Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
On his new release, The Broken Arm, cellist Erik Friedlander spotlights his unique pizzicato playing—higher and more incisive than the bass, warmer than the piano, but similarly rhythmic and able to freely engage in the give-and-take essential to the jazz. The album features drummer Mike Sarin and bassist Trevor Dunn.
“While there have been a few groundbreaking practitioners, notably bassist Oscar Pettiford, the cello has a tenuous connection to jazz, and is still considered a novelty,” Friedlander said. “The cello is an untapped resource and I’m looking to create some new lasting traditions.”
The title of the CD comes from an anecdote about Oscar Pettiford: In 1949, Pettiford broke his arm playing baseball. He could still move his fingers even though his arm was in a sling, so he began experimenting with a cello a friend had lent to him. He tuned the cello like a bass only an octave higher and later recorded a series of cello-led projects. “For me Pettiford is a hero: he had a deep connection to the cello—he believed in it as a jazz instrument,” Friedlander said.
More info: erikfriedlander.com
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
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