DAVID JANEWAY was born in Rochester, New York. He began studying classical piano at the age of six after moving to Detroit in 1960. Early influences included Harold McKinney, Marcus Belgrave, Bill Evans and Denny Zeitlin. After moving to New York City in 1978, Janeway studied with the late Albert Dailey for two years.

During this time he worked and recorded with Angel Canales and Orchestra Sabor and other Latin/Jazz artists such as Art Farmer, The Supremes, Michal Urbaniak, Spanky Wilson, David "Fathead" Newman, Jr. Cook, Sonny Fortune, Billy Hart, Tom Harrell, Danny Gottlieb, Louis Smith, Dakota Staton, Pete Yellin, Valery Ponomarev, Benny Golson, Harvie S and others. 

He has performed at Mezzrow, Smalls, Django, Maureen’s, Cafe Carlyle, Zinc Bar, Birdland, Jazz Forum, Zanzibar, Visiones, Sonny's, Village Gate for the Salsa Meets Jazz series, J's, Sweet Basil, Sweet Rhythm, Cleopatra's Needle and many other NYC clubs. Janeway has performed at the NYC Salsa Festival at Madison Square Garden in 1980 and at the Detroit, Nyack, and White Plains, NY Jazz Festivals. In Europe he has appeared in the Red Light District Jazz Festival in Amsterdam as well as at Groningen University, Netherlands with Joris Teepe and Mark Gross. He regularly tours the US and Europe playing at the Blue Llama Club in Ann Arbor, MI, Bop Stop in Cleveland, Mr Tipples in San Francisco, Sunset/Sunside in Paris, 606 Club in London, Jazz at the Wine Museum, Paris, Clarences, Assejazz, Ool Ya Koo in Spain and Music Village, Lokerse and Hot Club in Belgium.

Janeway has recorded six trio albums, four for Steeplechase Records. His first, “Excursion,” released in 2004 features Harvie S and Steve Davis and is comprised of both standards and originals. His second trio CD, “Secret Passages,” (New Direction, 2017) features Frank Tate on bass and Chuck Zeuren, drums and features a mix of originals and standard arrangements.

For the past several years Janeway can be heard with his current piano trio featuring Billy Hart and Cameron Brown and as a sideman with various artists such as Patience Higgins, Eliot Zigmund, Ray Blue, Tito Puente Jr., Marianne Solivan, Peter Brainin, Joris Teepe, Duane Eubanks, Eric Person, Phil Young and his House of Blues band and others. This trio released their first CD, “Distant Voices” on Steeplechase Records (SCCD 33145) 9/15/21 and serves as a tribute to the many jazz pianists that have inspired and influenced Janeway throughout his career. Their second trio recording, “Forward Motion” was released in 2024 on Steeplechase (SCCD 31966). His most recent trio recording, “Live at Blue Llama” was released in 2026 and features Robert Hurst on bass and Billy Hart, drums (see reviews of all).

Janeway recorded “Inside Out”, (Timeless Records, SJP 402/1993) as a leader and features his Quintet with Sonny Fortune, Billy Hart, Chip Jackson and Valery Ponomarev. (See reviews).

Janeway created the Hastings Jazz Collective in 2008. Made up of friends/veteran NYC jazz musicians, Tim Armacost, Jay Azzolina, Harvie S and Ron Vincent, this working band was a composer’s workshop that represents the cutting edge of contemporary mainstream and latin/jazz. Their recording, “Shadow Dances” (2019, New Direction Music), is available through Amazon, iTunes, CD Baby and youtube.

He created, directs and performs in “Hastings on Jazz”, a free summer jazz concert series held in Hastings on Hudson, NY each year. Recent performances include “Salsa Meets Jazz” with Bobby Sanabria and bands with Ray Blue, Tim Armacost, Harvie S, Eliot Zigmund, Marianne Solivan, Gary Smulyan, Vincent Herring, Freddie Hendrix, Valery Ponomarev, Peter Brainin and many others.

As well Janeway is a member of the Eliot Zigmund Quartet; a working collective created in 2020 with Eliot Zigmund, drums, Rick Savage, trumpet and David Kingsnorth, bass. Eliotzigmundquartet.com. This band continues to perform at major venues in the greater NYC region including appearances at Smalls Jazz Club in NYC, Deer Head Inn, Maureen’s Jazz Cellar in Nyack, NY and the Jazz Forum in Tarrytown, NY. They recorded “Golden” in 2024 on New Direction Music.

Janeway continues to lead his Quintet which features Craig Handy, Freddie Hendrix, Ugonna Okegwo and Billy Hart. They currently perform at Smalls and Dizzys in NYC as well as the Jazz Forum in Tarrytown, NY and the Nyack Jazz Festival 8/30/26.