Wed. July 18

Cellist Erik Friendlander is a composer, an improvisor and a longtime part of the New York downtown scene. He's worked with Laurie Anderson and John Zorn; he floats in a space between (or maybe above) jazz and classical music. His latest project is called "Block Ice & Propane" - the CD won't come out until August, but you can check parts out at www.blockiceandpropane.com and you can see him play a large part of Wednesday July 18, when he comes to the Lily Pad. Friedlander says "Black Ice" was informed by his experiences as a kid taking trips across America with his family in their Airstream trailer (how quintessentially American!). His father, Lee Friendlander, was a photographer who shot a lot of cover art for Atlantic soul/R&B/jazz acts in the '60s - Ray Charles, Aretha Frankline, McCoy Tyner. And his father took many pictures of this trip. So, Erik got back in touch with that trip, read Cormac McCarthy and William Faulkner, dug into the "Anthology of American Folk Music" and came up with this eclectic, sometimes eerie, sometimes warm, music. His show starts at 8 and it's a $10 cover.

1353 Cambridge St., Cambridge, 617-395-1394 www.ily-pad.net