Don Friedman

Donald Ernest Friedman was an American jazz pianist. He began playing in Los Angeles and moved to New York in 1958. In the 1960s, he played with both modern stylists and more traditional musicians.

Early life

Friedman was born on May 4, 1935, in San Francisco. Both of his parents immigrated to the United States: his father, Edward Friedman, was from Lithuania, and his mother, Alma Loew, was from Germany. He began playing the piano at the age of four, switching from classical music to jazz after his family moved to Los Angeles when he was fifteen. His early jazz piano influence was Bud Powell. Friedman briefly studied composition at Los Angeles City College.

Later life and career

On the West Coast, Friedman performed with Dexter Gordon, Chet Baker, Buddy DeFranco, and Ornette Coleman. He was also a member of Clark Terry's big band.
Friedman moved to New York permanently in 1958. In the 1960s, Friedman played with both modern jazz and more traditionally orientated musicians. The former included Coleman, Eric Dolphy, Jimmy Giuffre, Booker Little, and Attila Zoller; the latter included Bobby Hackett and Herbie Mann. Friedman's first album as a leader was A Day in the City, in 1961. Some of his early albums received top ratings from DownBeat, which also gave him its critics' poll New Star award. He was also an educator in New York. He had many fans in Japan.
Friedman married three times; the first two ended in divorce. He died of pancreatic cancer, at home in the Bronx on June 30, 2016. Survivors were one daughter, actress and writer Lynn Adrianna Friedman, and a granddaughter.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

As a member

Reuben Hoch and Time

''Of Recent Time''
As sideman

With Booker Little

Out Front
Booker Little and Friend

With Herbie Mann

Herbie Mann Live at Newport
My Kinda Groove – rec. 1964
Our Mann Flute – rec. 1960-66
The Beat Goes On – rec. 1964-67

With Eiji Nakayama

Conversation
Sweet View: Eiji Nakayama Don Friedman Live in Japan
Legend of the Lake

With Dave Pike

Manhattan Latin
The Doors of Perception – rec. 1966

With Yuko Shigeno

Shiny Stockings
Circle Waltz with Don Friedman

With Hiromi Shimizu

Waltz Tenderly
Live at Jazz on Top – live

With Clark Terry

It's What's Happenin
In Concert: Live – live rec. 1970
Portraits – rec. 1988
Live on QE2 – live rec. 1999
Friendship – also with Max Roach

With others'

Buddy Collette, Nice Day with Buddy Collette – rec. 1956–57
Shauli Einav, "Generations"
Bruno De Filippi, In New York With Don Friedman Trio
Herb Geller, At The Movies
Lee Konitz, Lee Konitz Meets Don Friedman – rec. 1992
Hank De Mano, Listen to The Hank De Mano Quartet
John Handy, No Coast Jazz
Joe Henderson, Tetragon – rec. 1967-68
Elvin Jones, And Then Again
Don Lanphere, Into Somewhere
Charles Lloyd, Discovery!
Nicole Pasternak, In A Word
Sal Salvador Quintet, In Our Own Sweet Way
Grady Tate, She Is My Lady
Attila Zoller, ''The Horizon Beyond''