Born: October 15, 1967 Primary Instrument: Bass, acoustic
Canadian-born bassist Kelly Friesen has played music ranging stylistically from straight ahead jazz and 1920’s Dixieland to classical, pop and Rhythm and Blues with such notable performance groups as Woody Allen’s New Orleans Jazz Band (1997-2001), the Julliard Symphony Orchestra, and “Sister Sledge” (We Are Family). His formal training included Classical studies at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto for bass, piano, voice and theory. He also received 4 years of private instruction from legendary jazz bassist Ray Brown (1993-1997) and the prominent Classical bassist Homer Mensch. Since moving to New York in 1993 he has firmly established himself as a top sideman and leader, working with jazz greats such as Herb Ellis, Bucky Pizzarelli, Etta Jones, Dick Hyman, Jerome Richardson, Frank Wess and Joe Wilder, to name a few. Some of his credits as sideman and leader in New York City include performances at Town Hall, The Blue Note, Birdland, The Jazz Standard, The 92nd Street Y Jazz Series, JVC Jazz Festival, The Iridium, and The Rainbow Room. Currently he can be seen at a variety of venues in and around New York and the Tri-State area.
