“The panel were impressed by Bowden’s versatility, sincerity and ability to connect to his audience through music.”
David Bowden is an award-winning bass player and composer based in Glasgow, working primarily in the fields of jazz, folk and contemporary improvised music. A mainstay of the Scottish scene, David has toured the UK and Europe extensively and was described by BBC Radio 3 as ‘a gifted bass player’.
Originally from London, David studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, In 2017 David won the title of ‘BBC Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year’. graduating with first class honours and the 2015 Yamaha Jazz Scholarship award. He has also spent time studying abroad in Amsterdam and Ghana.
David has a diverse musical palette that is reflected in his main compositional project - the acclaimed jazz fusion ensemble ‘Mezcla’. Tying together modern jazz with influences from Funk, Rock and folk music from West Africa, Latin America and beyond. The The band released their debut album ‘Shoot the Moon‘ in 2020, receiving 5*s in the Scotsman and a nomination for the Scottish Album of the Year award.
As a sideman, David is a member of the Fergus McCreadie Trio. The band’s third album ‘Forest Floor’ was nominated for the Mercury Prize and won the 2022 Scottish Album of the Year award. The band have toured extensively including appearances at venues such as Ronnie Scott’s, the Bimhuis as well as Oslo, Stockholm and London Jazz Festivals
David was also a co-leader of the contemporary jazz quartet ‘Square One’ described as a ‘powerhouse of Scottish Jazz talent’ by BBC Radio Scotland. The band won the Peter Whittingham award 2015 and released two albums to critical acclaim followed by a tour of the UK, Austria and Poland.
David is also active outside of the Jazz scene, regularly performing with acts such as Robin Adams, Beth Malcolm, Avocet, Dosca, Finn Anderson to name a few. Recent performance highlights have included festivals across the UK as well as performances in the Czech Republic, Poland, France, Belgium, Holland, Australia, Dubai and Zambia.
He is also active as an educator, working for Glasgow CREATE, Dollar Academy, Edinburgh Jazz school, RCS Musicworks, SYJO, Fife Council and Sistema Scotland and as a 2016 National Youth Jazz Collective Ambassador.