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Born
in New York City to Academy Award-winning lyricist Dorothy Fields,
David Lahm began playing
classical piano at seven, and by fourteen had decided that jazz and
pop music were his true calling.
After studies at Amherst with George Russell and with Bill Evans at
the School of Jazz in Lenox, MA (where
his fellow students included Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry and Steve
Kuhn), he began a music career as a
pianist, composer and lyricist.
Lahm quickly found himself in demand, touring and recording with the
Buddy Rich Band and as house pianist and accompanist at the legendary
Village Gate, where he backed a who's-who of the greatest vocalists in
New York City. Through the 1970s, Lahm worked consistently with
guitarist Attila Zoller, Janet Lawson and Richie Cole, did increasing
amounts of cabaret work and wrote lyrics to many famous jazz tunes,
which were recorded by the likes of Mark Murphy and others. By the end
of the 70s, Lahm met vocalist Judy Kreston, for whom he would become a
steady accompanist and who he would eventually marry in 1990.
Throughout the 80s and 90s, Lahm continued work with Judy Kreston and
recorded several albums both with her and as a solo artist. By the
early to mid 90s, Lahm began work on his Joni Mitchell project, and in
1997 Lahm signed with Arkadia, who released both volumes of his
landmark work, Jazz Takes On Joni Mitchell.