Don Friedman - Don Friedman - the Composer (CD)

Don Friedman studied jazz at Los Angeles City College during the mid 1950s. At that time L.A. was the capital of West Coast Jazz and Don was becoming part of it as he worked around town with groups that included Shorty Rogers, Chet Baker, Ornette Coleman, and Scott LaFaro.At the same time, he displayed his hard bop credentials by gigging with Dexter Gordon. In 1956 Buddy DeFranco hired him for a tour that included gigs at New York’s Birdland and Basin Street. The DeFranco tour was a turning point, and the experience convinced Don in 1958 to leave California for New York. He thrived in Manhattan’s great and diverse jazz scene of that time. He played with most of the major players and his reputation began to build as a pianist who was going places.At about the same time, the legendary bass player Scott LaFaro also moved to New York. The two had become close in Los Angeles and now formed a legendary partnership as roommates, friends and fellow jazz pioneers. During this period in New