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The Nels Cline Singers: Share The Wealth
by Mike Jurkovic
A work of pummeling beauty, exhaustion and exhilaration await at the end of genre rogue guitarist Nels Cline's upheaval Share the Wealth, eighty minutes of magical, maniacal, free jam composition that, in perhaps a few more years down the line--if the line makes it past Election Day--we'll argue stands right up there with such and such album of equal fire and fury. Time, to which we've become too nervously accustomed, is tense, and everyone's cranked to ten or ...
Continue ReadingBobby Previte, Jamie Saft and Nels Cline: Music from the Early 21st Century
by Chris M. Slawecki
Music from the Early 21st Century presents music captured during a brief trio tour by keyboardist Jamie Saft, guitarist Nels Cline and drummer Bobby Previte, performing completely improvised music. “Fundamentally, it's based around the classic organ trio formation--drums, Hammond organ and guitar," Saft explains. “But it just blows up the language to so many different universes." “Captured during a brief trio tour" doesn't do justice to this wild, ravenous sound. Trapped and caged like a snarling animal seems ...
Continue ReadingA Jazz Immuno-Booster: Part 1
by Ludovico Granvassu
We may still be months away from developing vaccines to tame the threat that COVID19 poses to our bodies. But given the centrality of the mind-body connection for our physical well being, we should not forget that we continue to have music to support our minds during these challenging times. So I have reached out to the very people that have been providing us with this life-line, musicians, and have asked them to share one song they rely ...
Continue ReadingSatoko Fujii Orchestra New York: Entity
by Dan McClenaghan
Pianist / composer Satoko Fujii has staked out her ground as one of the most original voices in jazz—or in any artform, for that matter. She has released more than eighty albums, beginning with her 1995 debut, Something About Water (Libra Records), a piano duet set with Paul Bley. She tours relentlessly. She records in every ensemble format imaginable: solos, duos, trios, quartets and big bands. Lots of big bands, based in Berlin, Tokyo, Kobe, Nagoya, New York.
Continue ReadingSatoko Fujii Orchestra New York: Entity
by Karl Ackermann
As she did in 2019, pianist/composer Satoko Fujii—an artist at home in many formations—opens the new decade with an orchestra recording. Entity, from Fujii's Orchestra New York, is the eleventh release from the ensemble that has remained largely intact for almost twenty-three years. It is an all-star collective that includes saxophonists Oscar Noriega, Ellery Eskelin and Tony Malaby, trumpeters Natsuki Tamura and Herb Robertson, guitarist Nels Cline and drummer Ches Smith. Entity has its moments of tranquility but ...
Continue ReadingThe Nels Cline 4 At Higher Ground
by Doug Collette
The Nels Cline 4 Showcase Lounge at Higher Ground South Burlington, Vermont July 2, 2018 The actual calendar date of July 4th was two days away and the biggest local celebration was scheduled for the very next night at Burlington's waterfront. Yet some bonafide fireworks occurred in the Showcase Lounge of Higher Ground on Monday July 2 and while there were many fewer witnesses to this summer holiday celebration, at least compared to the neighboring ...
Continue ReadingThe Nels Cline 4: Currents, Constellations
by Mark Sullivan
Guitarist/composer Nels Cline's new quartet builds upon his collaboration with guitarist Julian Lage, which was documented on Room (Mack Avenue, 2014). Both wondered what it would be like to add a rhythm section; respected players, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Tom Rainey, accepted the invitation to join the duo during a residency at The Stone in New York City, and this band was born. As on the duet album, both guitars play it straight. There is no acoustic guitar here, ...
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