Erik Friedlander

Dirty Boxing

Skipstone

We covered cellist Erik Friedlander’s 2022 A Queen’s Firefly on these pages.  Consider Dirty Boxing his worthy follow-up. A longtime veteran of New York City’s Downtown scene, Friedlander has released over 20 albums under his own name. He is a sought-after studio musician, performing with artists as diverse as The Mountain Goats, John Zorn, Dave Douglas, and Courtney Love. Dirty Boxing presents the same cast of musicians in the quartet as its predecessor. Pianist Uri Caine is well known as a bandleader and masterful reworkings of classical compositions. He has played with musicians such as Dave Douglas, Arto Lindsay and John Zorn. Notably he worked with Christian McBride and QuestLove on the groundbreaking Philadelphia Experiment. Bassist Mark Helias has performed with the original members of Ornette Coleman’s band, along with many musicians associated with the AACM, acclaimed duos with soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom, and has also released multiple albums as a leader. Drummer Ches Smith has worked with a diverse group of artists, such as Fred Frith, The Secret Chiefs and the rock band Xiu Xiu, and many more. Importantly he’s led his own renowned ensemble such as We All Break and Laugh Ash. If nothing else, seek those out.

On a purely incidental or coincidental note, we have the good fortune, rare though it is, of presenting two cellists as bandleaders this week as you may have noticed the three albums issued simultaneously by D.C. Janel Leppin.

This may be the first time a jazz album has delved into the vocabulary of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), recent NBA champion coach of the Boston Celtics, Joe Mazzulla, has used some of the MMA concepts to inspire his team. Obviously, it worked well for him and does for Friedlander as well. Jazz has often been compared to basketball in terms of improvisation and connected teamwork. So, the athletic movements of MMA and its intensity, grace, and fierce fighting spirit is certainly not a big reach. Friedlander views the comparison this way, “I’ve had a growing fascination with the mixed martial arts for about 3-4 years now. The sheer intensity with which these athletes challenge themselves in the octagon is captivating. It’s a kind of intensity I can relate to. Performing, in many ways, is about putting yourself to the test, expressing what’s important to you, and sharing your passions. And no one gets hurt in the process!”  He went on to describe the similarities, “Just like a fighter picks and mixes different martial arts techniques, a musician pulls from various influences and experiences to shape their unique sound and vibe.”

The album is relatively short, clocking in at 34 minutes with titles that clearly represent the theme such as “Shrimping,” “Ground and Pound,” and “Submission” for example. The potent opener “Sprawl” has the cellist weaving a melody over both percussive formidable piano and drums. “Foot Stomp” is a tricky mixed meter number that moves the musical ‘foot stomp’ by a single eighth note to create the tune’s signature moment. Only the most skilled rhythm section could pull this off, emulating the darting, shifting, movements of a fighter. Smith is especially on fire here. Friedlander also experiments with a modular form of composition which creates the ability to change the essential form of the tune each time it is played. Each one of these tunes, tracks 3-5, features one member of the band in a solo spotlight. “Shrimping” is a feature for Caine, Smith unleashes his chops in the aptly titled “Ground and Pound,” and Helias takes his pizzicato runs in “D”Arce.” Yet, any quartet member could be the soloist in any one of these energetic tunes and they would likely work just as well.

“Contender” has a suitable confident, champion-like vibe in the first section but morphs into phases of uncertainty and confusion, reflecting the obstacles to be confronted, eventually reprising the opening theme. “Submission” has the apt tone of mournful surrender, led by the cellist’s weeping lines and reinforced by Caine’s stark chords and elegant solo, a warm turn from Helias, brushes from Smith, all combining for a stunningly beautiful result.  Naturally, they go out in rollicking style with the start-stop rhythms of “Kimura.”

.On the CD version of Dirty Boxing, listeners are treated to a bonus project of Friedlander’s: Floating City, a total flipping of the script featuring Sara Serpa, voice; Wendy Eisenberg, guitar; Mark Helias, bass; and Friedlander, cello. This contingent reaches into other worldly ethereal realms with highly lyrical, transportive melodies that will have you instantly reaching for your headphones.

Both are highly recommended listens should you be fortunate enough to buy the CD version, and you don’t need to know the first thing about MMA to appreciate Dirty Boxing. This writer certainly doesn’t have a clue about the martial arts but is once again floored by Friedlander’s compositions and the interplay of his quartet.

 

• Jim Hynes

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