Erik Friedlander Block Ice & Propane

"The effect is one of surpassing beauty."—JazzTimes

In this compelling solo show, vanguard cellist Erik Friedlander draws on childhood memories of cross-country family camping trips discovering America in the 1960s and 1970s. (The title refers to the essential camping supplies his family had to locate at each stop). His engagingly intimate narrative is illustrated by poetic images of national parks, small towns, and open spaces taken by his father, well-known photographer Lee Friedlander; charming snapshots taken by his mother, Maria Friedlander; and evocative road movies contributed by filmmaker Bill Morrison. Erik's rich, Americana-inspired music alternates finger-picked pizzicato passages and droning Dobro-like effects with bowed action in haunting melodies that propel a shared journey to see what’s beyond the next bend in the road.

By the way, avid fans of the New York City's downtown jazz scene may recall that Friedlander performed here as part of contemporary jazz master Dave Douglas’s String Group back in 1996.

Development support for Block Ice & Propane provided by the Wexner Center; The Hopkins Center, Dartmouth College; Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA); and Walker Art Center.

Block Ice and Propane