ABSTRACT
Don Friedman, born May 4, 1935, and died June 30, 2016, grew up in San Francisco, California. Inspired to pursue a career as a jazz pianist after hearing Stan Kenton's big band at the Hollywood Bowl in the early '50s, Friedman connected with Kenton band members. Those are Lee Konitz, Conte Condoli and Frank Rossolino at jam sessions in Los Angeles and began performing with the likes of Dexter Gordon, Chet Baker and Ornette Coleman early in his career. In his interview, Friedman discusses his unique perspective on Ornette Coleman, being one of the few pianists to have worked within Coleman's free jazz context. Additionally, he discusses his close friendship with bassist Scott LaFaro revealing LaFaro's total and unwavering commitment to his music. One of Friedman's milestones as a leader occurred in 1962 with his recording Circle Waltz. That year he was one of three pianists recording for Riverside Records to receive a five-star record review from Downbeat magazine.
