Pianist Dave Frishberg has one of the most interesting and impressive resumes in jazz. He started his jazz career while in Minnesota at journalism school, but after leaving St. Paul for a short stint in the Air Force, he decided that New York was the logical place to pursue his music. In 1959, Frishberg’s career started to take off when he got his first touring gig as part of Kai Winding’s band. Soon after, he began a year-and-a-half stint with vocalist Carmen McRae.

In the beginning of the 1960s, Frishberg’s interest in songwriting began to take him down new avenues. By 1962, he had written “Peel Me a Grape,” which remains one of his most famous tunes. The writing kept him busy during the day at the same time that he worked as an accompanist at night, backing up artists like Ben Webster, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, and Gene Krupa. This was the beginning of decades of accompanying some of the biggest names in jazz.

Since then, his credits have continued to pile up. His songs have been recorded on everything from “School House Rock” to Diana Krall’s “Love Scenes” album. “Retromania: At the Jazz Bakery,” his latest release as a leader, features his solo act, where he sings a variety of his classic works, such as “Zoot Walks In,” “My Attorney Bernie, “Dodger Blue,” and “Van Lingle Mungo.” Also, he has a recent album out on Portland’s Diatic Records with drummer Charlie Doggett and saxophonist John Gross. Be sure to check out their show July 13th at Wilf’s.

Below, in JazzPDX.org’s first musician feature, Frishberg answers questions about his career in an e-mail interview.
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On June 18th, The Oregonian featured two articles by local music journalist Lynn Darroch. The first discusses Portland vocalist Nancy King and her gig/birthday celebration at the Bijou Cafe. Darroch talks about not only the concert, but also the national attention that King has gotten recently from her collaborations with artists like Fred Hersch and Karrin Allyson.
Darroch’s article on Nancy King

The second article is a tribute to Eddie Wied and Cleve Williams who both recently passed away. Wied and Williams were part of the older generation of Portland jazzers - the guys who raised Mel Brown and Ron Steen’s generation. Now their legacy is left to people like Darrell Grant who aim to keep passing knowledge on to those who are eager to learn.
Article on Wied and Williams

International trumpet star Terence Blanchard will appear at Jimmy Mak’s, on Tuesday, June 19th, taking the Mel Brown Septet’s usual weekly slot for one night. Blanchard is known for always playing cutting-edge music with a group of first-string New York players backing him up. JazzPDX.org brings you a couple of videos and links to get you prepped for the event.

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On Tuesday, June 12, Portland pianist Darrell Grant was featured on PRI’s “The World,” talking about his new album, “Truth and Reconciliation.” The feature discusses the record’s connection to South African politics, the use of sound bites over the music, and Darrell’s general musical philosophy.

Click here to visit PRI’s site and listen to the feature piece.

On September 21, the Portland Jazz Festival will bring tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins to the Arlene Schnitzer concert hall. The concert, which takes place outside of the regular festival week, will be a rare chance to catch one of the last living legends of jazz history. In preparation for the event, JazzPDX.org will bring you videos and links to other information on the tenor giant.

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Portland trumpeter and electronic artist Derek Sims is hosting a new series at Pi Rem in NW Portland. Each Wednesday, Derek collaborates with a different artist to collaborate with to present his unique brand of heavily electronic jazz and ambient music.
Pi-Rem.com

Featuring:
Steve Wilson - saxophones
Bill Frisell - guitar
Adam Rogers - guitar
Joe Locke - vibes
John Patitucci - bass
Brian Blade - drums
Darrell Grant - keyboards, vocals

Recorded 2005 - released May/June 2007

Visit Darrell Grant’s website, or go directly to Origin Arts to buy the CD.