When you think of the cello, the first association would likely be classical music, but plenty of cellists have chosen to bring their talents to the jazz world. The versatile instrument can deliver melody, harmony, or rhythm, or simply enhance the overall sound. NYC’s Erik Friedlander has been working across genres for 30 years. He grew up surrounded by music -- father Lee is an accomplished photographer whose work has grace many album covers (often for Atlantic Records).  Well known for his work with avant-garde saxophonist John Zorn as well as Laurie Anderson, Cyro Baptista, and many others, he’s also been a member of Bar Kokhba and the Masada String Trio.

As a composer, he’s created scores for the films Kingdom of David: The Saga of the Israelites (starring F. Murray Abraham, René Auberjonois, and Jeremy Irons), Thoroughbreds (starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Olivia Cooke, and Anton Yelchin), Baby Ruby (starring Kit Harrington), and others. He’s also scored an episode for Mad Men.

Friedlander has been a prolific artist and bandleader, releasing around 30 albums. His group The Throw (pianist Uri Caine on Piano, bassist Mark Helias, and drummer Ches Smith) recently released Dirty Boxing, a double album themed around mixed martial arts, with titles like “Sprawl,” “Ground & Pound,” and “Shrimping.” The music is vibrant and dynamic, and exciting interplay among the instruments. The CD version of the new record features his project Floating City, with vocalist Sara Serpa, guitarist Wendy Eisenberg, and bassist Mark Helias.