It’s not often you get to hear two contrasting albums with cello, bass and drums. Erik Friedlander’s Broken Arm Trio (Skipstone) and Daniel Levin’s Fuhuffah (Clean Feed) are pretty far apart in terms of aesthetics — Levin’s is the more tonally abstract — but both advance the cause of the cello as a lead improvising instrument, in a role more commonly fulfilled by pianos, guitars, saxophones and such. Friedlander’s partners are Trevor Dunn and Mike Sarin; Levin’s are Ingebrigt Haker Flaten and Gerald Cleaver. Well worth checking out.
(Last I saw Friedlander and Dunn, they were taking part in a John Zorn extravaganza in Philly. Friedlander’s unaccompanied set was the best part of the night.)
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