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Recently relocated from Brooklyn to the North Shore of Long Island, it is no surprise that Roger Street Friedman developed a great passion and love for music. His father was an artist, his mother was a writer, and his two older brothers talented guitar players. He left home at 18 to join a rock band in NYC and pursued a career in music until his mid 20's when he left the music world to pursue other interests. After nearly three decades of being virtually out of the music business he was struck by a creative revelation.
Eight years ago he and his wife found out that she was pregnant with their first child. This unexpected joy, along with the pain of losing his parents, provided Roger with a renewed sense of artistry and led to the realization that music is what he should be pursuing full time. He started writing and performing around Brooklyn and in January of 2014 released his acclaimed debut "The Waiting Sky".
His songs have been widely played on Americana and Roots Radio stations throughout the country and he's been featured on USA Today, CMT, American Songwriter and Relix Online... to name just a few. Last month Roger and his band were featured on John Platt's "The Sunday Breakfast" on WFUV in New York. The album is currently in the Top 20 on The Roots Music Report.
He and his band have opened for the legendary Los Lobos and The Blind Boys of Alabama and recently performed a coveted Quad Showcase at the annual Northeast Regional Folk Alliance gathering in upstate New York. He also did a live performance and was interviewed by Jimmy Buff on WDST.
Of "The Waiting Sky" John Apice from No Depression writes: "Roger has a voice you can listen to all the way through - track to track...Its songs are sympathetic, arouse feelings, and they are above all sophisticated - not complicated - just possessed of life lessons, sparks of reminiscence. They all possess a good example of what great music is supposed to be. It's not an opera, it's not even a soap opera. These songs are more like buttons on a shirt that hold it closed against the wind, holding all the memories in your chest, in your heart."
Ryan Smith of "The Direct Buzz" says; "True artistic beauty can't be forced or fabricated. It requires authentic inspiration and dedication from an artist to see his or her vision come into fruition. Roger Street Friedman's debut solo album "The Waiting Sky" exemplifies this."
Friedman's aesthetic is a diverse blend of folk, blues, R&B, rock n' roll, and country. He's been compared to Jackson Browne, Peter Gabriel, The Dead, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, and Joan Armatrading. His songwriting is concise and powerfully introspective. Backed by a phenomenal band, his live shows are intimate, and filled with warmth.
