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Topaz's Bio:

Cellist Erik Friedlander has covered multiple geographies in his career+ scoring creatively with his more klezmer-colored explorations. The quartet he leads here+ however+ is altogether different+ creating a rubbery chamber music feel through the electric bass of Stomu Takeishi and the percussion of Satoshi Takeishi+ which leans away from traditional kit drumming and toward the finer punctuations of hand-hit drums. Adding the polished alto sax of Andy Laster+ the group tacks cleanly with pointed rhythmic lines+ a mostly bowed cello that sings across the top+ and the sax entwined in the stringy+ woodsy tonal spread. Never one to abandon the jazz repertoire+ Friedlander selects a trio of jazz curve balls near the end of <i>Topaz</i>+ beginning with Miles Davis"s mid-1960s adventure piece+ "Tout de Suite" (which held clues to the trumpeter"s oncoming submersion in electric avant jazz-funk)+ and continuing with a thrilling+ bass-busy take on Eric Dolphy"s "Hat and Beard" (a paean to Thelonious Monk) and then a delicate reading of Dolphy"s loveliest tune+ "Something Sweet+ Something Tender." The mix of a deeply woodsy cello and the other well-drawn tone colors and textures here is wonderful. <i>--Andrew Bartlett</i>
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Topaz's Albums
Afro Dub Sessions
The Zone
Freestyle
Listen!

Topaz Album Editorial:
Recorded at Phillip Glass#146; old Tribeca studio Listen! the follow up to the acclaimed debut The Shrine is a mixture of rich textures psychedelic grooves inventive composition and intuitive band interplay. It encompasses the future funk of the 1970#146;s with the rhythms of modern day New York. With Listen! Topaz hopes to build on their successes showing the progress of this eclectic and beautiful band.
Skin

Topaz Album Editorial:
Erik Friedlander who continues his exploration of jazz textures and contemporary classical improvised and notated music on ISkin is pushing the creative envelope on cello. There have been jazz precedents on his instrument notably Oscar Pettiford and Ron Carter--both better known as bassists. Friedlander is both colorist and soloist working here with a core ensemble of alto saxophonist Andy Laster (who takes the lions share of the CDs solos) bass guitarist Stomu Takeishi and percussionist Satoshi Takeishi. Friedlanders work can be quite percussive as on the title track and he engages the Atlas Cello Quartet to haunting effect on his Skin 1. His original compositions are leavened throughout ISkin with selections from disparate sources including one each from Charles Mingus Julius Hemphill Santana and Henry Mancini. The results are often edgy challenging and ultimately rewarding. Willard Jenkins
Great Commandement
The Shrine

Topaz Album Editorial:
Inspiring jazz-funk tunes guaranteed to influence melodious head-bobbing. An album of animated basslines striking piano riffs with tense drumming along with Topaz on tenor sax providing refreshment for groove-thirsty ears. ARTISTBIO: Topaz leads a New York City based soul-jazz outfit. The band is Hard Hitting and danceable while maintaining a smooth and sophisticated edge.POriginally from Austin Texas Topaz reaches into southern soul roots for much of his inspiration. This is balanced by textures drawn from the NYC Latin-jazz and underground dance scene.
Topaz

Topaz Album Editorial:
Cellist Erik Friedlander has covered multiple geographies in his career scoring creatively with his more klezmer-colored explorations. The quartet he leads here however is altogether different creating a rubbery chamber music feel through the electric bass of Stomu Takeishi and the percussion of Satoshi Takeishi which leans away from traditional kit drumming and toward the finer punctuations of hand-hit drums. Adding the polished alto sax of Andy Laster the group tacks cleanly with pointed rhythmic lines a mostly bowed cello that sings across the top and the sax entwined in the stringy woodsy tonal spread. Never one to abandon the jazz repertoire Friedlander selects a trio of jazz curve balls near the end of iTopaz beginning with Miles Daviss mid-1960s adventure piece Tout de Suite (which held clues to the trumpeters oncoming submersion in electric avant jazz-funk) and continuing with a thrilling bass-busy take on Eric Dolphys Hat and Beard (a paean to Thelonious Monk) and then a delicate reading of Dolphys loveliest tune Something Sweet Something Tender. The mix of a deeply woodsy cello and the other well-drawn tone colors and textures here is wonderful. Andrew Bartlett

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