Born and raised in New York City, acclaimed drummer Daniel Freedman was a student of Max Roach and Billy Higgins and part of the fertile ‘90s scene at Smalls Jazz Club. He toured with Angelique Kidjo for six years. Daniel is an original band member of David Byrne’s acclaimed American Utopia, touring the world, performing over 400 shows on Broadway and playing in the acclaimed film of the show, directed by Spike Lee. Daniel is currently the drummer in The Justin Peck/Sufjan Stevens Tony winning Broadway show, “Illinoise”. He co-leads the band Saha Gnawa with master Moroccan musician Maalem Hassan Ben Jaafer. His third album as a leader, Imagine That, received 5 stars in Down Beat, which declared 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."