Search - Erik Friedlander :: Quake

My favorite improv cello disc in years!

Toe Surgeon | Los Angeles, CA | 07/22/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pop acts have been using the cello as a backup instrument for years, and now we've got groups like Rasputina and Apocalyptica that use multiple cellos as the backbone of their sound. But in the jazz and improv music world, hearing a lead cello is a rare treat indeed. After hearing Erik Friedlander's stunning "Quake," you've got to wonder why!



Friedlander's technique is absolutely impeccable, his solo voice rapturous. Just listen to those angular McLaughlinisms that he displays in the first solo on "Consternation," roaring out of the gate with fiery, fleet fingerings. Burbling tempestuously under the surface are the Takeishi brothers, one of the most creative and responsive rhythm sections around. Alto player Andy Laster is a perfect complement to Friedlander's blowing, recklessly dipping in and out of the frothy mix of post-bop, middle-eastern, klezmer and Indonesian sounding tunes.



The novelty of hearing the lead cello and electric bass sonorities together would be enough to make this record stick out. The fact that "Quake" features such top shelf musicianship and totally transcends the novelty factor just confirms that it's a formidable piece of work. Rock on, Erik."

Rhythm based improvisation with a taste of the East.

Troy Collins | Lancaster, PA United States | 05/16/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Topaz, cellist Erik Friedlander's long standing quartet returns with their third offering of worldy delights. A fixture on the East Village/Downtown scene for the past decade, Friedlander has become THE cellist in creative improvised music. Among numerous other groups Topaz is his "rhythm" band. Covering all bases from stripped down funk to Middle Eastern dances and tender Indian ballads this foursome stretches the fragile bonds known as "world music" until they snap.Although the world music tag might be a put off for some listeners, don't let that description sway you from checking out this group's richly dynamic efforts. With an unconventional line-up of cello, alto sax, hand percussion and fretless electric bass, they sound like no one else. Other than Stomu Takeishi's warped take on fretless bass the sound presented by the group is completely acoustic in nature. This is no new-age, pseudo-ethnic fusion, no sir. Integration of the form is rule of the day, and the quartet makes all their disparate influences into their own.Take for example, "Wire," a lively Eastern influenced piece that starts off straight enough then breaks down at intervals for call and response improv between the soloists and rhythm section that varies the dynamics in a way that a more traditional dance tune would never dare. The delicate chamber counterpoint of the Indian ballad "Gol Gham" takes an entirely different direction, favoring melodic texture over rhythm changes. And then there is "Biscuits," a free form improvisational tour de force that shows the quartet at its most aggressive. The album closes with "Fig," a melancholy dirge albeit one that features interjections by the band members that exhibit their instrumental acumen. The bass figures on this tune are more reminiscent of laconic turntable scratching than the typical sounds you would expect from a stringed instrument.There is a startling amount of diversity on this album, although that diversity is more felt than heard. Topaz has a recognizable "sound," one that draws from influences around the globe. Taking indiscriminately from everything from free jazz to klezmer, Erik Friedlander has created a true hybrid, organic world music for the future."