David Friedman, a vibraphonist and marimba player, has maintained an active schedule of performances and recordings from the early 1970s onward. During the mid-1950s he concentrated on drums, shifting focus to marimba and xylophone throughout the following decade. His studies at Juilliard centered primarily on percussion, supplemented by lessons from Teddy Charles and Hall Overton. In the 1960s he performed with both the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera. The 1970s found him collaborating with Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver, Joe Chambers, Hubert Laws, and Horacee Arnold. After joining Dave Samuels for tours and Ludwig Drum Company workshops, the pair launched the Mallet Duo in 1975 and jointly directed the quartet Double Image between 1977 and 1980. Friedman recorded alongside Daniel Humair in 1979 and with Chet Baker in 1982. He taught at New York’s Manhattan School of Music and at Montreux’s Institute for Advanced Musical Studies during the mid-1970s. His involvement in teaching, composition, performance, and recording has continued into the twenty-first century. In 2003 he assembled the trio Tambour, which includes saxophonist Peter Weniger and bassist Pepe Berns. The group released its debut album, Earfood, in January of the next year; accordionist Jean-Louis Matinier later joined for the 2007 recording Rodney’s Parallel Universe.
