Pianist/composer David Witham has toured and recorded with artists such as George Benson, Michael and Randy Brecker, Patti Austin, k.d. lang, Jose Feliciano, Eddie Harris, Charles McPherson, and Joao Bosco, to name only a few.
Born in Greenwood, Indiana in 1957, Witham began musical studies at age 7 with Louise Knudsen, and later continued with Alan Broadbent and Jaki Byard. He graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music in 1980, winning awards for excellence in both jazz and contemporary classical music. After touring the world with various pop artists in the '80s, Witham became Musical Director for George Benson in 1989. Around this time, through bassist Eric von Essen, Witham hooked up with Jeff Gauthier and many of the other musicians on the Los Angeles new music scene. "I kind of felt like I was wandering the desert at that time" recalls Witham. "When I met these musicians, I really felt like I was home again. I'd lost touch with a lot of things musically, had really narrowed my focus, and these folks really reawakened a lot of things in my musical mind." In addition to a long standing association with the Jeff Gauthier Goatette, Witham also records, composes, and performs with the Ernie Watts Quartet, Jay Anderson, Luis Conte, and his own groups. Witham is also involved in the Los Angeles recording scene, playing and composing for film, television, and album projects, including Jim Carrey's "The Mask," documentaries for PBS, and educational videos.
Since 1999, David has turned some of his creative energies towards the visual, and has created, produced, and hosted an award winning television show centered around music and performers called "Portable Universe," which has featured artists from around the world. The program can be viewed at www.portableuniverse.tv. Content from the show has been exhibited at the Museum of Neon Art in Los Angeles and the Caretta Shiadome in Tokyo.
