Search - Don Friedman :: Waltz for Marilyn

Beautifully programmed and played: one of the year's best.

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 07/04/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pianist Don Friedman may not have the fame of a Hank Jones or Kenny Barron, but his experience, chops, taste and savvy practically match theirs. The quartet, moreover, sounds like a unit that's been playing together for years, as tight as they come, as accessible as George Shearing's music, yet full of surprises and unfailing creativity.



The music grooves from the first track, then goes through bebop, tone poems, modal, Brazilian and American Songbook territory before climaxing with a dramatic, show-stopping number featuring all four musicians in solo spots. Bernstein's guitar and Wind's bass are no less impressive than the leader's piano, with Jefferson's drumming alert and supportive throughout. The best recording of new music that I've heard at the half-way mark of 2007, including the much-hyped "Pilgrimage.""