title: Topaz (Erik Friedlander album)
text: # Topaz (Erik Friedlander album)
  
  Topaz is a 1999 album by cellist Erik Friedlander which was released on the Siam label and features the quartet that became known as Topaz.
  
  ## Reception
  
  Professional ratings :
  
  | Review scores ||
  | - | - |
  | Source | Rating |
  | Allmusic | |
  | The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | |
  
  The Allmusic review by Alex Henderson awarded the album 4 stars stating "Topaz, like a lot of avant-garde jazz, isn't easy to absorb on the first listen. But the more times you listen, the more you realize how much this left-of-center CD has going for it".
  
  ## Track listing
  
  All compositions by Erik Friedlander except as indicated
  
  * "Verdine" - 5:37
  * "November" - 4:20
  * "Shining" - 6:10
  * "Straw Dogs" - 7:29
  * "Topaz" - 2:49
  * "Three Desperate Men" - 3:31
  * "Tout de Suite" (Miles Davis) - 8:29
  * "Hat and Beard" (Eric Dolphy) - 4:45
  * "Something Sweet, Something Tender / Cienega" (Dolphy / Friedlander) - 6:59
  * "Agon" - 5:56
  
  ## Personnel
  
  * Erik Friedlander – cello
  * Andy Laster - alto saxophone
  * Stomu Takeishi - bass
  * Satoshi Takeishi - percussion
  