Daniel Freedman (musician)

Daniel Freedman is an American drummer, percussionist, and composer known for his work in jazz, world, and popular music. He has performed and recorded with artists including David Byrne, Angélique Kidjo, Anat Cohen, Avishai Cohen, Mulatu Astatke, and Lionel Loueke.

Freedman attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City. He attended Manhattan School of Music and Mannes college of music and continued studies with Vernell Fournier as well as Ralph Peterson Jr. and Abraham Rodriguez Jr. During the late 1990s Freedman traveled to Mali, Cuba and Egypt to study percussion.^[1][2]

While still in high school, Freedman performed with bassist Ben Wolfe's bands and recorded with Wolfe, Ned Goold, and Benny Green. In New York, he became active in the Smalls Jazz Club scene, performing weekly with Jason Lindner's Ensemble, Omer Avital Sextet and Charles Owens Quartet. He also performed with bassist Avishai Cohen, guitarists Charlie Byrd and Russell Malone and trumpeters Tom Harrell and Wynton Marsalis.^[3]

Freedman toured with Claudia Acuna in the US, Europe, and Japan and was a member of salsa pianist Ray Santiago's band. He also performed with Gretchen Parlato^[4], saxophonist Michael Blake and bassist Ben Allison.^[5][6]

He released his first album Trio in 2001.^[7]

Freedman co-led Third World Love with Avishai Cohen (trumpet), Omer Avital (bass) and Yonatan Avishai (piano).^[8]

From 2005–2018 he toured and recorded with the Anat Cohen Quartet, including performances at the Village Vanguard and European tours.^[9][10]

From 2010–2015, Freedman toured worldwide with Angélique Kidjo, performing at Carnegie Hall with Youssou N'Dour.^[11][12]

He released Bamako by Bus in 2012 with Meshell Ndegeocello, Lionel Loueke, Pedrito Martinez, Jason Lindner and Avishai Cohen.^[13]

Freedman performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center with Edmar Castañeda, Edward Simon, Maraca and Luques Curtis.^[14]

He released Imagine That in 2016 with Jason Lindner, Lionel Loueke, Omer Avital, Gilmar Gomes and Angélique Kidjo, which received five stars from DownBeat.^[15][16] A reviewer wrote that Freedman, "has quietly, almost surreptitiously, become a primal force, creating a kind of people's music built on rustling folk rhythms, ethnic melodies and joyous performances".^[17]

Freedman toured with Mulatu Astatke in 2016.^[18][19]

In 2018, he joined David Byrne's American Utopia world tour and performed in the Broadway production (2019–2022).^[20][21] A documentary of American Utopia directed by Spike Lee was released on HBO in 2020.^[22]

Freedman performed on Broadway in Hadestown (2023–2024) and Illinoise (2024). He tours and records with Michael Leonhart's Flamenco Sketches of Spain featuring Israel Galván.^[23]

He co-leads Saha Gnawa with Maalem Hassan Ben Jaafar, producing the 2025 debut album with guests Nels Cline and Gilad Hekselman.^[24][25][26]