David Darling

David Darling was a world-renowned cellist, composer, improviser, and educator whose lengthy career included numerous solo albums blending chamber jazz, modern classical, and new age, as well as film scores and session work for pop and country artists. Active as a member of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and the Paul Winter Consort during the 1970s, his first album on his own was 1980's Journal October: Solo Cello. He issued collaborations with fellow ECM-signed artists like Terje Rypdal and Ketil Bjørnstad, in addition to releasing atmospheric solo efforts for the label such as 1995's Dark Wood. Darling's 21st century work, often for new age labels like Hearts of Space, was often specifically designed for massage and relaxation, with other albums like 2009's Grammy-winning Prayer for Compassion and 2019's Homage to Kindness offering messages of peace and equality.