A highly adventurous and inventive trombonist,
Joe Fiedler is known for his engaging post-bop and modern creative jazz. Influenced by artists like
Ray Anderson,
Albert Mangelsdorff, and
Carla Bley, as well as Knitting Factory bands like
the Jazz Passengers and
the Lounge Lizards,
Fiedler often straddles the line between acoustic hard bop and more avant-garde styles, employing various techniques including multiphonics, mute-work, and free improvisation. Along with regular gigs with artists like
Andrew Hill,
Satoko Fujii,
Maria Schneider,
Chico O’Farrill, and others,
Fiedler has released his own projects, including his 2007 trio album
The Crab and the 2017 quintet album Like, Strange. He also leads the low brass ensemble
Big Sackbut with trombonists
Josh Roseman and
Ryan Keberle and tuba player
Marcus Rojas. Along with his performance work,
Fiedler is the longtime music director for the children's television show Sesame Street, work he drew inspiration from for 2019's
Open Sesame.
Born in 1965 in Pittsburgh,
Fiedler initially started on the trumpet in fourth grade, but due to an overbite, switched to the trombone and its bigger mouthpiece within a few weeks. After high school, he studied at Allegheny College and the University of Pittsburgh before moving to New York City. There, he further honed his skills, taking private lessons with noted trombonists like
Ray Anderson,
Randy Purcell, and later,
Conrad Herwig, all of whom he credits as helping develop his technical abilities on his chosen instrument. Following his move to New York,
Fiedler began playing shows, leading his own groups, and developing a reputation as a first-call sideman. Over the years, he has played with a bevy of luminaries and ensembles, including
Maria Schneider,
Chico O'Farrill,
the Mingus Big Band,
Andrew Hill,
Dafnis Prieto,
Kenny Wheeler,
Satoko Fujii,
Miguel Zenón, and others. He also sought work outside the jazz idiom, playing gigs on the Latin circuit with
Celia Cruz,
Eddie Palmieri,
Willie Colon,
Ralph Irizarry, and more. As a leader, he debuted on 1998's 110 Bridge St., playing alongside reedist Ben Koen and drummer
Ed Ware.
Following dates with
Andrew Hill,
Bobby Sanabria, and
Olga Tanon, among others,
Fiedler returned to his solo work with 2005's
Plays the Music of Albert Mangelsdorff. A tribute to the late trombonist, the album found
Fiedler putting his own spin on
Mangelsdorff's compositions in a trio with bassist
John Hebert and drummer
Mark Ferber. Another trio album,
The Crab, featuring bassist
Herbert and drummer
Michael Sarin, arrived in 2007. More sessions followed with
Sanabria,
Jason Lindner, and the
Ed Palermo Big Band.
In 2011,
Fiedler was back with his trio with
Herbert and
Sarin for
Sacred Chrome Orb. A year later, he returned with
Joe Fiedler's Big Sackbut, his debut album with his low brass ensemble featuring fellow trombonists
Josh Roseman and
Ryan Keberle, as well as tuba player
Marcus Rojas. He then joined saxophonist
Jon Irabagon and guitarist Todd Neufeld for 2017's In Formation Network. Also that year, he issued the quintet album Like, Strange with bassist
Rob Jost, drummer
Sarin, saxophonist
Jeff Lederer, and guitarist
Pete McCann. In 2019, he showcased his longtime work as a music director for the famed children's television program Sesame Street with
Open Sesame. The album found
Fiedler interpreting the music of many of the show's composers in a group with saxophonist
Lederer, drummer
Allison Miller, and bassist
Chris Lightcap. The concert album
Live in Graz arrived in 2020 and featured
Fiedler's
Sackbut group in a 2017 European tour performance, playing originals alongside compositions by
Charles Mingus and
Roswell Rudd. ~ Matt Collar