Erik Friedlander - Broken Arm Trio (Skipstone Records, 2008) ****

In the Broken Arm Trio Erik Friedlander on cello, Mike Sarin on drums and Trevor Dunn on bass, join forces for a nice, light-footed and warm-hearted record of unpretentious yet sophisticated and captivating music. It is jazz, at times with a few klezmer influences, but barely, with Friedlander mostly plucking his strings. He can only be heard bowing on a few exceptions such as on "Pearls" or "Ink", with especially the latter track adding some gravity and variation. This gives the whole a sense of lightness and fun, in great contrast to the melancholy sound of the bowed instrument. Most tracks are uptempo, which gives the rhythm section the chance to shine. The music is inspired by Oscar Pettiford and influenced by the small group feel of Herbie Nichols. Friedlander, Dunn and Sarin have all three already ventured into very avant-garde environments, integrating influences from modern classical music to rock and klezmer, on top of their own creativity and adventurousness, and it is actually great to hear them here in a more traditional jazz setting. The love of melody, rhythm, jazz and interplay just drips off every note. Three great musicians having fun with music. A treat!

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