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, Alternative Press, Magnet and Tiny Mix Tapes.

Lord has recorded and performed with Chad Taylor (Chicago Underground, Pharoah Sanders), Jeff Parker (Tortoise, Brian Blade), Devin Hoff (Nels Cline, Mary Halvorson), Billy Mohler (Dolly Parton, Macy Gray), Charles Rumback (Riley Walker, Jim Baker), David Tranchina (Cathlene Pineda), Nathan Hubbard (Mark Dresser, Kris Tiner), Christine Tavolacci (Southland Ensemble), Chris Schlarb (Psychic Temple), Dale Black (Terrance Blanchard), Scott Taylor (Maria Elena Silva) and the Los Angeles indie-rock band Timonium.

Lord has released three albums under his own name, Forest Standards Vol. 1 (2018), Forest Standards Vol. 2 (2020) and Forest Standards Vol. 3 (2023). All three albums were recorded in Long Beach, CA at Chris Schlarb’s BIG EGO Studios. Volumes 1 & 2 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 and Sam Hake on vibraphone. 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 double bass, Chad Taylor on percussion and Lord on guitar and glockenspiel.

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.

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