About David

Dr. David Ian Baker serves as tenured Associate Professor and Area Coordinator of Jazz & Commercial Music at Utah Valley University, where he directs the Jazz Orchestra and oversees the jazz and commercial music programs. He earned his Doctor of Arts in Jazz Studies from the University of Northern Colorado, with emphases in jazz performance and composition/arranging.

David is a bassist, arranger, composer, and songwriter based in Utah. He is also the Artistic Director and Staff Arranger of the non-profit organization Hot House West.

Over the past two decades, he has performed at festivals and venues including Jazz at Lincoln Center, Vail Jazz Festival, Moab Music Festival, Jazz at Kingsbury Hall, and International Society of Bassists Conventions. His versatility as a bassist has led him to work in jazz clubs, music festivals, pit orchestras, recording studios, and touring bands.

Along the way, he has performed with artists such as Ulysses Owens Jr., Greg Gisbert, Bob Sheppard, Joe Craven, Carmen Bradford, the New York Voices, Drew Zaremba, Corey Christiansen, Chase Baird, and Jay Lawrence.

David has built a career at the intersection of performance, education, arranging, and community organizing. He is an active member of the Hot House West Swing Orchestra, Nathan Royal Trio, Pompe n’ Honey, and The Elderblossoms. As an educator and researcher, he believes in making music education accessible, rigorous, and connected to its cultural roots.