Nels Cline
Encyclopedia
Nels Cline is an American
guitarist
and composer
, currently the lead guitarist of alternative rock band Wilco
. David Carr of the New York Times describes Cline as "one of the best guitarists in any genre."
at age 12 when his twin brother, Alex Cline
took up the drums
. The pair developed musically together, playing in a youth rock band they dubbed "Homogenized Goo" and both graduated from University High School (Los Angeles, California).
Cline is known for his improvisational work and for the diversity of his musical projects, as well as his use of effects pedals and looping
devices which give his music a distinct sound. He has played with jazz
musicians Charlie Haden
, Gregg Bendian
, Wadada Leo Smith
, Tim Berne
, Vinny Golia
and the late bassist Eric Von Essen
, a longtime musical companion in the L.A. jazz group Quartet Music.
In 1983, Nels was asked by drummer Chris Mancinelli and bassist Steuart Liebig to join the early formation of BLOC. The trio developed musical ideas for about a year. At this point they added another guitarist NIcholas Kirgo and vocalist Camille Henry. The quintet became a Los Angeles club favorite and garnered much praise from the local press and media. Practically every major label was interested at some point but no major label seemed to have a clue how to promote the multi-talented group. In 1990 with Tony Peluso producing, they were signed with A&M Records after turning down a previous offer from Atlantic Records. The album "In the Free Zone" was released in early 1991. A&M at this point was in the middle of being sold to Polygram and there was little support at the label for the band. They were bought out of their 2 album deal and promptly dropped a month after the album's release. After 8 years of performing and recording the group decided to break up and move on.
Cline has also performed and recorded with punk rock
bassist Mike Watt
in his touring bands The Crew of the Flying Saucer
and The Black Gang
, as well as with members of Sonic Youth
and country music
legend Willie Nelson
, and in the jazz/punk/improv band Banyan
with Watt and ex-Jane's Addiction
drummer Stephen Perkins
. He frequently participates in jazz projects with his twin brother, Alex, however their first actual duo together was in Culver City, California
, at their 50th birthday
show.
Cline's first appearance on an album was on Vinny Golia's 1978 record, Openhearted, and his first work as a bandleader
was 1988's Angelica. In the late 1980s, Cline formed the Nels Cline Trio
, which featured his guitar playing complemented by Mark London Sims at bass
and Michael Preussner at drum
s. The trio released several 7 inch demos
and one album
, before replacing Sims with Bob Mair
at bass. This new trio released three albums before splitting up, featuring some of Cline's most melodic
works, before he ventured into a freer and more minimalist
territory in the decade to come. Shortly before the end of the trio, Nels recorded two albums, In-Store, and Pillow Wand, with Sonic Youth
frontman and guitarist, Thurston Moore
.
Nels was also a member of the Geraldine Fibbers
and Scarnella with Carla Bozulich
. He played on, co-arranged and produced her The Red Headed Stranger
album guest-starring Jenny Scheinman, Scott Amendola
, Devin Hoff and Willie Nelson
, as well as Bozulich's Evangelista albums. Additionally, the two worked sporadically on performance pieces, album co-production/recording, countless tours adding up to hundreds of concerts and more during their 12 year collaboration.
In 1999, Cline paired up with jazz drummer
Gregg Bendian
to record a modern rendition of John Coltrane
's 1967 album, Interstellar Space
. On Interstellar Space Revisited: The Music of John Coltrane, Bendian and Cline reinterpret Coltrane's piece using their own distinctive approaches. He also participated in ROVA
's Electric Ascension (2005), a performance of Coltrane's landmark large-ensemble recording Ascension (1965).
Cline's current outfit is the improv/free jazz ensemble The Nels Cline Singers, with which he has recorded four albums, Instrumentals, The Giant Pin, Draw Breath and Initiate, his most recent work as a leader. The Nels Cline Singers are currently signed with Cryptogramophone Records
.
Another important project of Cline's has been the Acoustic Guitar Trio, a free-improvisation group with Jim McAuley and the late Rod Poole that specialized in microtonal improvisation.
Cline has performed on over 150 albums in the jazz, pop, rock, country
, and experimental pop music genres. He continues to expand his audience as a member of the Grammy-winning rock band Wilco
, which he joined in early 2004. He was later featured in the cover story of Guitar Player Magazine for his collaboration with the band. Cline appears on Wilco's albums Sky Blue Sky
and Wilco (The Album)
, as well as the live album Kicking Television: Live in Chicago
, and tours with the band.
In February, 2007, Cline was chosen by Rolling Stone
Magazine as one of the Top 20 New Guitar Gods, and given the title "The Avant Romantic."
Currently, Cline is using the Schroeder DB-7
red amplifier built for him by Tim Schroeder of Schroeder Guitar & Amp Repair (Schroeder Audio, Inc.
) in Chicago
, IL.
keyboardist Yuka Honda
. Their wedding was held in Honda's hometown in Japan in November 2010. They met through Mike Watt when he put together the group Floored By Four. Honda joined Nels Cline Singers for their live shows after having her input in their new album Initiate. Watt and Cline's other recent project band, Brother's Sister's Daughter for a tour and recording session in Japan for their second album. Cline also joined Honda as a guest guitarist in Yoko Ono Plastic Ono band in some of the dates in their tour in 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, currently the lead guitarist of alternative rock band Wilco
Wilco
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
. David Carr of the New York Times describes Cline as "one of the best guitarists in any genre."
Career
Cline began to play guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
at age 12 when his twin brother, Alex Cline
Alex Cline
Alex Cline is an American jazz drummer.Cline began playing drums with his twin brother, guitarist Nels Cline, at age 11. Their first band was called Homogenized Goo and included David Hirschman on guitar. He began a musical association with woodwind artist Jamil Shabaka in 1976 as "Duo Infinity"...
took up the drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. The pair developed musically together, playing in a youth rock band they dubbed "Homogenized Goo" and both graduated from University High School (Los Angeles, California).
Cline is known for his improvisational work and for the diversity of his musical projects, as well as his use of effects pedals and looping
Music loop
In electroacoustic music, a loop is a repeating section of sound material. Short sections of material can be repeated to create ostinato patterns...
devices which give his music a distinct sound. He has played with jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musicians Charlie Haden
Charlie Haden
Charles Edward Haden is an American jazz musician. He is a double bassist, probably best known for his long association with saxophonist Ornette Coleman...
, Gregg Bendian
Gregg Bendian
Gregg Bendian is a jazz percussionist and composer, primarily a vibraphonist. He was born on July 13, 1963 in Englewood, New Jersey.Bendian studied under Noel DaCosta. He has played and recorded with Nels Cline, Pat Metheny, Derek Bailey, Peter Brötzmann, Steve Hunt, Gary Lucas and Cecil Taylor...
, Wadada Leo Smith
Wadada Leo Smith
Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith is a trumpeter and composer working primarily in the fields of avant-garde jazz and free improvisation.-Biography:...
, Tim Berne
Tim Berne
Tim Berne is an American jazz saxophone player and composer.Described by critic Thom Jurek as commanding "considerable power as a composer and ... frighteningly deft ability as a soloist," Berne has composed and performed prolifically since the 1980s...
, Vinny Golia
Vinny Golia
Vinny Golia is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist specializing in woodwind instruments. He performs in the genres of contemporary music, jazz, free jazz, and free improvisation....
and the late bassist Eric Von Essen
Eric Von Essen
Eric Von Essen was an American jazz bassist, pianist, and composer active on the West Coast jazz scene of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s....
, a longtime musical companion in the L.A. jazz group Quartet Music.
In 1983, Nels was asked by drummer Chris Mancinelli and bassist Steuart Liebig to join the early formation of BLOC. The trio developed musical ideas for about a year. At this point they added another guitarist NIcholas Kirgo and vocalist Camille Henry. The quintet became a Los Angeles club favorite and garnered much praise from the local press and media. Practically every major label was interested at some point but no major label seemed to have a clue how to promote the multi-talented group. In 1990 with Tony Peluso producing, they were signed with A&M Records after turning down a previous offer from Atlantic Records. The album "In the Free Zone" was released in early 1991. A&M at this point was in the middle of being sold to Polygram and there was little support at the label for the band. They were bought out of their 2 album deal and promptly dropped a month after the album's release. After 8 years of performing and recording the group decided to break up and move on.
Cline has also performed and recorded with punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
bassist Mike Watt
Mike Watt
Michael David Watt is an American bassist, singer and songwriter.He is best known for co-founding the rock bands Minutemen, dos, and Firehose; , he is also the bassist for the reunited Stooges and a member of the art rock/jazz/punk/improv group Banyan as well as many other post-Minutemen...
in his touring bands The Crew of the Flying Saucer
The Crew of the Flying Saucer
The Crew Of The Flying Saucer was former The Minutemen/FIREHOSE bassist Mike Watt's second touring band, formed to continue touring behind his first solo album, 1995's Ball-Hog or Tugboat?. The band consisted of, along with Watt on bass and vocals, guitarist Nels Cline and two drummers, Vince...
and The Black Gang
The Black Gang
The Black Gang was the trio Mike Watt formed in 1997 to record and tour behind his second solo album, Contemplating The Engine Room...
, as well as with members of Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
and country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
legend Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, and in the jazz/punk/improv band Banyan
Banyan (band)
Banyan is an art rock/alternative rock band with heavy jazz, funk, and punk influence, based in Los Angeles, California.The leader and co-founder is Stephen Perkins, who first played drums for Jane's Addiction , and then for Porno for Pyros. He co-founded the group with David Turin...
with Watt and ex-Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
drummer Stephen Perkins
Stephen Perkins
Stephen Andrew Perkins is an American musician and songwriter. A drummer and percussionist, he currently plays with Jane's Addiction and Hellflower....
. He frequently participates in jazz projects with his twin brother, Alex, however their first actual duo together was in Culver City, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, at their 50th birthday
Birthday
A birthday is a day or anniversary where a person celebrates his or her date of birth. Birthdays are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with a gift, party or rite of passage. Although the major religions celebrate the birth of their founders , Christmas – which is celebrated widely by...
show.
Cline's first appearance on an album was on Vinny Golia's 1978 record, Openhearted, and his first work as a bandleader
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
was 1988's Angelica. In the late 1980s, Cline formed the Nels Cline Trio
Nels Cline Trio
The Nels Cline Trio were a group of free jazz musicians active in Santa Monica, California in the 1990s, led by Nels Cline.-Discography:*Lady Speed Stick 7" *Silencer *Beardism/WDTCHC 7" *Pants 7"...
, which featured his guitar playing complemented by Mark London Sims at bass
Bass (instrument)
Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
and Michael Preussner at drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s. The trio released several 7 inch demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
and one album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, before replacing Sims with Bob Mair
Bob Mair
Bob Mair is a composer/producer who began his career as a touring and studio bass player. Throughout the years, Bob has recorded or performed with artists Hank Williams, Jr., Chuck Berry, Lesley Gore, Bo Diddley, Wayne Kramer, Nels Cline, and more...
at bass. This new trio released three albums before splitting up, featuring some of Cline's most melodic
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
works, before he ventured into a freer and more minimalist
Minimalist music
Minimal music is a style of music associated with the work of American composers La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass. It originated in the New York Downtown scene of the 1960s and was initially viewed as a form of experimental music called the New York Hypnotic School....
territory in the decade to come. Shortly before the end of the trio, Nels recorded two albums, In-Store, and Pillow Wand, with Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
frontman and guitarist, Thurston Moore
Thurston Moore
Thurston Joseph Moore is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside of Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label...
.
Nels was also a member of the Geraldine Fibbers
Geraldine Fibbers
The Geraldine Fibbers were an alt-country band founded in 1994 by Carla Bozulich. Initially, band members included Bozulich, Daniel Keenan, Julie Fowells, William Tutton and Kevin Fitzgerald...
and Scarnella with Carla Bozulich
Carla Bozulich
Carla Bozulich is an American musician based in Los Angeles, known for her work as the lead singer, lyricist and founder of both The Geraldine Fibbers and and as a founding member of Ethyl Meatplow. Her 2006 album, Evangelista, was released by Constellation Records, that label's first release by a...
. He played on, co-arranged and produced her The Red Headed Stranger
The Red Headed Stranger
The Red Headed Stranger is an interpretation by Carla Bozulich of Willie Nelson's 1975 multi-platinum album Red Headed Stranger, released in 2003. Nelson appears on three tracks.-History:...
album guest-starring Jenny Scheinman, Scott Amendola
Scott Amendola
Scott Amendola is an American jazz drummer from the San Francisco Bay Area. His styles include jazz, blues, groove, rock and new music. He is considered central to the Bay Area music scene....
, Devin Hoff and Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, as well as Bozulich's Evangelista albums. Additionally, the two worked sporadically on performance pieces, album co-production/recording, countless tours adding up to hundreds of concerts and more during their 12 year collaboration.
In 1999, Cline paired up with jazz drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Gregg Bendian
Gregg Bendian
Gregg Bendian is a jazz percussionist and composer, primarily a vibraphonist. He was born on July 13, 1963 in Englewood, New Jersey.Bendian studied under Noel DaCosta. He has played and recorded with Nels Cline, Pat Metheny, Derek Bailey, Peter Brötzmann, Steve Hunt, Gary Lucas and Cecil Taylor...
to record a modern rendition of John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
's 1967 album, Interstellar Space
Interstellar Space
Interstellar Space was one of the final studio albums recorded by the saxophonist John Coltrane before his death in 1967, originally-released posthumously by Impulse! Records on LP in 1974.-Composition:...
. On Interstellar Space Revisited: The Music of John Coltrane, Bendian and Cline reinterpret Coltrane's piece using their own distinctive approaches. He also participated in ROVA
Rova Saxophone Quartet
The Rova Saxophone Quartet is a San Francisco-based saxophone quartet formed in October 1977 at the same time as their "less adventurous" but better known colleagues the World Saxophone Quartet. The name "Rova" is an acronym formed from the last initials of the founding members: Jon Raskin, Larry...
's Electric Ascension (2005), a performance of Coltrane's landmark large-ensemble recording Ascension (1965).
Cline's current outfit is the improv/free jazz ensemble The Nels Cline Singers, with which he has recorded four albums, Instrumentals, The Giant Pin, Draw Breath and Initiate, his most recent work as a leader. The Nels Cline Singers are currently signed with Cryptogramophone Records
Cryptogramophone Records
Cryptogramophone Records is a Los Angeles-based jazz record label which was formed in 1998 by violinist Jeff Gauthier to document the music of his late friend and musical companion, bassist Eric von Essen...
.
Another important project of Cline's has been the Acoustic Guitar Trio, a free-improvisation group with Jim McAuley and the late Rod Poole that specialized in microtonal improvisation.
Cline has performed on over 150 albums in the jazz, pop, rock, country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, and experimental pop music genres. He continues to expand his audience as a member of the Grammy-winning rock band Wilco
Wilco
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
, which he joined in early 2004. He was later featured in the cover story of Guitar Player Magazine for his collaboration with the band. Cline appears on Wilco's albums Sky Blue Sky
Sky Blue Sky
Sky Blue Sky is the sixth studio album by Chicago rock band Wilco, released on May 15, 2007 by Nonesuch Records. Originally announced on January 17, 2007 at a show in Nashville, Tennessee, it was the band's first studio album with guitarist Nels Cline and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone...
and Wilco (The Album)
Wilco (The Album)
Wilco is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock group Wilco which was released June 30, 2009. Prior to release, Wilco streamed the album on their website...
, as well as the live album Kicking Television: Live in Chicago
Kicking Television: Live in Chicago
Kicking Television: Live in Chicago is a live album by Chicago alternative rock band Wilco, released on November 15, 2005 by Nonesuch Records. The album consists of material from four live shows at Chicago's Vic Theater recorded May 4, 2005 to May 7, 2005. Although the band filmed the concerts,...
, and tours with the band.
In February, 2007, Cline was chosen by Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
Magazine as one of the Top 20 New Guitar Gods, and given the title "The Avant Romantic."
Currently, Cline is using the Schroeder DB-7
Schroeder Audio, Inc.
Schroeder Audio, Inc. is a boutique builder of high-end, hand wired, guitar tube amplifiers and effects. They are located in Chicago, IL and owned by Tim Schroeder.- Critical Reception :...
red amplifier built for him by Tim Schroeder of Schroeder Guitar & Amp Repair (Schroeder Audio, Inc.
Schroeder Audio, Inc.
Schroeder Audio, Inc. is a boutique builder of high-end, hand wired, guitar tube amplifiers and effects. They are located in Chicago, IL and owned by Tim Schroeder.- Critical Reception :...
) in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, IL.
Personal life
Cline is married to former Cibo MattoCibo Matto
Cibo Matto are a New York City-based band formed by two Japanese women, Yuka Honda and Miho Hatori, in 1994...
keyboardist Yuka Honda
Yuka Honda
Yuka Honda is a Japanese musician who resides in New York City. She is a multi-instrumentalist musician, composer, record producer, and co-founder of the band Cibo Matto...
. Their wedding was held in Honda's hometown in Japan in November 2010. They met through Mike Watt when he put together the group Floored By Four. Honda joined Nels Cline Singers for their live shows after having her input in their new album Initiate. Watt and Cline's other recent project band, Brother's Sister's Daughter for a tour and recording session in Japan for their second album. Cline also joined Honda as a guest guitarist in Yoko Ono Plastic Ono band in some of the dates in their tour in 2010.
Notable discography
- Elegies (1980) (w. Eric Von EssenEric Von EssenEric Von Essen was an American jazz bassist, pianist, and composer active on the West Coast jazz scene of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s....
) - Quartet Music (1981) (w. Quartet Music)
- Dressed for the Apocalypse (1984) (w. Rhythm Plague)
- Ocean Park (1984) (w. Quartet Music)
- Window on the Lake (1986) (w. Quartet Music)
- Angelica (1988)
- Summer Night (1989) (w. Quartet Music)
- In the Free Zone (1991) (w. BLOC)
- Silencer (1992) (w. Nels Cline TrioNels Cline TrioThe Nels Cline Trio were a group of free jazz musicians active in Santa Monica, California in the 1990s, led by Nels Cline.-Discography:*Lady Speed Stick 7" *Silencer *Beardism/WDTCHC 7" *Pants 7"...
) - Ball-hog or Tugboat? (1995) (w. Mike WattMike WattMichael David Watt is an American bassist, singer and songwriter.He is best known for co-founding the rock bands Minutemen, dos, and Firehose; , he is also the bassist for the reunited Stooges and a member of the art rock/jazz/punk/improv group Banyan as well as many other post-Minutemen...
) - Ground (1995) (w. Nels Cline TrioNels Cline TrioThe Nels Cline Trio were a group of free jazz musicians active in Santa Monica, California in the 1990s, led by Nels Cline.-Discography:*Lady Speed Stick 7" *Silencer *Beardism/WDTCHC 7" *Pants 7"...
) - "Beyond the Circle" (1995) (w. Osamu Kitajima & Chris Mancinelli)
- Chest (1996) (w. Nels Cline TrioNels Cline TrioThe Nels Cline Trio were a group of free jazz musicians active in Santa Monica, California in the 1990s, led by Nels Cline.-Discography:*Lady Speed Stick 7" *Silencer *Beardism/WDTCHC 7" *Pants 7"...
) - Banyan (1997) (w. BanyanBanyanA banyan is a fig that starts its life as an epiphyte when its seeds germinate in the cracks and crevices on a host tree...
) - Butch (1997) (w. Geraldine FibbersGeraldine FibbersThe Geraldine Fibbers were an alt-country band founded in 1994 by Carla Bozulich. Initially, band members included Bozulich, Daniel Keenan, Julie Fowells, William Tutton and Kevin Fitzgerald...
) - Contemplating the Engine Room (1997) (w. Mike WattMike WattMichael David Watt is an American bassist, singer and songwriter.He is best known for co-founding the rock bands Minutemen, dos, and Firehose; , he is also the bassist for the reunited Stooges and a member of the art rock/jazz/punk/improv group Banyan as well as many other post-Minutemen...
) - In-Store (1997) (w. Thurston MooreThurston MooreThurston Joseph Moore is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside of Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label...
) - Pillow Wand (1997) (w. Thurston MooreThurston MooreThurston Joseph Moore is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside of Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label...
) - Sad (1998) (w. Nels Cline TrioNels Cline TrioThe Nels Cline Trio were a group of free jazz musicians active in Santa Monica, California in the 1990s, led by Nels Cline.-Discography:*Lady Speed Stick 7" *Silencer *Beardism/WDTCHC 7" *Pants 7"...
) - Scarnella (1998) (w. Carla BozulichCarla BozulichCarla Bozulich is an American musician based in Los Angeles, known for her work as the lead singer, lyricist and founder of both The Geraldine Fibbers and and as a founding member of Ethyl Meatplow. Her 2006 album, Evangelista, was released by Constellation Records, that label's first release by a...
) - Rise Pumpkin Rise (1998) (w. Devin SarnoDevin SarnoDevin Sarno began CRIB in early 1990 as a solo bass sound project focusing on improvised subsonics. Over the course of a decade his music evolved from high volume feedback experimentation to a sonic examination of the meditative properties of low-end drone music...
) - Edible Flowers (1998) (w. Devin SarnoDevin SarnoDevin Sarno began CRIB in early 1990 as a solo bass sound project focusing on improvised subsonics. Over the course of a decade his music evolved from high volume feedback experimentation to a sonic examination of the meditative properties of low-end drone music...
) - Interstellar Space Revisited: The Music of John ColtraneJohn ColtraneJohn William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
(1999) (w. Gregg BendianGregg BendianGregg Bendian is a jazz percussionist and composer, primarily a vibraphonist. He was born on July 13, 1963 in Englewood, New Jersey.Bendian studied under Noel DaCosta. He has played and recorded with Nels Cline, Pat Metheny, Derek Bailey, Peter Brötzmann, Steve Hunt, Gary Lucas and Cecil Taylor...
) - The Inkling (2000)
- Live at Easthampton Town Hall (2001) (w. Zeena ParkinsZeena ParkinsZeena Parkins is a harpist active in rock music, free improvisation and jazz. Parkins plays standard harps, as well as several custom-made one-of-a kind electric harps; she also plays piano and accordion...
& Thurston MooreThurston MooreThurston Joseph Moore is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside of Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label...
) - Destroy All Nels Cline (2001)
- Acoustic Guitar Trio (2001) (w. Acoustic Guitar Trio)
- The Allure of Roadside Curios (w. L. Stinkbug)
- Instrumentals (2002) (w. The Nels Cline SingersThe Nels Cline SingersThe Nels Cline Singers are a free jazz trio led by Nels Cline, following his work in the Nels Cline Trio. They have released four albums on Cryptogramophone Records. Despite the name, there are no singers in the group.-Studio albums:*Instrumentals...
) - The Red Headed StrangerThe Red Headed StrangerThe Red Headed Stranger is an interpretation by Carla Bozulich of Willie Nelson's 1975 multi-platinum album Red Headed Stranger, released in 2003. Nelson appears on three tracks.-History:...
(2003) (w. Carla Bozulich) - Buried on Bunker Hill (2004) (w. Devin SarnoDevin SarnoDevin Sarno began CRIB in early 1990 as a solo bass sound project focusing on improvised subsonics. Over the course of a decade his music evolved from high volume feedback experimentation to a sonic examination of the meditative properties of low-end drone music...
) - The Entire Time (2004) (w. Vinny GoliaVinny GoliaVinny Golia is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist specializing in woodwind instruments. He performs in the genres of contemporary music, jazz, free jazz, and free improvisation....
) - Graduation (2004) (w. Chris CorsanoChris CorsanoChris Corsano is a drummer from New England, USA. He often performs in an improvisation duo with saxophonist Paul Flaherty. He has also recorded material with artists such as Evan Parker, Dredd Foole, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Six Organs of Admittance, Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Matt Valentine,...
& Carlos Giffoni) - The Giant Pin (2004) (w. The Nels Cline SingersThe Nels Cline SingersThe Nels Cline Singers are a free jazz trio led by Nels Cline, following his work in the Nels Cline Trio. They have released four albums on Cryptogramophone Records. Despite the name, there are no singers in the group.-Studio albums:*Instrumentals...
) - Out Trios Series, Volume 3: Ash and Tabula (2004) (w. Andrea ParkinsAndrea ParkinsAndrea Parkins is an American composer, sound artist, performer and improviser.Andrea Parkins has improvised with musicians such as Nels Cline, Jim Black, Ellery Eskelin, Guenter Muller, David Watson, David Fenech, etc.- External links :* *...
& Tom RaineyTom RaineyThomas "Tom" Rainey is an American drummer.After attending Berklee College of Music he moved to New York in 1979. He has played with American jazz saxophonist and composer Tim Berne, and also with Nels Cline, Fred Hersch, Tony Malaby, Tom Varner, Drew Gress, Kenny Werner, Mark Helias, and Simon...
) - Immolation/Immertion (2005) (w. Wally ShoupWally ShoupWally Shoup is an American jazz alto saxophonist and painter. Based in Seattle, Washington since 1985, Shoup is a mainstay of that city's improvised music scene...
& Chris CorsanoChris CorsanoChris Corsano is a drummer from New England, USA. He often performs in an improvisation duo with saxophonist Paul Flaherty. He has also recorded material with artists such as Evan Parker, Dredd Foole, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Six Organs of Admittance, Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Matt Valentine,...
) - Banning + Center (2005) (w. Jeremy Drake)
- Season Finale (2005) (w. Solo Career)
- Kicking Television: Live in ChicagoKicking Television: Live in ChicagoKicking Television: Live in Chicago is a live album by Chicago alternative rock band Wilco, released on November 15, 2005 by Nonesuch Records. The album consists of material from four live shows at Chicago's Vic Theater recorded May 4, 2005 to May 7, 2005. Although the band filmed the concerts,...
(2005) (w. WilcoWilcoWilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
) - Distressed (2006) (w. Zach HillZach HillZach Hill is a musician residing in Sacramento, California. Primarily known for his drumming, he performs/has performed in numerous Pacific Coast based groups, including his primary group, Hella, as well as Holy Smokes, Nervous Cop, and a diverse range of others including El Grupo Nuevo de Omar...
as Damsel) - Four Guitars Live (2006) (w. Lee RanaldoLee RanaldoLee M. Ranaldo is an American singer, guitarist, writer, record producer, and visual artist, best known as a co-founder of the alternative rock band Sonic Youth...
, Carlos Giffoni & Thurston MooreThurston MooreThurston Joseph Moore is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside of Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label...
) - New Monastery: A View Into The Music of Andrew HillAndrew HillAndrew Hill was an American jazz pianist and composer.Hill is recognized as one of the most important innovators of jazz piano in the 1960s...
(2006) - Downpour (2007) (w. Andrea ParkinsAndrea ParkinsAndrea Parkins is an American composer, sound artist, performer and improviser.Andrea Parkins has improvised with musicians such as Nels Cline, Jim Black, Ellery Eskelin, Guenter Muller, David Watson, David Fenech, etc.- External links :* *...
& Tom RaineyTom RaineyThomas "Tom" Rainey is an American drummer.After attending Berklee College of Music he moved to New York in 1979. He has played with American jazz saxophonist and composer Tim Berne, and also with Nels Cline, Fred Hersch, Tony Malaby, Tom Varner, Drew Gress, Kenny Werner, Mark Helias, and Simon...
) - Sky Blue SkySky Blue SkySky Blue Sky is the sixth studio album by Chicago rock band Wilco, released on May 15, 2007 by Nonesuch Records. Originally announced on January 17, 2007 at a show in Nashville, Tennessee, it was the band's first studio album with guitarist Nels Cline and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone...
(2007) (w. WilcoWilcoWilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
) - Draw Breath (2007) (w. The Nels Cline SingersThe Nels Cline SingersThe Nels Cline Singers are a free jazz trio led by Nels Cline, following his work in the Nels Cline Trio. They have released four albums on Cryptogramophone Records. Despite the name, there are no singers in the group.-Studio albums:*Instrumentals...
) - Duo Milano (2007) (w. Elliott SharpElliott SharpElliott Sharp is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, and performer.A central figure in the avant-garde and experimental music scene in New York City since the late 1970s, Sharp has released over eighty-five recordings ranging from blues, jazz, and orchestral music to noise, no wave rock,...
) - Suite: Bittersweet (2007) (w. Wally ShoupWally ShoupWally Shoup is an American jazz alto saxophonist and painter. Based in Seattle, Washington since 1985, Shoup is a mainstay of that city's improvised music scene...
& Greg Campbell) - Nothing Makes Any Sense (2007) (w. Carlos Giffoni, Alan LichtAlan LichtAlan Licht is an American guitarist and composer, whose work combines elements of pop, noise, free jazz and minimalism. He is also a writer and journalist.-Biography:Licht was born in New Jersey in 1968...
& Lee RanaldoLee RanaldoLee M. Ranaldo is an American singer, guitarist, writer, record producer, and visual artist, best known as a co-founder of the alternative rock band Sonic Youth...
) - Coward (2009)
- Vignes (2009) (w. Acoustic Guitar Trio)
- Red Feast (2009) (w. Stephen Gauci, Ken FilianoKen FilianoKenneth S. Filiano is an American jazz double bassist. He is associated with the modern free improvisational scene....
& Mike Pride) - Wilco (The Album)Wilco (The Album)Wilco is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock group Wilco which was released June 30, 2009. Prior to release, Wilco streamed the album on their website...
(2009) (w. WilcoWilcoWilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
) - Elevating Device (2009) (w. G.E. Stinson)
- Stained Radiance (2010) (w. Norton Wisdom)
- The Celestial Septet (2010) (w. ROVARova"Rova" can refer to:* Rova, a village in the Domžale Municipality in Slovenia;* The Rova Manjakamiadana, a royal palace complex in Antananarivo, former home of the monarchs of Madagascar;...
& The Nels Cline SingersThe Nels Cline SingersThe Nels Cline Singers are a free jazz trio led by Nels Cline, following his work in the Nels Cline Trio. They have released four albums on Cryptogramophone Records. Despite the name, there are no singers in the group.-Studio albums:*Instrumentals...
) - Initiate (2010) (w. The Nels Cline SingersThe Nels Cline SingersThe Nels Cline Singers are a free jazz trio led by Nels Cline, following his work in the Nels Cline Trio. They have released four albums on Cryptogramophone Records. Despite the name, there are no singers in the group.-Studio albums:*Instrumentals...
) - Dirty Baby (2010)
- Floored by Four (2010) (w. Mike WattMike WattMichael David Watt is an American bassist, singer and songwriter.He is best known for co-founding the rock bands Minutemen, dos, and Firehose; , he is also the bassist for the reunited Stooges and a member of the art rock/jazz/punk/improv group Banyan as well as many other post-Minutemen...
, Yuka HondaYuka HondaYuka Honda is a Japanese musician who resides in New York City. She is a multi-instrumentalist musician, composer, record producer, and co-founder of the band Cibo Matto...
& Dougie Bowne) - The Veil (2011) (w. Tim BerneTim BerneTim Berne is an American jazz saxophone player and composer.Described by critic Thom Jurek as commanding "considerable power as a composer and ... frighteningly deft ability as a soloist," Berne has composed and performed prolifically since the 1980s...
& Jim BlackJim BlackJim Black is a jazz drummer who has performed with Tim Berne and Dave Douglas, among others. He attended Berklee College of Music....
as BB&C) - The Whole LoveThe Whole LoveThe Whole Love is the eighth album by American alternative rock group Wilco, released on September 27, 2011. It is their first album on their own label dBpm. Attendees at Wilco's 2011 Solid Sound Festival at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art from June 24 to 26 could purchase the first...
(2011) (w. WilcoWilcoWilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
) - Fig (2011) (w. Yuka HondaYuka HondaYuka Honda is a Japanese musician who resides in New York City. She is a multi-instrumentalist musician, composer, record producer, and co-founder of the band Cibo Matto...
)
External links
- Official Website
- Q&A about Cline's DIRTY BABY project
- Schroeder Guitar & Amp Repair
- Nels Cline on Ted Kurland Associates
- The Complete Nels Cline Discography – from Little Brother Records; includes detailed descriptions of some of Nels's albums up to 1998
- Nels Cline at the SASSAS/sound. concert archives
- State of Mind - Conversation with Nels Cline - June 2007
- Multimedia story with video of Nels Cline - April 2009