"You've got a great concept on that bass."
---- Tenor Sax legend Pharoah Sanders.
"Sick playing, my man. Great tone as well. Quite humbled but very happy those are the hands building my bass. You’re a bad mofo."
---- Tad Kinchla of Blues Traveler
"Very nice man. Sounds good, killing. It was great meeting you and
hanging with you. Much respect."
---- Bakithi Kumalo bassist with Hugh
Masekela, Paul Simon (bassist on Simon's "Graceland") and many others.
Electric Performance - video, audio, images and booking info
Acoustic Performance - video, audio and images
David Certain's innovative bass style employing swing, funk and Latin elements is inspired by Buster Williams, Jaco Pastorius, Art Davis and Alex Blake: old school sees tomorrow. A bassist for over 40 years, David Certain studied with Kenny Davis of the Oberlin Conservatory. He's toured and recorded with legendary, Grammy-nominated drummer and "The Mayor of Harlem" Greg Bandy in his band, The Unsung Heroes, on and off for decades. David has performed with Miles Davis alumnus and Downbeat Readers' Poll winner, saxophonist Gary Bartz, free jazz pioneer and pianist Bobby Few, organ master Jimmy McGriff, saxophonist and Grammy-winning arranger Willie Smith, singer "Little" Jimmy Scott, Latin jazz pianist Hilton Ruiz, drummer Ike Wiley (formerly with Stanley Clarke), Vincent Herring, Eddie Henderson and many others. David currently resides in St. Louis performing with vocalist Charles Glenn, the Eddie Henderson Quartet and guitar legend Marvin Horne. David is music director for The Oliver Sain Revue and performs locally with Billy Barnett, Blind Willie Deneen, and is first call substitute for several prominent bassists.
After studying and practicing for 20 some years, David most recently "came out" as a drummer and percussionist. Already he's stack up decent performing credits with Mark Peterson and Anthony Michael Peterson (founder of NYC's Black Rock Coalition with Vernon Reid), Cedric Napoleon (bassist for Grover Washington, Jr.), St. Louis guitar legend Tom Byrne (Webster University) and VooDoo Blues Band. Equally at home on a variety of instruments, acoustic and electric bass and drums, he also sings, plays guitar, six-string piccolo bass, drums, lap steel guitar and keyboard synthesizer on "Compositions," his CD of original music. David's company, CertainBass, makes custom electric basses for an international clientele including such luminaries as George Potsos of Devin Allman (Gregg Allman's son) and the Honeytribe and Jay DeMarkus of Rascal Flatts.
