius), and Corey King (Esperanza Spalding).

During his time at Berklee College of Music, David was a founding member of the indie rock band Via Audio.  David managed, performed and toured nationally with Via Audio for almost 10 years. Highlight shows include a one off in Tokyo, where Via Audio opened for Spoon whose drummer, Jim Eno recorded and produced two of their full length releases.

In his spare time you can find David in Brooklyn making chopped n’ screwed remixes under the alias, Spicy Legato.