Daniel Freedman - Trio (2001)

Press reviews:

Daniel Freedman revels in Latin, Middle Eastern, and continental African drumming styles, as well as straight ahead jazz. Freedmans debut as leader is simply fascinating. With two equally brilliant musicians, bassist Omer Avital and pianist Jason Lindner, Daniel plays complex rhythms with a rare grace and beautiful intricacy. In Rise Up, the trio flies from waltzing jazz to funk, consummated in an organic Freedman solo. On Montuno Picasso, Freedman evokes a songo pattern that bubbles with scorching energy and brazen execution. Throughout, his drumming retains a sumptuous authenticity, as if he learned everything on the dusty streets of some South American or African urban center. Freedmans touch is gentle, but his method is ferocious.

- Ken Micallef, Modern Drummer magazine (December 2002)

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"Drummer Daniel Freedman teams with two musical comrades, pianist Jason Lindner and bassist Omer Avital, and makes a strong debut as a leader. Aside from the traditional Moroccan piece "Alach Ya Ghazali" and their gospel-tinged reading of the classic Joe Cocker vehicle "You Are So Beautiful," all the tunes are originals, with Freedman penning five and Lindner and Avital each contributing two. Alto sax whiz Myron Walden sits in on the rubato "Night Poem," while flutist Josh Levitt and percussionist Tomer Tzur add color to the Moroccan track. Otherwise, it's stripped-down trio interplay all the way. Highlights include the truly weird harmonic structure of Lindner's "Montuno Picasso," the waltz/funk hybrid beast that is Freedman's "Rise Up," and the two melodic Avital gems that close the record, "Cypresses" and "Yes." The montuno piece, in particular, exemplifies the advanced take on Latin music shared by these players."

David R. Adler (All Music Guide)

Daniel Freedman (perc, cga,d,vcl)
Jason Lindner (p)
Omer Avital (b)