FRIESEN & MARTIN

Photo: Maureen Edwards; Design: Miller Design Studio

Just heard the most gorgeous, moving, exquisite, creative and brilliant concert...it was sparkling, imaginative, gorgeous and lush.... one of the best concerts I've ever attended in my life!”

— Audience member, Ridgefield, CT

Photo: Jimmy Williams

The duo of Eugene Friesen on cello and Joel A. Martin on piano - Friesen & Martin - shatters the mold of a typical chamber duo: it's actually a small band.

With musical references from pop, jazz, rock, and world folk styles Friesen & Martin redefine their genre each time they pick up their instruments.

On their debut CD, "A Perfect Sunday," Friesen & Martin have shared an intimate, joyful, and emotional musical conversation that is both original and authentic.

Their live shows are energetic, free-wheeling and improvisational while also showcasing the respect for musical tradition that each has mastered.

Joel's accomplishments are dazzling. Having distinguished himself musically as a child, he has appeared as both a classical soloist with major orchestras, and swung hard with major jazz artists. In addition to touring and recording with Eugene, Joel is currently appearing with legendary operatic soprano Kathleen Battle in concerts internationally. Get the details on Joel's amazing musical life here: http://www.jazzical.com/

 

NEW CD: "A PERFECT SUNDAY"

"Sunday was a day different from the rest of the week when we were kids. A day for homemade food, family get-togethers, naps, church, reading - and music.

"We sometimes joke that we are brothers from different mothers, there are so many similarities in our upbringings: church was a big part of our childhoods and the first venues for our music making; we were both surrounded by singers and singing as kids; we were both trained in the classical tradition but were highly influenced by pop and jazz; we were surrounded by siblings and friends who woke us to a sense of contemporary style; and we both had parents who were deeply spiritual and who recognized, valued, and cultivated our musicality.

"Having loved the blend of cello and piano from the classical repertoire, it’s a great joy to play in this grouping but with the approach of jazz – not discussing much about the form or arrangement but instead following our ears and instincts as we work our way through a piece.

"Our debut recording, "A Perfect Sunday," showcases our original music plus spontaneous arrangements of some great pieces by Dave Brubeck, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Diosnel Chase, but it's also the sound of our friendship and the harvest of our musical ESP.

"It's that effortless 'mindreading' in our interplay that's given birth to this album focusing on lyrical beauty, unexpected rhythmic drive, emotional release, and a sense of repose that we associate with Sunday - a day of rest." -- Friesen & Martin

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