Lessons with me are $100/hr but starting April 9, one day a month I will be offering 4 free 30' lessons. You can sign up by checking
the google calendar shown here. Pick a time slot that is free--it will still say "Free Lesson #1" for example--
If there is a name there then you know the lesson slot is taken. Then email me at
with the following information: 1) date & time slot (1230-1P, etc.); 2)your name; 3)cell phone number.
Other days for free lessons: May 7, June 11 & July 9. Any age, any instrument welcome..
Erik Friedlander Basics: Who is This Guy and Why Am I Here?
Website confusing you a bit? Here's some basic info about me, the site, what to listen
to..etc.
This week two posts about making your own CD: 1) Be an
Indie Artist; 2)Mastering with Steve Berson
San Bernardino - from Heretic Pride
I mentioned last month that I did a bunch of
arranging/playing for the new Mountain Goats CD, "Heretic
Pride" including a wall-to-wall cello arrangement for
"San Bernardino." You can get a free low-rez play of the
track here!
Push the little play arrow. Check out this CD, it's
great!
Andrew D'Angelo -- Help is Needed!
Saxophonist/composer Andrew
D’Angelo suffered a major seizure on January 25
while driving in Brooklyn, NY. Tests in the hospital
revealed a large tumor in his brain. He needs help paying
for the surgery and the treatment to come. You can help
him out using PayPal -- More Info
"..haunting, lulling, adventurous, and disorientingly
magical. Friedlander combines a modern classicist's sense
of harmony—Copland's open chords, but also Crumb's
gnarly grit—with rhythmic nods toward early folk
and blues. Is it jazz? I'll leave that to the
philosophers. It's great music by a great jazz musician;
that should be enough." --for Slate By Fred
Kaplan [read
more]
Last July, as part of a mini-tour supporting the release
of Block Ice & Propane I played at The Lily Pad, a small club
in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A friend of mine, cellist
Josh Gordon, came to the show and brought along his
friend, filmmaker, Errol Morris who enjoyed the music and
bought a copy of the CD. As it happens, Morris ended up working
on a new series of spots for the Apple iPhone and he
found that my piece, "Yakima", worked well with the
stylish testimonial, real-person-on-the-street work he
created. [read more]
New Video on the Web
Spoof of the iPhone Ad from SNL
Poet in the House - Pushcart Prize
My wife, Lynn Shapiro, has written poem that was
published in RATTLE a literary
magazine from the West Coast. It was announced that she
won the Pushcart
Prize for this poem. You may read a small excerpt and
comments at the Rattle editor's
blog. Or buy the amazing collection using the link
here to the left.
"Airstream Envy" jolts open with a shriek of pure panic.
Erik Friedlander's bow grates across the strings of his
cello, wrenching notes into a stunted, disdainful
exclamation. Imagine Friedlander-- now one of the world's
top cellists with a Rolodex of collaborators from John
Zorn and Laurie Anderson to John Darnielle and Courtney
Love-- as a boy from New York's hinterlands, maybe 14 or
15 years old, out West in an RV sitting atop a 1966
Chevrolet pick-up truck. [
read more]
Pictures from the 1960-70's
I am putting together a new solo show using images from
the family trips that inspired many of the song titles on
Block Ice & Propane. I dug through boxes of
photos to rescue a few that are now online and ready for
viewing. Check out the Family
Archives!
Block Ice Remix - "Rushmore"
Months before I went into the studio to record Block Ice
I sent my friend Teho Teardo some of my home studio
versions. Teho took "Rushmore" and created this magic
remix:
Rushmore (remixed by Teho Teardo)
Studio360 Segment
Hear my most recent interview with Kurt Andersen and
PRI's Studio360: Listen!
We talked about being 'on the road' and I even improvised
a piece after hearing a segment from Kerouac novel.
Erik Friedlander: Volac: Book of Angels Volume 8 [#7363]
Volume
8 in the continuing Book of Angels series is
an intimate and breathtaking recital by one of the
world’s most accomplished cellists. A vital member
of the Masada family from the very beginning, Erik
Friedlander has hypnotized audiences both here and in
Europe with his own bands Topaz, Broken Arm and Grains of
Paradise. Stepping out in a special solo project, Erik
shows off his remarkable technique in ten compositions
from Zorn’s lyrical Book of Angels. This is Erik at
his best. Rich, romantic, gripping music to both
challenge and soothe the savage beast.
NPR - All Things Considered Interview
I hopped the Amtrak to DC for a nice chat with
Jacki Lyden of NPR'sAll Things
Considered. It aired Saturday, August 4 on your
local stations.
Listen Now!
The downtown cellist Erik Friedlander showcases a
magnificent new solo album, "Block Ice & Propane,"
which is inspired by family road trips he took as a
child. Friedlander’s father, Lee, is a
photographer, who, when Erik was young, would pack up his
family for long summer treks to photo shoots and teaching
assignments in a ’66 Chevy pickup with a camper on
top and the amenities of the album’s title. The
beautifully spare compositions vaguely recall Ry
Cooder’s score for "Paris, Texas" while revealing
the cello to be—at least in Friedlander’s
hands--a versatile instrument that can sound like a
steel-string guitar one moment and an air horn the
next.
House Keeping:Link Repaired
I inadvertantly disabled one of the cello lessons for
quite a long while. I just discovered the mistake and
have enabled the pages. Here's the link if you want to
check it out. The "Olympic Cello Workout"
Broken Arm In Italy - Thanks!
Thanks to everyone who came to our gigs in Italy. You can
download a live recording of The Broken Arm Trio right here.
Instead of a quick job we have decided to do a full
6-panel digipak w/booklet. In addition, there will be a
record release performance at Joe's Pub on July 17. A new
website will go along with the new CD..more info to
come.
Hear Sample
New Downloads: Broken Arm Live in New York City
Recorded live in 2005 at 'Mo Pitkins on the Lower East
Side of New York. The recording has 9 tracks, all
originals, featuring: Mike Sarin, drums; Kermit Driscoll,
bass; Erik Friedlander, cello. We sold out of this CD on
our tour in Europe but you can pick it up now as a
download. Enjoy!
New Review of "Giorni Rubati" from Downtown Music Gallery
ERIK FRIEDLANDER & TEHO TEARDO - Giorni Rubati:
Music Inspired By The Poems OF Pier Paolo Pasolini
(Bip-Hop 34; EEC) "This record is a total breath of fresh
air. A collaborative effort between Erik Friedlander on
cello and Teho Teardo on electronics, inspired by the
poetry of Pier Paolo Pasolini, "Giorni Rubati"
successfully demonstrates how a duo record which
straddles the balance of the acoustic/electric
improvisation duo dichotomy should be made - each player
actively contributes to the evolution of the music, yet
neither steps on the other's toes unless it's in (a
rather friendly and sportsmanlike) provocation.
Erik sounds fantastic in this setting - laying down (and
often overdubbing multiple) thick, richly toned and
oft-melodic lines, scrapes, and scuffles amidst a forest
of electronic drones, ticker-tape flickers of
ping-ponging rhythms, and clouds of static, with the
occasional voice appearing amidst this wilderness to
recite spoken fragments which never overshadow or detract
from the music. This is precisely the sort of record
which I love to appear here in the shop - it easily makes
waste of genre categorizations and debates of improv
versus composition, and achieves that all-too-rare goal
of featuring a little something for everyone whilst never
dumbing itself down to pander to a particular listener
base. Simply stunning, and without question one of the
year's best records - and bonus points for the
shredtastic (hidden) cover of the Normal's "Warm
Leatherette", which closes out the disc and crazily,
actually, REALLY works. Bravo, gents!" - Mikey IQ Jones.
In 1999 the very first Topaz recording was released on
SIAM Records. There are still copies available but now
you can download the CD on the Buy
Page!
In 2000 my band Topaz recorded SKIN. About a year later SIAM records
went out of business. Mike Landy was kind enough to let
me have most of the remaining stock which has since sold
out (thanks!). I'm pleased to now offer this CD as a
download. Both of the SIAM records Topaz CD's were
recorded to 2" analogue tape and mastered at Sterling
Sound by Ted Jensen so they sound amazing! Check out the
BUY page.
Featuring his band Sync -- Jerome Harris, bass,
guitar; Samir Chatterjee, tabla; with special guests Mark
Feldman, violin; Erik Friedlander, cello.
Notes from Tzadik Website:
Ned Rothenberg’s intensely personal take on Radical
Jewish Culture interprets the inner Diaspora as a place
of learning and growth. Featuring his acclaimed trio Sync
with guest string players Mark Feldman and Erik
Friedlander (Masada String Trio, Bar Kokhba) the music is
rich in rhythmic invention, instrumental color and
lyricism. Drawing upon his extensive experience in world
music, Ned explores the possibilities of 21st century
Jewish culture through the nuances of scales, modes and
feelings of alienation and belonging.
Teho Teardo & Erik Friedlander CD
Released on Bip-Hop
Records
In 2004 I began a trans-Atlantic collaboration with
Italian electronics composer Teho Teardo. We exchanged
ideas by passing tracks back and forth and remixing each
other's contributions. Our first finsihed track ended up
in Teho's soundtrack for "Lavorare Con Lentezza", a film
by Guido Chiesa ...
[more]
Post a 1-minute lesson request at my new Blog. The
MakeItCount Blog is an online cello lessons hub. Anyone
can post a 1-minute request for answers to a specific
cello-related problem. I will post my own video response
with tips and suggestions. Others can comment or post a
short video follow-up.
Here's the first post with all the info:
"Here's the Idea.."
Interview by Paul Olson Online Now!
Erik Friedlander: Complexity, Simplicity and Arc by Paul
Olson -- READ
INTERVIEW
Paul Olson lives in Chicago, idolizes Clint Eastwood,
Toshiro Mifune and Fred Astaire, and doesn't like the
president much..[more
about Paul]
PROWL
10 Year Anniversary of TOPAZ! We celebrate with the
release of Prowl.
Buy the new CD by clicking on the image or check out
the TOPAZ PAGE.
"Get going, y'all..but you have a lot of catching up to
do, as Erik Friedlander has already nailed this one
over the fence."
"This quartet succeeds on the balance and poise of its
constituent pieces. The leader's cello, Andy Laster's
reeds, Stomu Takeishi's electric bass, Satoshi
Takeishi's percussion--each stands out in turn.
A-"
In January of 1996 I was scoring the dances for my wife's
N.Y. season and juggling different ideas for the group's
instrumentation. I had been listening to a variety of
70's funk and fusion (Headhunters, Earth, Wind &
Fire) and so electric bass and alto saxophone seemed like
a natural choice. I invited Stomu and Andy ..read more about the CD
For more info you can go to the Mode
Records Website The CD is produced by Elliott Sharp
and has pieces by: Marc Ribot, Ikue Mori, Anthony
Coleman, Elliott Sharp, Otomo Yoshihide, Mark Stewart,
Annie Gosfield, Nick Didkowsky & David Shea.
Amber - New Video
Video excerpt from my DVD "Vanishing Point". The audio is
a recording from the studios of DubLab in Los Angeles
PocketMod
Turn one piece of blank 8x10 and turn it into a pocket
organizer..simple and cool.
Check Out Pandora
A free personalize streaming internet music service which
uses a sophisticated music typing concept called the
"music genome project" to select new music you
may have not hear before .
In 2005 Christo and Jeanne-Claude installed 7503 gates
into Central Park. See my short visit to the park one
snowy morning. The Gates
Page
Online Lessons Posted -- MAKE IT COUNT
This new series of short video lessons that are geared
towards making the best use of your practice time: tips
and tricks that will help you make technical progress in
short, focused mini-sessions. There are now 4 lessons up.
The newest is PIZZICATO:
Also check out the "Make It Count" Boards where you can
post questions about the videos or report your own
experiences.
Interview Online
One Finale Note (Jazz & Improvised Music Webzine)
just published an
interview I did with Troy Collins a few months back
New WMV Teaser Posted of SKIN DVD
I've posted a new "teaser" showing clips from the SKIN
DVD. Check out this short highlight reel at the Media Page or view
video.
This video was created while Topaz was signed to SIAM
Records and documents the 2-day recording session at
Clinton Studios in New York City. Special guests: Amira
Mor, Marlon Barrios, dancers; The Atlas Cello Quartet;
Alexander Fedoriouk, cimbalom.
The Broken Arm Trio on
tour in Europe was a great success. Thanks to everyone
who came out to see us. I'll be posting some live MP3's
as they come in from some of the venues along with pics.
Photographer Lee Friedlander's work was the subject of a
retrospective at MoMA (2005) Meanwhile, his son Erik
Friedlander is enjoying a successful career as a jazz
cellist. They'll tell us what it's like having two high
profile artists in the same family, and they'll share
their thoughts on using different forms of media to
communicate their artistic ideas.
Music: Erik Friedlander's "Flight's of Starlings," "Here
Comes the madwoman" and " O Stern Mathematics" from album
"Maldoror"
C A L E N D A R
May 8 - Marty Ehrlich's Rites Band
Playing music of Julius Hemphill --incl. Dogon AD
Marty Ehrlich – saxophones, clarinet, flute
Erik Friedlander – cello
James Zollar – trumpet
Pheeroan akLaff – drums
The Jazz Standard - 730P & 930P
$25
116 East 27th Street New York, New York 10016
212-447-7733
May 10 - Erik Friedlander at Roulette
Roulette is a
major New York City venue for contemporary music and
intermedia art.
ALL events are at
20 Greene Street (between Canal and Grand
Streets).
Performances begin at 8:30pm, unless otherwise noted.
Roulette TV shoots begin at 8:00pm.
Reservations/Tickets: 212.219.8242
Admission: $15 / Harvestworks and DTW members, Students &
Seniors: $10
Roulette members / Location One members: free.
More details to come..
May 14-15: Erik Friedlander Solo in Ireland
Wednesday 14th May
Triskel Arts Centre, Cork
Tickets 18 Euro and 16 Euro (concession).
Bookings: 021 427 2022 (Triskel Arts Centre) or online from www.triskelartscentre.ie
Show starts: 9.00pm.
Thursday 15th May
The Sugar Club, Dublin
Tickets €20 (inc. booking fee) available from usual Ticketmaster Outlets, online and Claddagh Records.
Bookings: 0818 719 300 (Ticketmaster), telephone and internet bookings subject to a maximum 12.5% service charge, agents €2.
Doors: 8.00pm; show starts 8.30pm.
June 24-27: Masada Festival in Paris
June 23, 2008 - Cité de la musique Concert
Hall
SIX LITANIES FOR HELIOGABALUS
mike patton
trevor dunn
joey baron
jamie saft-organ...
ikue-electronics...
3 female singers..
June 24, 2008 - Cité de la musique Concert
Hall
COBRA
mark Feldman, erik friedlander,
mike patton, marc ribot,
jamie saft, steve drury,
trevor dunn, ikue mori,
cyro baptista, joey baron,
kenny wollesen, willie winant
THE GIFT VOL 2 (FAIRYTALES) AND ESSENTIAL CINEMA
featuring ELECTRIC MASADA
anger....eaux d'artifice
deren...ritual in transfigured time
cornell...rose hobart / by night with torch and
spear
menken...go go go
smith....tin woodsmans dream
URI CAINE SOLO / MASADA STRING TRIO / ACOUSTIC
MASADA
uri caine
dave douglas
joey baron
greg cohen
mark feldman
erik friedlander
June 27, 2008 - Cité de la musique Concert
Hall
classical program... or perhaps MYSTERIUM ??
sortilege....2 bass cl
frammenti del sappho....5 female voices
The Prophetic Mysteries of Angels, Witches and
Demons...flute / 2 perc / electronics
777 ... 3 celli
fay çe que vouldras...solo piano
necronomicon....vn / vn / vla / vcl
June 30 - Warsaw, Poland
Erik Friedlander SOLO
Centrum Artystyczne Fabryka Trzciny
ul. Otwocka 14, 03 759 Warszawa www.fabrykatrzciny.pl