Flamands – Don Friedman
A medium Latin groove piece that proves that a composition doesn't have to be hard to be great. Solo piano arrangement available.
- Recording: Don Friedman - Straight Ahead
- Recorded on: July 26, 2007
- Label: No Coast Jazz Records (NCJR 01)
- Concert Key: G minor
- Style: Latin (groove - medium)
- Piano - Don Friedman
- Bass - Chuck Israels
- Drums - Joe Hunt
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Video
- Pianist Virginia Ambeliotis performs Don Friedman's Solo Piano Arrangement of his composition FLAMANDS at the jazzleadsheets.com studio. January 31, 2016.
Pianist Don Friedman can write very complex compositions, but he's also written some that certainly "don't have to be hard to be good." Flamands is a perfect example. Our audio clip starts with the melody, which is played over a piano and bass two-measure figure. The complete recording starts with this figure, first played by the bass, then with the piano soloing over the figure, vamping until the melody cue. The lead sheets available here are based on this version, on the "Straight Ahead" album.
Lead sheets and Don's solo piano arrangement are available.
Lead sheets and Don's solo piano arrangement are available.
Recording Don Friedman's "Straight Ahead" album was a dream come true of record company owner Mark Ferrante, who wanted to reunite the fabulous trio that recorded Don's "A Day In The City" album for Riverside Records in 1961.
Many of the recordings listed below are available for download.
Don Friedman's recordings of "Flamands":
-- Almost Everything / Don Friedman (1995) Steeplechase SCCD1368 [CD]
-- Attila's Dream / Don Friedman (1999) Ephemeris EPH001 [CD]
-- Lili Marlene / Bruno De Filippi (1996) Giants Of Jazz Recordings
-- Waltz For Debby / Don Friedman (2002)441 Records FFO0004 [CD]
-- Of Recent Time / Reuben Hoch (2005) Naim CD088 [CD]
-- Straight Ahead / Don Friedman (2007) No Coast Music NCJR01 [CD]
Many of the recordings listed below are available for download.
Don Friedman's recordings of "Flamands":
-- Almost Everything / Don Friedman (1995) Steeplechase SCCD1368 [CD]
-- Attila's Dream / Don Friedman (1999) Ephemeris EPH001 [CD]
-- Lili Marlene / Bruno De Filippi (1996) Giants Of Jazz Recordings
-- Waltz For Debby / Don Friedman (2002)441 Records FFO0004 [CD]
-- Of Recent Time / Reuben Hoch (2005) Naim CD088 [CD]
-- Straight Ahead / Don Friedman (2007) No Coast Music NCJR01 [CD]
Solo Piano Arrangement: Don Friedman's arrangement for solo piano is also available. By the way, Don says the title comes from a beautiful beach on St. Barts, French West Indies.
Check out pianist Virginia Ambeliotis performing the Solo Piano Arrangement in the video above.
Check out pianist Virginia Ambeliotis performing the Solo Piano Arrangement in the video above.
- Recording: Don Friedman - Almost Everything
- Recorded on: April, 1995
- Label: SteepleChase (SCCD 1368)
- Concert Key: G minor
- Style: Latin (groove - medium)
- Piano - Don Friedman
- Bass - Ron McClure
- Drums - Matt Wilson
Check out this clip of Flamands from Don's album "Almost Everything" This was the first time he recorded it. You'll notice it's slightly different from the version recorded in 2007: the melody of the A section is shorter by four measures. Don has performed this composition on six recordings and it's interesting to listen to how this piece has developed and grown over time, with different musicians. See the Don Friedman Flamands discography under the Historical Notes tab.
Lead sheets and Don's solo piano arrangement are available.
Lead sheets and Don's solo piano arrangement are available.
The first recording of Flamands took place in NYC, on one of SteepleChase's producer Nils Winther's marathon recording trips to the US. NY-based bassist Ron McClure and drummer Matt Wilson took part. Don Friedman, composer and pianist, is also based in NY. This session also produced recordings of Friedman's Waltz For Marilyn and Almost Everything.
Solo Piano Arrangement: Don Friedman's arrangement for solo piano is also available. By the way, Don says the title comes from a beautiful beach on St. Barts French West Indies.
- Recording: Bruno De Filippi - Lili Marlene
- Recorded on: April 10, 1996
- Label: Giants Of Jazz (53291)
- Concert Key: G minor
- Style: Latin (groove - medium)
- Harmonica - Bruno De Filippi
- Piano - Don Friedman
- Bass - Jeff Fuller
- Drums - Matt Wilson
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As you can hear from the other two albums, this piece sounds beautiful in a piano trio setting, with the melody played by piano. However, the melody also sounds gorgeous if played by an added melodic instrument, as in this case, Bruno De Filippi's moving harmonica performance. Bruno played it at a little slower tempo.
Lead sheets and Don's solo piano arrangement are available.
Lead sheets and Don's solo piano arrangement are available.
This was Don Friedman's third album with Bruno De Filippi. First, in 1992, came the album "Bruno De Filippi in New York," which featured Don's composition New Dawn. In 1995 they were together in Milan, Italy, to record the album "You And The Night And The Music" which featured Don's composition Sea's Breeze. Don also played on three of Bruno's later albums, in 1997, 1999 and 2002. Bruno passed away in January, 2010.
Solo Piano arrangement: Don Friedman's arrangement for solo piano is also available.
Don Friedman
May 4, 1935 – June 30, 2016
Don Friedman was only four years old, living in San Francisco, when he started playing his parents' piano. A year later, he started lessons with a private teacher. His love for jazz music was born when he moved to L.A. and heard the likes of Les Brown and Lee Konitz for the first time. Read more...