Sep 22, 2026 12:26 PM
Hyde Park Jazz Fest on Chicago’s South Side to Present 20th Edition
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival will take place for the 20th time on the final weekend of September 2026. Beginning half…
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
A solo concert by saxophonist Joshua Redman will close the first night of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival on Sept. 26.
Sep 22, 2026 12:26 PM
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival will take place for the 20th time on the final weekend of September 2026. Beginning half…
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