Collection: Don Friedman
Born Donald Ernest Friedman on 4 May 1935 in San Francisco. He studied music at Los Angeles City College and began playing professionally in Los Angeles from 1955 or 1956. By the late 1950s Los Angeles had become the West Coast Jazz capital and Friedman played a major role there. His closest teammates included Ornette Coleman, Shorty Rogers, Scott LaFaro, and Chet Baker. He also worked with Dexter Gordon, Buddy Collette, Buddy DeFranco, Don Cherry, Billy Higgins, and Charles Lloyd. In 1956 he started his first tour. He made the crucial decision to move to New York from California in 1958.
In New York he played with most of the major players. He performed in many settings including his own trio and with artists such as Pepper Adams, Booker Little, Jimmy Giuffre, Charles Lloyd, Chuck Wayne, Elvin Jones, Herbie Mann, and Clark Terry's big band. His first album as leader was A Day in the City in 1961. He recorded for producer Orrin Keepnews at Riverside Records from 1961 through 1964. His first three albums were with his trio, while the fourth, Dreams and Explorations (1964), featured German guitarist Attila Zoller, a close friend. He continued to be in demand in New York as a jazz pianist and educator, regularly touring the United States, Europe, and Japan. His lyrical style, technical virtuosity, and mastery of solo performance drew critical acclaim. He was at home playing classic jazz with Buddy DeFranco and Clark Terry, or avant-garde jazz with younger musicians. He died at home in the Bronx on 30 June 2016, aged 81.
