SANDCATCHERS

Sandcatchers consists of oud, lap steel, bass and drums, with special guest Erik Friedlander on cello. The ensemble (Yoshie Fruchter on oud, Myk Freedman on lapsteel, Michael Bates on bass, and Tim Keiper on drums/percussion) began as a weekly gig in a Brooklyn restaurant and quickly became a focused musical and compositional exploration.

The goal of the band has been to establish a sonic combination that is not only pleasing to the ear, but also challenges notions of how we view musical context. The oud has a deep history in the Middle East and strands of tradition spanning centuries, while the lap steel is a much younger entity who’s sound is still being established. Together, the instruments have beautiful contrasting timbres but are also unique tools for composition.