Erik Friedlander - She Sees CD

Erik Friedlander makes an uninhibited and joyous cd that celebrates his life and his music after being treated for Parkinson's Disease. His latest Sentinel release, She Sees drops on May 24, Skipstone Records.

His fourth release since his diagnosis in 2016, Erik was at first able to control the tremors one gets with Parkinson’s with drugs but that no longer was an option as the drugs stopped having the necessary effect. Friedlander received DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation) surgery at NYU Langone last summer, eliminating his tremors, which in Erik’s case were the predominant side-effect of his Parkinson’s. “I feel like I’ve been given a special gift to continue on with composing and playing the cello without the tremors, which made me self-conscious and also made playing the cello difficult. It’s remarkable,” Friedlander said recently. Friedlander continues to be treated at NYU and looks forward to touring his bands and making new music.

The album opens with a bang with Baskets, Biscuits and Rain, a genre-hybrid featuring an aggressive guitar sound, power chords mixed with elegant, playful cello lines. Wit and Whimsy, a short and biting appetizer, follows, highlighting Friedlander's composing chops. Tremor, Blink has a funky guitar intro that gives way to a sly melody in the cello. Every piece in the rich collection is memorable. The album tracks Friedlander's restless mind as he creates a mix of genres that finally coalesce into a sound that is uniquely Sentinel’s.

She Sees is the second Sentinel recording, and this time Friedlander imagined a sentinel on guard watching the world. “Like a goddess she sees everything but chooses to just be present and register it. She watches, cries, laughs, and is moved by some and saddened by others. She is there always and is, so far, not moved to action.” Friedlander felt the need to expand his band. Sentinel’s first recording consisted of Erik Friedlander on cello, Ava Mendoza on guitar, and Diego Espinosa on percussion; bassist Stomu Takeishi was asked to join the band for this recording and is now a permanent member.

On Takeishi’s addition, Friedlander stated that, “adding bass opened the music up and allowed us to explore the chemistry of the band, exchanging roles and playing in different formations. “The first recording had a more chamber feel. This one is definitely a bigger, more explosive sound,” Erik explains. “Stomu and Diego’s formidable rhythm-section drove the band, allowed for a louder volume, and made it possible for Ava to turn up and bring a rock’n’roll energy to the music.” Stomu has toured internationally with various groups, from NYC to Finland's Tampere Festival. A member of Myra Melford's Crush Trio and trumpeter Cuong Vu's group Vu-Tet, he has also played with such musicians as Henry Threadgill, Don Cherry, Randy Brecker, and Wynton Marsalis.

Diego Espinosa is a versatile percussionist with an ability to play different kinds of music, convincing at every turn. Whether it’s playing a groove like Wit & Whimsy or a more jazzy tune like Soak, Soak! “He brings a fresh perspective, part percussionist, part drummer. He flavors the music with his own brand of spice, always tasteful, always fiery,” says Friedlander. Espinsoa has performed on five continents and collaborated with artists such as Pierre Boulez, John Zorn and Steve Reich. He is the founder of The Electronic Hammer computer-percussion trio and Ear Massage percussion quartet, and is a popular soloist.

“Ava Mendoza is a most-modern guitar player who can read her ass off and brings that dirty, rock sensibility that is needed for this band's music to work. I don’t want the guitar player to sound too smart; there should be a bluntness to the performance,” Friedlander says. “But nailing the parts is tough and making them her own is even tougher, and Ava accomplished this so adeptly.” Ava has toured throughout the U.S. and Europe and recorded/performed with leading musicians such as Nels Cline, Matana Roberts, John Zorn and Malcolm Mooney. She is the leader of art rock band Unnatural Ways, and is well known as a solo performer of her own music and works by contemporary composers.

A longtime veteran of New York City’s Downtown scene, Erik Friedlander is known for his prolific work as a bandleader having released 22 records under his own name and has appeared on 100s of cds as a sideman. Erik has been recording and touring with THE THROW quartet with Uri Caine, Mark Helias and Ches Smith. In 2022 they released their second CD together called A Queens’ Firefly. Erik has written the score for Thoroughbreds now showing on HBO and recently completed the score for the feature film, Baby Ruby which will be released this year and stars Kit Harrington and Noémi Merlant.