David Frishberg

Dave Frishberg (born March 23, 1933) is an American jazz pianist, vocalist and composer born in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Early years
Frishberg resisted learning classical piano as a boy, developing an interest in blues and boogie-woogie by listening to recordings by Pete Johnson and Jay McShann. As a teenager he played in the house band at the Flame in St. Paul where Art Tatum, Billie Holiday, and Johnny Hodges appeared. After graduating from the University of Minnesota as a journalism major in 1955, Frishberg spent two years in the Air Force.

Career
In 1957, Frishberg moved to New York City, where he played solo piano at the Duplex in Greenwich Village. He first became known for his work with Carmen McRae, Ben Webster, Gene Krupa, Bud Freeman, Eddie Condon, Al Cohn, and Zoot Sims. Later he was celebrated for writing and performing his own, frequently humorous, songs, including favorites "I'm Hip" (co-written with Bob Dorough), "Blizzard of Lies", "My Attorney Bernie" (his most famous), "Do You Miss New York," "Peel Me A Grape," "Quality Time," "Slappin' the Cakes on Me," and "Van Lingle Mungo," the lyrics of which entirely consist of the names of old-time baseball players. Frishberg cites songwriter Frank Loesser as an influence, and has said that Loesser's "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is (along with Willie Nelson's "Crazy") are songs he wished he had written.

Many of his songs have been performed by artists such as Blossom Dearie, Rosemary Clooney, Shirley Horn, Anita O'Day, Michael Feinstein, Diana Krall, Stacey Kent, John Pizzarelli, and Mel Tormé.

Frishberg is also noted as having written the music and lyrics for "I'm Just a Bill," the song about the forlorn legislative writ in the ABC Schoolhouse Rock! series, which was subsequently transformed into the popular revue "Schoolhouse Rock Live". For "Schoolhouse Rock!," he also wrote and performed "Walkin' on Wall Street," a song that describes how the stock market works, and "$7.50 Once a Week," a song about saving and balancing a budget.

Select discography
As bandleader
 * Retromania (Arbors Records)
 *  Do You Miss New York? (Arbors Records)

As a soloist
 * By Himself (Arbors Records)

With Jim Goodwin
 * Double Play (Arbors Records)

With Rebecca Kilgore
 * The Starlit Hour (Arbors Records)
 * Not A Care In The World (Arbors Records)
 * Why Fight the Feeling: Songs By Frank Loesser (Arbors Records)

Personal
Frishberg currently lives in Portland, Oregon.