David started music lessons at age 6 - first accordion, then clarinet and piano. By high school, he was accomplished enough to win top honors in several state-wide competitions in both clarinet and piano. He then attended Washington University in St. Louis where he earned both BA and MBA degrees in a five year program. He also continued to study classical piano, but was increasingly drawn toward jazz and began playing at local restaurants and private parties.

After college, David moved to Chicago and pursued a career in venture capital, primarily with the firm he co-founded - Montgomery, Shelton & Company. Meanwhile, music remained a passion. He played regularly at community events and parties. He also formally studied jazz piano and jazz theory with Alan Swain, Larry Novak and others; and he broadened horizons by playing with a local R&B band.

Music has now moved to front stage in David’s life. He is performing regularly and becoming more active as a composer. He has also completed his first recordings with two limited release CD’s, "Captured Moments" and "Balance"; and he played with the Ed Holmes Quintet on Agnes Shawn’s recent release “Agnes – The Wait is Over”. Venues have ranged from Chicago clubs and suburban country clubs to summer music festivals, private parties and restaurants, including Highwood’s highly-rated Sage Grille where The Dave Shelton Trio is a regular. In addition to the Trio, he performs with other combo groupings and vocalists as well as solo. He has performed with some of the Chicago area’s top musicians.

David’s music draws from his classical and jazz backgrounds, plus his work with R&B musicians. His repertoire includes a wide range of songbook, Latin and jazz standards as well as originals, modern standards and pop/rock songs (e.g., Elton John, Motown, Stevie Wonder) done in jazz mode. He cites the music of Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans and Dave Brubeck as having the biggest influence on his playing.

THE DAVE SHELTON TRIO - In addition to Dave, regular members of the trio are MIKE STARON on acoustic bass and SHANE MOONEY on drums. Mike has had an exciting music career, both in Chicago and elsewhere. He has a Master’s Degree in Music from Northwestern and, in addition to performing, he is a lecturer at DePaul University and Triton College. He has been a member of several touring companies, including the international touring company for A Chorus Line. Shane is a highly regarded drummer and teacher in Wisconsin. While in the Air Force, he was a member of several Air Force and USO bands. He has since played with a number of other combos and big bands; and he is the long-time Principal Percussionist with the Racine Symphony.