David Marsh

“First Born” spans a broad collection of musical genres that sends the listener on an almost endless exploration of emotion. It is irresistible as the wind. Its creator, 56-year-old bassist David Marsh, has stitched together a sound portrait that tells its own tale that is both intimate and mesmerizing, almost otherworldly in its design. It allows imagination to take charge, the music freeing the listener to listen and reflect, to sail directly to the center of imagination.

Marsh, whose long career is encyclopedic in its scope, cut back on his teaching duties and performing to create “First Born”. It was the product of a “heavy writing spurt,” he explains. “I was really enjoying the extra energy, and I was able to bring more to the surface.”

Much of the work reflects his affection for Caribbean culture: “I spent a lot of my life in the islands,” he says, and the tropic vibe, exemplified by the Christopher Cross 70s hit “Sailing” weaves its spell between standards such as Stevie Wonder’s hard driving “Superstition.” Taken as a whole, each performance intensifies the overall sensation and forms a very personal vision of Marsh’s broad life experience. 

“I wanted to create a body of work as a total musician,” Marsh says. In “First Born” he has succeeded, and doing so, he has added a unique blend of magic to the listener’s musical experience.    

 

Phil Trupp