David Tranchina

Bassist, Composer, and Educator, David Tranchina is a bassist known for his big warm sound, solid groove and inventive melodic solos.  He has composed music for Jazz ensembles, chamber ensembles, and has written music for animation and documentary films including the 2013 release “A Fuller Life”.  He is a founding member of the band Slumgum, and has performed with them all over the U.S.  He has also excelled as a music teacher, working with many students individually or in small group settings, as well as doing workshops with people of all ages while on tours of the country.  He currently lives in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Originally from Forestville, California, he started playing bass at age 13, and was self taught until he began studies with Classical bass virtuoso Barry Green at UC Santa Cruz where he earned is Bachelor’s Degree in Music.  In 2006 He moved to Los Angeles to attend Calarts, where he studied with Charlie Haden, and Darek Oles, and received his Master’s Degree in Jazz Performance in 2008.  Other influences and mentors are Larry Koonse, Joe LaBarbara, Vinny Golia, Wadada Leo Smith, David Roitstein and Alfred Ladzekpo.

David has performed with Bennie Maupin, Patrice Rushen, Bob Mintzer, Chuck Manning, Gary Foster, Gary Fukushima, Kendall Kay, Matt Otto, Nate Wood (of Kneebody), Lorca Hart, Bobby Watson (of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers), Mike Barone (Composer for The Tonight Show Band), Butch Morris, William Winant, Smith Dobson, Vinny Golia, Larry Koonse, and Joe LaBarbara.  David has played some of the top jazz venues in Los Angeles, including The Blue Whale, The Jazz Bakery, Catalina’s, Vibrato, The Mint, Charlie O’s, Vitellos, and REDCAT and LACMA.  He also has extensive studio experience recording on many albums is some of LA’s best studios including Capitol Records, The Firehouse Studio, Killzone Studio, TV Tray Studios, The Hobbyshop, and Catasonic Studios.

He is also a regular member of many bands including Slumgum, the steam-punk cabaret experiment Timur and the Dime Museum,  Frank Silva’s Frack, Adam Bravo’s Oven Fresh, the bluegrass band American Primitive, the Bluegrass-Noise band Tears of the Moose Chaser, Tony Diggenarro‘s solo projects, Dave Cipriani’s world-music blend Mahadev, the Mike Barone Big Band, the Jon Armstrong Big Band, and the Trevor Anderies Group.

David enjoys exploring new territories and sonic possibilities on the bass, and doesn’t like to be pigeonholed into one style of music.  The one common thread in all the projects that he is involved in is that they are all unique, offering something new and original to the musical community.

 David also loves composing, and has composed for animated films, as well as for Slumgum and other chamber ensembles.  He has also excelled as a music teacher, working with many students individually or in small group settings, as well as doing workshops with people of all ages while on tours of the country.  He is currently a freelance musician and educator in Los Angeles.