!! new album „Dirty Boxing“ will be released End of May 2024 !!

Cellist Erik Friedlander’s Dirty Boxing explores the poetic force of the mixed martial arts.

Friedlander’s wry look at the stark vocabulary of MMA is unexpected and clever.  Dirty Boxing is a captivating experience exploring the unexpected parallels between the disciplined artistry of music and the strategic combat of mixed martial arts. Friedlander and his bandmates deliver powerful performances that weave together intensity, grace, and a touch of the fighting spirit, creating a sound that's bound to leave you stunned and a little knocked out.

In Dirty Boxing musical elegance collides with deadpan literalism. From Sprawl, a protean, quintessential jazz tune to Foot Stomp, a tricky mixed meter number that moves the musical ‘foot stomp’ by a single eighth note to create the tune’s signature moment. Friedlander also experiments with a modular form of composition (Mod 1, 2, and 9) that creates the ability to change the essential form of the tune each time it is played.  Each one of these tunes feature one member of the band in a solo spotlight

The emotional depth of Dirty Boxing is a testament to the power of creativity and the unexplored connections between music and the physicality of combat sports. It's an album that not only challenges the norms but also celebrates the beauty of combining disparate worlds.  Esteemed cellist Erik Friedlander is stepping into the musical ring with his new CD, "Dirty Boxing."

The members of The Throw are all respected musicians in the Downtown scene. Pianist Uri Caine is well known as a bandleader and masterful reworkings of classical compositions. He has played with musicians such as Dave Douglas, Arto Lindsay and John Zorn. Bassist Mark Helias has performed with the original members of Ornette Coleman’s band, along with many musicians associated with the AACM, and has also released six solo albums. Drummer Ches Smith has worked with a diverse group of artists, such as Fred Frith, The Secret Chiefs and the rock band Xiu Xiu. He also writes for small and large jazz ensembles and has released albums of solo percussion under his own name.