Faculty

Hailing from Dallas, Texas, Edwin Livingston has been involved in music from a young age. His many musical pursuits have led him to record and tour extensively with the following artists:

Elvin Jones; Ellis, Delfeayo, and Jason Marsalis; The Headhunters; Los Hombres Calientes (Grammy-nominated for Best Latin Jazz Album); Bill Summers; Munyungo Jackson; Donald Harrison, Jr.; Alvin Batiste; Ronnie and Debra Laws; Lionel Loueke; D.J. Logic; David ”Fathead” Newman; John Beasley; The MONK’estra; Otmaro Ruiz; Mike Garson; Russell Ferrante; Sadao Watanabe; Justo Almario; Leni Stern; Kevin Toney of The Blackbyrds; Dave Weckl; Will Kennedy; Peter Erskine; Vince Wilburn, Jr.; Jimmy Branly; Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez; Tootie Heath; Dave Weckl; Joe LaBarbera; Hot Buttered Rhythm; Gecko Turner; Henry Butler; James Clay; Barbara Morrison; Queen Latifah; Wichita Symphony Orchestra; Afro-American Chamber Music Society Orchestra; Catina DeLuna & Lado B Brazilian Project (Grammy-nominated for Best Arrangement); Benjamin Wright Orchestra (Raphael Saadiq, Justin Timberlake, Will.I.Am, Brian McKnight, Mary J Blige, and Aretha Franklin); Dave Slonaker Big Band (Grammy-nominated for Best Large Ensemble Album); Vince Mendoza; Bob Mintzer (Grammy-nominated for Best Large Ensemble Album); Yellowjackets; Mary Chapin Carpenter; Jovanotti; Keiko Matsui; Melody Gardot; Seal; Natalie Cole; Ben Vereen; Sadao Watanabe; Frankie Valli; and Thelma Houston, among others. 

Livingston has appeared in several feature films, including Ray, Dreamgirls, Dolemite Is My Name and Low Down. He has also performed on NBC LIVE’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” with John Legend and Sara Bareilles. He has performed with Seal on “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” with Melody Gardot on “Later…with Jools Holland,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “The Today Show,” “LIVE with Regis and Kelly” and A&E’s “Private Sessions with Queen Latifah.”

In addition to a full playing, touring and recording career, Livingston is on the faculty at the USC Thornton School of Music, teaching bass and small ensembles in the Jazz Studies branch of the Popular Music Program. 

He holds an M.F.A. in Performer-Composer studies from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts).

His most recent recording, The Edwin Livingston Group – Transitions, is available on all platforms.