Articles

David Friesen With Orchestra And Quartet: Testimony

By Dan McClenaghan

Most artists, in most fields, move into their eighth decade on an artistic decline, their best days behind them. But not so for the Portland, Oregon-based musician David Friesen. The bassist/pianist/composer hooked up with Seattle's Origin Records in 2014 with the release of Where the Light Falls. Five more sets arrived in short order, top tier duo, trio or solo outings. Now, with Testimony, Friesen embraces the orchestral, resulting in the gorgeous magnum opus of a long and successful career. ...

David Friesen Circle 3 Trio: Triple Exposure

By Dan Bilawsky

For most, a triangle is the shape that readily springs to mind when analyzing, discussing, and/or conceptualizing a trio. There's no mistaking roles and positions, after all, when there are three clearly defined sides. A circle, on the other hand, offers no beginning, no middle, and no end. In many ways it's a better analog for a band, but only if the shape fits. Needless to say, when it comes to the musical marriage of bassist David Friesen, pianist Greg ...

David Friesen & Glen Moore: Bactrian

By Dan Bilawsky

Time and space can take nothing away from certain musical relationships. There are those on-and-off partnerships that flourish regardless of the frequency of encounters and years gone by, and this is clearly one of them. The connection between bass masters David Friesen and Glen Moore goes back some five decades. It yielded two previous duo recordings--In Concert (Vanguard, 1977) and Returning (Burnside, 1993)--and it continues to bear fruit. This third recorded chapter of the Friesen-Moore story began ...

David Friesen: Waterfall Rainbow

By John Kelman

David FriesenWaterfall RainbowInner City1977 Today's Rediscovery is Waterfall Rainbow, from a bassist who garnered significant attention back in the '70s and '80s, but sadly never sustained it for reasons unknown--certainly nothing to do with his talent--and has, in the decades since, remained an active player, but one largely forgotten by the general jazz public. After taking a relatively bold step and making Color Pool (Muse, 1975), his first album as a leader, a ...

David Friesen and Jeff Gardner: Grace

By C. Michael Bailey

Duet...

Small places, big faces...The smaller and more intimate the jazz combo becomes, the greater the musical distillation and exposure to the elements of the listener. It is always a high-wire act when jazz musicians reduce to a trio or less. The trio offers the bare minimum of a rhythm section of bass and drums and a lead instrument like a piano, guitar, or a reed. The duo typically reduces this further, like a fine sauce or rue, often to ...

David Friesen & Gary Versace: With You In Mind

By Jim Santella

Never talk to your neighbor during the bass solo. You’ll miss the best part of many a performance. The artist moves up and down that delicate, centuries-old instrument, plucking one melody after another. By working in duo format with pianist Gary Versace, bassist David Friesen ensures that no one will care to converse during the performance. The pair captures your attention with gentle rhythmic motion and light, ethereal harmony. The session builds on tradition to express fresh ideas.

Standards “You ...

David Friesen & Denny Zeitlin: In Concert

By Jim Santella

Two creative artists working as a duo in a live setting serve as a clear example of what the modern mainstream is all about. Bassist David Friesen, always in tune and favoring a lyrical style, adds double stops and slapped percussive sounds to enhance the pair’s output. Pianist Denny Zeitlin, fluid and seamless, swings with a tinge of the blues while improvising in highly creative bursts.

On the four standards, both Zeitlin and Friesen romp through familiar melodies and gradually ...