Education
Primary/Secondary education: UK
Santa Monica College-1986-88
Cabrillo College- 1988-89
University Of New Orleans- 1990-91
California Institute of the Arts- 2011- BFA (composition) expected 2013
additionally: studied composition privately with Dr. James P. Walsh 1994-98
guitar/composition with Carl LeBlanc- 1990-1992
Awards, Scholarships, Grants
-Louisiana Governor’s Music Fellow- 2008
-Louisiana Division of the Arts- DAF grant-2007
-Arts Council of New Orleans- operating assistance grant- 2007
-New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation Grant- 2006
-20 Big Easy Award in Folk, Reggae, Jazz, Rock, Blues, Latin, best guitar categories.
-18 Offbeat Entertainment Awards also in multiple categories
-Downbeat Critics Poll- Rising Star Guitar player
-Subject of a radio documentary by award winning documentarian, David Kunian. "Jonathan Freilich's Freedom Double-O Naked Klezmer Jazz Latin Boogaloo: The Radio Documentary
Employment Experience
As Bandleader:
Naked On The Floor
The Naked Orchestra
The New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars
Jonathan Freilich Band featuring Walter Payton
The Tom Paines
As sideman
Kermit Ruffins (jazz)
Mike Ward and the Reward(new orleans funk)
Robbie Robertson (rock’n’roll/ songwriter)
Walter Payton and the Snapbean jazz band(New Orleans jazz
Michael Ray and the Kosmik Krewe (Avant-funk/creative jazz)
Marshall Allen (space is the place)
Hollygrove (R’n’B)
Frederick Sheppard(jazz)
As sideman (cont.)
Johnny Adams(Blues)
007(Jamaican Rock Steady)
Peter Stampfel(Americana)
Mark Bingham(producer/composer)
Derrick Freeman and Smoker’s World(R’n’B/funk)
Mas Mamones(Afro Cuban)
Los Vecinos(Afro Cuban)
Ernie K-Doe (Rhythm n Blues)
3rd Nature-(jazz)
Tim Green(jazz)
Dennis Gonzalez(creative)
The Drunken Masters(bizarro americana)
Alex Mcmurray(new orleans rock n roll)
Smokey Johnson (jazz/rhythm n blues)
The Wild Magnolias (new orleans R’n’B)
Fred Kemp (jazz)
Sam Rivers (jazz)
Gavin DeGraw (Rock)
Phil DeGruy (call it watcha wanna)
Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone (Blues)
Henry Butler (New Orleans)
The Royal Fingerbowl (Rock’n’Roll)
Rick Trolsen (Jazz/Funk)
Burton Greene (Free Jazz)
Kidd Jordan (Unknown)
Helen Gillet (French chanson)
Marianne Faithfull
Andrei Codrescu
Bernie Worrell
Bob Gullotti
John Medeski
Russell Battiste
Anders osborne
Stanton Moore
Davis Rogan and All That
Willie Green
Johnny Vidacovich
James Singleton
Rick Trolsen and Neslort
George Porter
Frederick Sheppard
James Andrews
Contributions to the Artistic Community
Panel for Louisiana Division of the Arts Fellowship selection (2010)
Panel For ACNO grant selection(2009)
Released a series of audio interview podcasts chronicling the New Orleans Underground (ongoing)
Publications
Print Reviews
New York Times
Los Angeles Times
Downbeat
Jazziz
Coda
Timeout
LA Weekly
Offbeat
Gambit Weekly
Austin Chronicle
Dallas Morning News
Selected Performances
American Folk Life Festival- July 4th, Washington Monument, DC (1998)
Wolftrap- Washington DC (1999)
Berlin Jazz Festival (2000)
Playboy Jazz Festival, Los Angeles, CA (2006)
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (all years 1990-2011)
AnnArbor Blues Festival (1996)
Barbican Arts Festival (1996)
High Sierra Festival, CA (1998)
Bumbershoot festival, Seattle WA (1996,1998, 2000, 2004)
South by Southwest, Austin TX (1995)
Summer stages, NY (1998)
Louisiana Folklife Festival (1994, 1997)
Festival Internationale, Lafayette (1992-4)
Selected Recordings
The New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars- Stretchy Records
Manichalfwitz- The New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars (Gert town records)
The Big Kibosh-The New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars (Shanachie records)
Fresh Out The Past- The New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars(Shanachie Records)
Borvis- The New Orleans Kleamer All-Stars (independent)
Aguacero e Paranda-Mas Mamones(independent)
Guajira in cyberspace- Los Vecinos(independent)
Brief Repairs on the Gradually Unravelling Spool in the Sense Continuum-The Naked Orchestra(independent)
Pandemonium to Eidolons- The Naked Orchestra(Independent)
Naked On the Floor(Valid)
Studied Rudeness-007 (independent)
You Only Drop Once-007 (independent)
Crazyhorse Mongoose-Galactic-(Volcano
Tribute to Boozoo Chavis-The New Orleans Klezmer All Stars(Rounder)
Poems for New Orleans- Ed Sanders (Paris records)
Happy Birthday, Sabo-The Royal Fingerbowl(TVT records)
Let ‘em Have it- Iris May Tango(independent)
Guano and Nitrates- The Valparaiso Men’s Chorus
How to be a cannonball-Alex Mcmurray(Threadhead records)
The Rites of Man-The Tom Paines (Threadhead Records)
Songs of Vengeance-Mark Bingham(Piety Street)
Horses and High Heels- Marianne Faithfull(101 Distribution)
Professional Associations
BMI - DerKop Music.