About Me

Erik Friedlander can do things with a cello that should have a reasonable listener fearing for her life," says PitchforkMedia.com, "Rostropovich one second and Rottweiler the next." A virtuosic veteran of NYC's downtown scene, Friedlander has backed John Zorn, John Darnielle's Mountain Goats, Laurie Anderson, and Courtney Love. New York's Erik Friedlander is a unique cellist whose work blurs genre borders. He is a composer and an improviser, a classical musician and a jazzbo. The LA Times put it best when they wrote, "Friedlander's performance clearly positions him as the first potential star performer on his instrument." Erik grew up in a home filled with art and music. He is the son of Lee Friedlander, an art photographer known by musicians and jazz aficionados for the cover photographs he took for Atlantic Records. His passion for r&b and jazz greatly influenced Erik, whose earliest memories are of a household filled with the sounds of his father's subjects--Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, McCoy Tyner, Ornette Coleman, and John Coltrane. Erik started playing guitar at age 6 and added cello two years later.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 24/06/2006
Band Website: http://www.erikfriedlander.com
Band Members:

Block Ice & Propane Music - Published!

Beautiful 36-page soft-cover book with:

performance notes hand written original scores published cello parts and concert scores bowings & fingerings

New Digital Single - Flea

I have recorded and mixed a new single available in digital format only. The piece is called flea and it's fun, bouncing track infused with world rhythms & electronics

Erik Friedlander: cello, mandolin, vocalizing, drum/sample programming & keyboards; Satoshi Takeishi: clay pot

L I S T E N

B U Y T R A C K - $0.75

Broken Arm Trio Is Released

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CD Is A Burning Trio Set Steeped in the Influences of Oscar Pettiford and the Small Group Feel of Herbie Nichols

Broken Arm Trio

Buy Direct

Amazon.Com ..

On his new release, The Broken Arm, cellist Erik Friedlander highlights his unique pizzicato playing-higher and more incisive than the bass, warmer than the piano, but similarly rhythmic and able to freely engage in the give-and-take that is so essential to the jazz. "While there have been a few groundbreaking practitioners, notably bassist Oscar Pettiford, the cello has a tenuous connection to jazz, and is still considered a novelty," explains Friedlander. "The cello is an untapped resource and I'm looking to create some new lasting traditions."

The music on The Broken Arm is soulful and grooving, part reminiscence and part tribute. The tunes are playful, and the performances exuberant. Friedlander has made a personal statement that is, simply, a whole lot of fun to listen to.

Erik Friedlander, cello; Mike Sarin, drums; Trevor Dunn, bass.

For more info: Broken Arm EPK - Purchase at Amazon | Direct or...

New Podcast Online Now!

I'm hosting a podcast with violin maker Ron Fletcher about the technology of string instruments - how they are put together, how they work, repairs & maintenance. Episode 10 will be online Sunday, an interview with violinist Jennifer Choi. http://bowtech.podbean.com . Let us know what you think: your questions and your comments are welcome.

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Influences: Rick Derringer, Jerry Goldsmith, The Edgar Winter Group, Ennio Morricone, McCoy Tyner, Carlos Santana, Oscar Pettiford, Henry Mancini, Alexander Desplat, John Zorn....
Sounds Like: eeeeeeeek
Record Label: Cryptogramophone, SkipStone,Tzadik, Brassland
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Come see me in San Francisco

I've posted 4 tracks from my Block Ice & Propane CD in anticipation of my gig at the SFMoMA this week...come on by if you're around. e Erik Friedlander Solo at SFMoMA April 24, 20...
Posted by on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:25:00 GMT

ACTION WEEK!

ACTION WEEK - tunes that reek havoc with fast tempos, body parts flying... Three Desperate Men I wrote this piece for an evening of choreography the original Topaz (trio with Andy Laster & Stomu T...
Posted by on Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:51:00 GMT

The "A" Song List

This weeks song list is all about A’s Anhinga: Like almost all the tracks on this CD Anhinga is based around an African rhythm which is played right out front by Satoshi on percussion. It&r...
Posted by on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:52:00 GMT

PRI-radio with the Mtn. Goats

A while John Darnielle was in town and he called to let me know he was down in my neighborhood peforming at the WNYC studios for the PRI public radio show "Fair Game" Here’s that show from the F...
Posted by on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:22:00 GMT

Songs..songs..spoken word! - March - set 2

Shiver: When I finally got a little comfortable with my DAW I decided it was time to create some many-layered, multi-tracked pieces using all the computer power I had as well as some of the great musi...
Posted by on Fri, 14 Mar 2008 07:00:00 GMT

March Tracks - Week 1

Wire: A burner I wrote for Topaz. Mixes together a simple groove with some more free-time elements--bouncing from one to the other. I always liked starting sets with this one. Eiger This is a soundtr...
Posted by on Fri, 07 Mar 2008 07:30:00 GMT

New Tunes This Week (March 1)

Life, In-Line: A Topaz track from the cd, "SKIN." I have always had a thing for 6/8 and this is just another example of that preoccupation. I get to play a lot of bass function on this an...
Posted by on Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:45:00 GMT

New Tunes For This Week

Tunes for the week... Hudson: My mix of track Teho Teardo and I did for an Italian movie. More on Teho at www.tehoteardo.com. More Erik & Teho - pick up "Giorni Rubati" our CD. ...
Posted by on Fri, 22 Feb 2008 07:29:00 GMT

New Songs - Feb 15, 2008

Here are some notes about the songs I have uploaded this week. Enjoy.. Little Niles: I got this from an Oscar Pettiford recording. It's a Randy Weston tune. Very upbeat and elegant. I rearranged it so...
Posted by on Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:03:00 GMT

New Songs Posted

Aberdeen: A track I put together years ago when I first started experimenting with solo playing and recording in what is now my home studio. I can't actually remember the impetus for the track. On a c...
Posted by on Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:32:00 GMT