Press

“Mr. Friedlander, an ingenious cellist who makes an art of soulful rusticity,“ says Nate Chinen of the NYTimes

"On this session with pianist Uri Caine, bassist Mark Helias, and drummer Ches Smith, Friedlander rides stout melodies across rolling fields of rhythm.” - Bandcamp Daily

"…a musical journey that unfolds with fascination… A Queens’ Firefly is an exciting album in many ways, and Friedlander’s fantastic compositions seemed to have encouraged his cohorts to play them with gusto.” - JazzTrail

“Served by an exceptional quartet, this album stands out as a luminous musical metaphor imbued with nostalgia, a marvel of conciseness and delicacy where the polyphony and freedom of Woolf's novel are found.“ Thierrry P. Benizeau Jazz Magazine August 2022 Issue

No matter in what direction Friedlander takes the music, it always stays accessible, remaining ear catching and commanding no matter what scratches he puts on the surface. That makes A Queens’ Firefly not only a great record, but the one to beat for anyone trying to introduce a newcomer to Friedlander’s magnificent body of work.” - The Big Takeover

“Not surprisingly, the breadth of Friedlander’s cello playing is remarkably versatile whether weaving around the melody in ‘Chandelier’ as part classicist and part improviser or adding his deft flourishes to the hard driving ‘Match Strikes.’” - Making a Scene"Erik Friedlander can do things with a cello that should have a reasonable listener fearing for her life," says Pitchfork. "Rostropovich one second and Rottweiler the next."

"He makes the music whole, he doesn't just perform it. Great music, great artist, great performance." - The Free Jazz Collective

".. startling virtuosity." - Kurt Gottschalk, The Squid's Ear

"Friedlander delivers what may be the definitive statement thus far in terms of what the cello can do." - Kevin Kampwirth, CMJ.com, August 15, 2007

"As tough-minded and original as it is elegiac." - Jon Garelick, Boston

Phoenix, July 24, 2007

"You never know what cellist Erik Friedlander has up his sleeve."

- Detroit Free Press, July 26, 2007

"Everyone's (seriously, everyone's) favorite avant-garde cellist is Erik

Friedlander. He should be yours too." - The L Magazine, July 11, 2007

"He strives for beauty in his playing and writing, and often finds both."

- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 26, 2007

A Queens’ Firefly reviews