PROJECTS

Please visit the Projects sub-pages from the dropdown menu for details, audio and video.  All music is original except where otherwise noted.

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Photo by Agnieska Rytych-Foster: Man on Land + Lihi Haruvi

MUSIC

“The music has such positive energy, like a celebration of life. The global elements combined with jazz and classical techniques grab you and make you listen.”
​            – Jerry Bergonzi, saxophonist, composer, author, educator
SOLO, DUOS & COLLABORATIONS  Friedland performs solo, as a duo, and in an array of ensembles through long-time musical collaborations within jazz and beyond. His community projects bring together a wide array of artists, and he has recorded on numerous albums for other musicians, including Alex Lee Clark, Nick Grondin, Kim Richmond, and Åsa Runfelt.
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​“Man On Land has been demonstrating that the musical whole can be even greater than the sum of the parts. All three write beautifully and their rapport is uncanny.”
            – Mark Redmond, Mandorla Music
MAN ON LAND  Man On Land is a collectively led trio between Friedland, bassist Greg Loughman, and drummer Austin McMahon. Since forming in 2009, the group has performed nearly a hundred originals and imaginative arrangements, releasing critically praised albums. Their sound is defined by deep collaboration, dynamic interplay, and a spirit of spontaneity.
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USE THE FORCE  Led by Friedland, Use the Force transforms cinematic masterpieces through a prism of groovy, soulful, skillful, funky-jazz fusion. Think Harry Potter wallowing in butterbeer in New Orleans and Darth Vader busting out head spins at a dance party.
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“Clever, witty, beautifully crafted, and brilliantly executed."
            – Frank Carlberg, pianist
HOUSEHOLD ITEMS  In his Household Items cycle, Friedland sets everyday texts to genre-bending music, poking fun at daily life. Tea boxes, snack packs, and even a lease lend their prose to a rollicking mix of genres. Friedland has presented Household Items at venues throughout the US with ensembles ranging from piano/vocal duo to a 23-piece orchestra.
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RHOMBUS  Friedland’s six-piece ensemble fuses modern jazz sonorities with Balkan music’s rhythmic complexities, rock’s energy, the experimentation of avant-garde improvisation, and the thematic development of classical music. 
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“Inspirationally crafted, an excellent and interesting mix of art works.”
            ​– Kim Richmond, Grammy-nominated jazz composer
BIG BAND  Friedland's works for 20-piece big band tint modern jazz with influences ranging from classical minimalism to techno. Drawing on diverse sources such as poetry by Robert Frost, Burning Man, and the Pacific Coast Highway, the music is full of imagery, narrative, and emotion. 
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CHAMBER MUSIC Like many jazz composers, Friedland grew up studying classical as well as jazz idioms, and later studied classical composition with Kati Agocs, Michael Gandolfi, and Brian Head. His compositions often draw upon this knowledge, and his commission for American Composers’ Orchestra explicitly marries classical traditions with jazz.
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COMMUNITY

“Pianist and tireless scene-maker Brian Friedland is programming great local jazz acts...”
            – Mark Redmond, Mandorla Music
Friedland believes in creating musical community – special spaces where musicians come together with listeners and magic happens. Boston’s music schools – New England Conservatory, Berklee, Longy, and others – draw a world-class community of musicians. But local venues for jazz are comparatively sparse. Friedland aims to create joyous, welcoming spaces where musicians can improvise together and perform for the public.

JAZZ SUNDAYS AT THE SQUARE ROOT  Since 2019, Friedland has been producing a regular series of concerts and themed jams at the Square Root, in Roslindale. Jazz Sundays at the Square Root brings together some of Boston’s best jazz artists in an intimate restaurant setting for performances and themed jam sessions.
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SCHOOLYARD SESSIONS  In 2020, Friedland piloted weekly concerts in the Eliot Schoolyard as a way to enjoy live music outdoors under pandemic conditions. The series grew into an annual series through 2024, drawing audiences of as many as 350 people per event. In 2023, Friedland invited the musicians back to record together, resulting in the Schoolyard Sessions album and a celebratory group concert.
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