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Erik Friedlander
Erik Friedlander
Background information
Born	1 July 1960 (age 64)
Origin	New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres	Avant-garde jazz, classical, chamber jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer
Instrument	Cello
Years active	1980s–present
Labels	Brassland
Website	erikfriedlander.com

Erik Friedlander is an American cellist and composer based in New York City.^[1]

A veteran of New York City's experimental downtown scene, Friedlander has worked in many contexts, but is perhaps best known for his frequent collaborations with saxophonist John Zorn.

Friedlander grew up in a home filled with art and music: his father is photographer Lee Friedlander, noted for the cover photographs he took for Atlantic Records. He is of Jewish descent from his father and of Finnish descent through his paternal grandmother.^[2] His father's fondness for R&B and jazz helped shape Friedlander's taste in music. He graduated from Columbia University in 1982.^[3]

Friedlander started playing guitar at age six and added cello two years later. Apart from his work with Zorn, Friedlander has worked with Laurie Anderson, Courtney Love and Alanis Morissette, and is a member of the jazz/fusion quartet Topaz.^[4]

He created the original music for the historical documentary Kingdom of David: The Saga of the Israelites.^[5]

Discography

Chimera (with Chimera) (Avant, 1995)
The Watchman (with Chimera) (Tzadik, 1996)
Topaz (with Topaz) (SIAM, 1999)
Skin (with Topaz) (SIAM, 2000) also released on DVD
Grains of Paradise (Tzadik, 2002)^[6]
Quake (with Topaz) (Cryptogramophone, 2003)
Maldoror (Brassland, 2003)
Eiger (SkipStone, 2006)
Prowl (with Topaz) (Cryptogramophone, 2006)
Schio Duomilaquatro (Stella Nera, 2006)
Giorni Rubati (Bip-Hop, 2006)
Block Ice & Propane (SkipStone, 2007)
Volac: Book of Angels Volume 8 (Tzadik, 2007) composed by John Zorn
Broken Arm Trio (SkipStone, 2008)
Vanishing Point (A Road Journal DVD)
Alchemy (SkipStone, 2010)
50 Miniatures for Improvising Quintet (SkipStone, 2010)
Chamber Quintet (with Marcin Oles and Bartlomiej Oles)
Bonebridge (SkipStone, 2011)
American Power (SkipStone, 2012)
Claws and Wings (SkipStone, 2013)
Nothing on Earth (SkipStone, 2014)
Nighthawks (SkipStone, 2014)
Illuminations (SkipStone, 2015)
Oscalypso (SkipStone, 2015)
Rings (SkipStone, 2016)
Artemisia (with Throw A Glass) (SkipStone, 2018)

With John Zorn

Redbird (Tzadik, 1995)
Filmworks IV: S&M + More (Tzadik, 1997)
Filmworks VI: 1996 (Tzadik, 1997)
Filmworks VIII: 1997 (Tzadik, 1998)
Music for Children (Tzadik, 1998)
The String Quartets (Tzadik, 1999)
The Big Gundown: 15th Anniversary Special Edition (Tzadik, 2000)
Madness, Love and Mysticism (Tzadik, 2001)
Filmworks X: In the Mirror of Maya Deren (Tzadik, 2001)
Cobra: John Zorn's Game Pieces Volume 2 (Tzadik, 2002)
Filmworks XII: Three Documentaries (Tzadik, 2002)
Filmworks XIII: Invitation to a Suicide (Tzadik, 2002)
Filmworks XIX: The Rain Horse (Tzadik, 2008)
Filmworks XX: Sholem Aleichem (Tzadik, 2008)
What Thou Wilt (Tzadik, 2010)
The Concealed (Tzadik, 2012)
Fragmentations, Prayers and Interjections (Tzadik, 2014)

As a member of Bar Kokhba

1998 The Circle Maker (Tzadik)
2005 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 11 (Tzadik)
2008 Lucifer: Book of Angels Volume 10 (Tzadik)

As a member of Masada String Trio

1998 The Circle Maker (Tzadik)
2002 Filmworks XI: Secret Lives (Tzadik)
2003 50th Birthday Celebration Volume 1 (Tzadik)
2005 Azazel: Book of Angels Volume 2 (Tzadik)
2010 Haborym: Book of Angels Volume 16 (Tzadik)

As sideman

With Laurie Anderson

Life on a String (Nonesuch, 2001)

With Cyro Baptista

Beat the Donkey (Tzadik, 2002)
Banquet of the Spirits (Tzadik, 2008)
Infinito (Tzadik, 2009)

With Uri Caine

Wagner e Venezia (Winter & Winter, 1997)

With Nels Cline

Lovers (Blue Note, 2016)

With Sylvie Courvoisier

Abaton (ECM, 2003)

With Dave Douglas

Five (Soul Note, 1996)
Convergence (Soul Note, 1999)

With Mark Feldman

Book of Tells (Enja, 2001)

With Benny Golson

One Day, Forever (Arkadia Jazz, 1999 [2001])

With Myra Melford

The Same River, Twice (Gramavision, 1996)
Above Blue (Arabesque, 1999)

With Mike Patton

Pranzo Oltranzista (Tzadik, 1997)

With Jamie Saft

A Bag of Shells (Tzadik, 2010)

With Wadada Leo Smith

Lake Biwa (Tzadik, 2004)

With Dar Williams

Mortal City (Razor & Tie, 1996)

Filmography

Kingdom of David: The Saga of the Israelites (2003)
Spade (2014)
Thoroughbreds (2017)
Oh Lucy! (2017)

References

^ Sisario, Ben (17 July 2007). "An Avant-Gardist's View of America, as Seen From the Back Seat". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
^ Hadba-Groom, Vitoria. "Lee Friedlander". TheArtStory. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
^ Parhizkar, Maryam (April 2011). "Cellist Erik Friedlander '82 Plays an Uncommon Tune". Columbia College Today. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
^ Layne, Joslyn. "Biography: Erik Friedlander". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
^ "Kingdom of David: The Saga of the Israelites (TV Movie 2003) – Full Cast & Crew – IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
^ "Cellist Erik Friedlander's best recording as a leader is also one of the most distinctive jazz-with-strings albums ever made." – Ed Hazell, The Boston Phoenix