David Darling

David Darling is a classically trained cellist who began his career as an elementary and secondary school teacher and conductor of band and orchestra. He later taught music and served as conductor and faculty cellist at Western Kentucky University. Then from 1969 to 1978 he played with the Paul Winter Consort, an extraordinarily progressive band for its time whose sound blended jazz with Brazilian, African, Indian and other world music. Since he left the Consort he has dedicated himself to a solo performing and recording career, and to teaching music and improvisation.

Darling studied the piano and cello as well as playing the double bass and alto saxophone in the school dance band of which he eventually became the leader. He studied the cello and music education at Indiana University from where he graduated in 1965. After teaching for four years he played with the Winter, Paul Consort throughout the 70s and then formed the band Radiance with other Winter alumni. Getting acquainted with ethnic music with the Consort and trying to play it on the cello 'was mind-blowing'. He was able to develop his particular style as he turned to the use of a solid bodied eight-string electric cello and was able to introduce electronic effects into his playing through the use of an echoplex and other devices. Although he turned increasingly to classical composition after 1978, he played with Spiro Gyra in 1980. The following year he formed the band Gallery, and recorded with Moore, Glen and Towner, Ralph. He later worked in a duo with Rypdal, Terje. Darling does not see his music as new age but as music 'that doesn't have the busyness of progressive jazz, that has a meditative quality'.