Way Over the Rainbow Out Now!
“David Lord is a six-string anomaly, a genuine diamond in the rough. Over time in his search and discovery missions with his chosen instrument, he has cultivated a wholly unique vocabulary that is devoid of any direct influences. What the guitarist presents is so delightfully weird and wonderful, so refreshingly original that it stands as his own personal manifesto for an alternative six-string expression.”
Guitarist and composer David Lord has developed a singular approach to composition and improvisation. His music has been featured in publications such as Downbeat, Dusted Magazine, A Closer Listen, All About Jazz, Under the Radar, Bandcamp Daily, Pop Matters, NPR, Aquarium Drunkard, Magnet and Tiny Mix Tapes.
Lord has recorded and collaborated with Jeff Parker, Chad Taylor, Devin Hoff, Billy Mohler, Charles Rumback, Dave Easley, James Singleton, Jason Stein, Mai Sugimoto, John Tate, David Tranchina, Nathan Hubbard, Christine Tavolacci, Chris Schlarb, Dale Black, Timonium and many others.
Lord has released five albums under his own name, Forest Standards Vol. 1 (2018), Forest Standards Vol. 2 (2020), Forest Standards Vol. 3 (2023), Forest Standards Vol. 4 (2024) and Way Over the Rainbow (2025).
Way Over the Rainbow was released on Lord’s own Cloud Ear Records and featured Jeff Parker, Charles Rumback and Dale Black. The album received a 4 1/2 star review on Downbeat and was featured in Aquarium Drunkard’s best albums of 2025.
The Forest Standards series were recorded in Long Beach, CA at Chris Schlarb’s BIG EGO Studios. Volumes 1, 2 & 4 were released via BIG EGO Records and Vol. 3 was a co-release via Astral Spirits and BIG EGO. Vol. 1 features Chad Taylor on drums and Devin Hoff on bass, with guest appearances by Chris Schlarb on guitar. Vol. 2 again features Taylor and Hake, while adding guitarist Jeff Parker and bassist Billy Mohler. Vol. 3 features larger scale composition and instrumentation, with Christine Tavolacci on flutes, Nathan Hubbard on marimba and vibraphone, David Tranchina on bass and Chad Taylor on percussion. Vol. 4 features Alex Sadnik on alto saxophone, Brian Walsh on bass clarinet, Billy Mohler on bass and Chad Taylor on drums.
Prior to releasing music as a band leader, Lord released 15 albums under the name Francis Moss and with the bands The Wonder Revolution, Miki Moondrops, Elemental Trio and Solagget.
Lord has created his own extended lydian polychordal system which can be heard throughout his music. Grounded in the natural world, Lord’s musical logic involves themes of the forest, fungi and ecosystems.
News
News
