Soldier String Quartet

The Soldier String Quartet was a string quartet, founded in 1984 by composer and violinist Dave Soldier, that specialized in performing a fusion of classical and popular music.[1] The quartet proved a training ground for many subsequent experimental classical groups and performers, including violinists Regina Carter and Todd Reynolds, and performed at venues ranging from the classic punk rock club CBGBs[2] to Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center.[3][4]

From 1984 to 2004, in addition to a large repertoire of original compositions and transcriptions of blues, jazz and hip-hop by Soldier, the group premiered over 100 compositions including major works by Teo Macero, Leroy Jenkins, Phill Niblock,[5] Zeena Parkins, Fred Frith, Jonas Hellborg, Elliott Sharp, Alvin Curran, and Ivan Wyschnegradsky.

They also performed and recorded with many rock, pop, and jazz acts including Guided by Voices, Van Dyke Parks, Jesse Harris, Butch Morris, Tony Williams, Lambchop, Bob Neuwirth, Bill Laswell, Ric Ocasek, Amina Claudine Myers, Plastic People of the Universe, Lee Ranaldo, Joanne Brackeen, Myra Melford, Sussan Deyhim, and Lenny Pickett. From 1992 to 1998 the Soldier String Quartet were the touring and recording group with John Cale and occasional other members of the Velvet Underground[6] often supplemented with steel guitarist B.J. Cole.[7] The arrangements for the Cale group, written by Soldier, include his metal violin solos on "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Fragments of a Rainy Season".

The quartet helped introduce transcription and arrangements of previously unnoted music to the chamber music repertoire, including a CD of arrangements of Jimi Hendrix pieces led by flutist Robert Dick, and album of jazz standards also with Robert Dick, and an album of Delta and Chicago blues.