Erik Friedlander's Oscalypso

Erik Friedlander, cello; Michael Blake, saxophones: Trevor Dunn, bass; Michael Sarin, drums.

Erik Friedlander began playing the cello at age 8 when the public elementary school he attended offered violin or cello to third graders who passed a music test. The great Oscar Pettiford began playing cello as an adult in his 30s when an injury prevented him from playing his bass. Friedlander will pay homage to his improvising, cello-playing forefather with a set of Pettiford tunes and an amazing group of musicians.

Cellist Erik Friedlander is a composer, an improviser, and a veteran of NYC's Downtown scene. Friedlander started studying music at an early age, beginning at 5 with guitar, and then at 8, cello lessons. He grew up in a house filled with music, as his father is an avid music lover, and made countless mixtapes which played daily in their home. Erik spent his twenties honing his skills as a player and an improviser and quickly became a sought after studio musician, performing with artists as diverse as The Mountain Goats, John Zorn, Dave Douglas and Courtney Love. Erik's desire to actively participate in the swirl of music styles he was surrounded by led him to find new ways to play the cello and drives his solo work which is varied and unusual.