All About Jazz

Home » Musicians » Erik Friedlander

Advertise | For Pros

Erik Friedlander

Cellist Erik Friedlander is a composer and an improviser, a first-call studio player and a jazzbo. A veteran of NYC's downtown scene, his 12 CDs as a leader recently include, Block Ice & Propane, his solo cello reinterpretation of American roots music; The Broken Arm Trio, a trio tribute to jazz bassist Oscar Pettiford; and Volac, a romantic collection of virtuoso solo cello pieces by John Zorn. Erik has performed on 100's of recordings and soundtracks including work with Laurie Anderson, The Mountain Goats, Ennio Morricone, and Courtney Love.

Friedlander started studying music at an early age, beginning at age 5 with folk guitar and then, at age 8, cello lessons. He grew up in a house filled with music as his father, an avid music lover, made countless mix tapes. Erik's desire to actively participate in the swirl of music styles he grew accustom to hearing led him to find new ways to play the cello. His compositions and his improvising style attempt to blend the traditions of classical and popular music styles with an always evolving vision of what a cellist can be pushed to accomplish.

Erik maintains a website the includes video lessons and exercises, free podcasts, and travel and amplification advice. He will be releasing “50 Miniatures for Improvising Quintet” later this year and “Alchemy”, a 10” LP of solo works, was just released in Germany. He will be touring in the USA and Europe including concerts at La Coruna and Ferrol, Spain with the Masada String Trio; an appearance at the Montreal Jazz Festival, and solo concerts at the re:Flux Festival in New Brunswick and the Kilkenny Arts Festival in Ireland.

”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.”

Billboard wrote, “Friedlander [is] one of today's most ingenious and forward-thinking musical practitioners.”

“If there's a venerable tradition of American road films, Block Ice & Propane belongs in the associated list of great road albums.” — John Corbett (Downbeat)

Primary Instrument

Cello

Location

New York City

Willing to teach

Advanced only

View More Photos

Discography

Artemisia

Artemisia

Skipstone Records
2018

buy
Rings

Rings

Skipstone Records
2016

buy
Illuminations

Illuminations

Skipstone Records
2015

buy
Oscalypso

Oscalypso

Skipstone Records
2015

buy
Nighthawks

Nighthawks

Skipstone Records
2014

buy
Claws & Wings

Claws & Wings

Skipstone Records
2013

buy

Watch

Similar

Ornette Coleman Ornette Coleman
saxophone, alto
John Zorn John Zorn
saxophone, alto
Dave Douglas Dave Douglas
trumpet
McCoy Tyner McCoy Tyner
piano
Marc Ribot Marc Ribot
guitar
Wadada Leo Smith Wadada Leo Smith
trumpet
Uri Caine Uri Caine
piano
Mark Dresser Mark Dresser
bass, acoustic
Jenny Scheinman Jenny Scheinman
violin
Wayne Horvitz Wayne Horvitz
piano
Ernst Reijseger Ernst Reijseger
cello
Mark Feldman Mark Feldman
violin

Shop for Music

Start your music shopping from All About Jazz and you'll support us in the process. Learn how.

Shop for jazz at Amazon
Shop at HDTracks for high definition downloads
Shop for jazz at CD Universe