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CG 133
Draw Breath
Nels Cline Singers
Recently named a "Guitar God" by Rolling Stone Magazine, Nels Cline - lead guitarist of Wilco - has worked with everyone from Julius Hemphill and Charlie Haden, to Thurston Moore and Mike Watt. Nels follows his critically acclaimed CD New Monastery with Draw Breath, a new release by his long-standing trio The Nels Cline Singers. Glenn Kotche, drummer of Wilco is a special guest. Available Now!
Reviews
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There's more to the critically respected band Wilco's affable alt-country than one might suspect. Under the surface lie the talents of musicians who stretch out adventurously with their own projects. Among them is L.A.-based guitarist Nels Cline.
Though the pop audience is only recently familiar with Cline because of his guitar work in Wilco since 2004, he's been busy for two decades building a massive resume, equally at home in the realms of jazz (Charlie Haden), avant-rock (Thurston Moore, Mike Watt) and roots (Carla Bozulich of Geraldine Fibbers). With percussionist Gregg Bendian, Cline reinterpreted John Coltrane's monumental "Interstellar Space."
Cline always helmed his own groups, such as the Nels Cline Trio, whose debut 7-inch "Lady Speed Stick" blew minds in 1991 with its melding of free jazz and Slint-era math-rock. That merging of fringe styles morphed into the Nels Cline Singers, his current trio featuring bassist Devin Hoff and Charlie Hunter's versatile drummer Scott Amendola.
Their third album, "Draw Breath," could be retitled "Show Breadth" for clearly indicating the wide range of influence and experience which Cline expertly mines. The poignant, dark dirge of "Caved-In Heart Blues" is followed by an intense free-improv workout on "Attempted." The Minutemen art-punk blasts of "Confection" lead into extended sections of crushing doom-metal heaviness and battering swirls of sculptural noise and twittering electronics on "An Evening at Pops' "(a reference to Amendola recently becoming a father).
He moves in mellow circles as well, eliciting strummy folk lushness on "The Angel of Angels" and a pair of lounge-jazz lick-a-thons both called "Recognize." Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche even joins the fray on the protean closer "Squirrel of God." With a track record spanning more than 100 albums, it seems there's no style, whether "in" or "out," that Cline can't master, which is probably why Rolling Stone dubbed him a "guitar god." Those who haven't discovered Cline's name yet should consider approaching the altar.
Manny Theiner Pittsburgh Post Gazette [5/31/07]
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Outside of the West Coast's in-the-know jazz scene, Nels Cline is best recognized for commanding the lead guitar chair in Wilco. There he weaves and embellishes; here, he dreams, drones, relentlessly rocks and deliciously resonates with quiet lyricism. Of course, all this is achieved sans vocalists, with Cline's top-drawer trio featuring bassist Devin Hoff and drummer Scott Amendola giving voice to the leader's expressive tunes and excursions. The simpler fair is best, such as the opening beauty of "Caved-In Heart Blues," the 3/4/ time "The Angel of Angels" and the quiet acoustic twins "Recognize I" and "Recognize II." Brawny rockers also rule, including jagged "Attempted" and the play-it-loud "Confection." Less effective are the expansive avant improvs, which suffer from editing. Case in point: the propulsive "Mixed Messages," which detours from Cline's riveting guitar spectacle with a pocket of tiptoe playing, -DO
Dan Ouelette Billboard [June 30 2007]
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This third instrumental disc from the "singers"- guitarist Cline, double bassist Devon Hoff and drummer/electronics whiz Scott Amendola- is a mature statement that ably showcases Cline and Co.'s instrumental and improvisational prowess. These guys have played together on so many gigs and recording projects throughout the years that at this poin their collective improvisational consciousness is the equivalent of a three-way Vulcan Mind Meld. The performances are exceptional throughout, but Cline's playing is particularly, um, breathtaking. His hyper-speed solos on "Confection" and "Mixed Message," for example, are among his best ever, and his musical use of effects is often stunning. Draw Breath opens with the brooding, melancholy "Caved in Heart Blues," which at first appears to reference "Eleanor Rigby," then briefly slips into a surrealistic Torn/Crimson-esque ambience before easing back into the opening theme. From there, the album continually shifts gears, presenting jazzy rockers with unexpected dynamic and tibral shifts ("Attempted," "Confection," "Mixed Message:), intriguing sound sculptures ("An Evening at Pops'," "Squirrel of God"), profoundly beautiful and consonant acoustic guitar compositions ("Recognize I," "Recognize II), and the graceful, almost orchestral-sounding "The Angel of Angels." An engaging and exhilarating blend of melodicism and mayhem
Barry Cleveland Guitar Player [September 1, 2007]
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As the lead guitarist for Wilco, Nels Cline has been turning heads in the rock world with shredding solos that mix twang and dissonance. But that's only part of the story. Cline is also an accomplished jazz composer and band leader. New Monastery, his tribute to pianist Andrew Hill, was one of last year's most acclaimed albums. His latest effort features the instrumental trio cheekily dubbed The Nels Cline Singers. You can hear faint echoes of the folk-rock textures of Wilco and the winding compositions of Andrew Hill in this music. But mostly the group charts their own course, veering between delicately jazzy pastorals and aggressively abstract noise improv. Draw Breath is an exceptional 40-minute album. Unfortunately it lasts twice as long. The high points include the acoustic lament "Caved-In Heart Blues," which evokes a Zen koan, where what's left out is as important as what's played. "Confection" is a riff juggernaut, filled with bashing percussion and thrillingly abrasive solos. The moody "The Angel of Angels" quietly soars, levitated a few inches off the ground by Devin Hoff's bowed contrabass. The least successful tracks tend to be the longest- the meandering "An Evening at Pops'" and schizophrenic "Mixed Message" -but even they contain some stirring moments. "Squirrel of God" enacts this phenomenon in miniature: Six minutes of aimless atmospherics suddenly coalesce into the album's most urgent melody, a surging string of notes that catch in your throat. The Nels Cline Singers can conjure these memorable moments as sure as breathing, but that doesn't meant they aren't also blowing some hot air.
Jeff Jackson Jazziz [September 2007]
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There are still no vocalists in the Nels Cline Singers, and the third disc from the guitarist's latest group project again proves the much-belabored point that you don't need a microphone to get your point across. Between Cline's richly expressive and exceedingly adventurous guitar work and the screwy, across-the-map approach of the group's rhythm section (Devin Hoff on contrabass and Scott Amendola on percussion), the Singers are not a cup of tea that will be easy to drink for Wilco fans who have been impressed by the guitarist's work with that band. Though Draw Breath doesn't fit snugly within the sonic parameters of Wilco, it's equally uncomfortable in the "jazz" milieu, where many people might try to place it. Improvisation is a big part of what drives the disc, but the weird, wonky way that Cline approaches his guitar eschews much of what people associate with jazz guitar. There's freedom and fun here; the path Cline has set out for himself makes the disc unique and rewarding, but also not an easily classifiable effort.
Jason Ferguson Monterey County Weekly [August 1st 2007]
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On Draw Breath, the Nels Cline Singers
remind listeners how adventurously askew their leader is outside of his
day job. Free guitar virtuoso Nels Cline has never enjoyed a higher
profile than that gained from his membership in Wilco. While that band
keeps him busy for months, Cline’s eponymous power trio sounds tighter
than ever. In roars and whispers, Draw Breath reflects the
ferocious, pent-up interplay between Cline, contrabassist Devin Hoff
and percussionist Scott Amendola, whose last record together was 2004’s
The Giant Pin. Even as songs like “Confection” batter forward
with rhythmic prog-pop zeal, the Singers are conscious of dynamics,
enabling their sound to head in any direction. As the glorious ramble
of “An Evening at Pops’” demonstrates, the music on Draw Breath is
often very intense and heavy, whether sombre or charged-up,
occasionally all in one song. The middle ground is tread on two
acoustic instrumentals, “Recognize I” and its sequel “Recognize II,”
which are sleeping aids in disguise — gentle, airy pieces with an
undercurrent of busy brilliance. Cline brings in Wilco
multi-percussionist Glen Kotche for the squall-turned-orchestral boom
that is “Squirrel of God,” and the Singers revel in their compositional
freedom. -by Vish Khanna-
Vish Khanna www.Exclaim.ca [November 2007]
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Among the small but special heap of whack jazz guitarists, Nels sits at the top. That he can shift from the listenable to the loud without losing his identity puts him near the top of all guitarists, however. He's still most at home with improvised music and since "Nels Cline Singers" is synonymous with "improvised" this one is a no-brainer. Only the needlessly plodding last track denies this stellar CD the starter status. -- by Pico (Victor Aaron)
Victor Aaron Dablog [December 2007]
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Guitarist Nels Cline is one of those unknowable cats. Just when you think you understand him, he's moved on to new collaborators. From a start in Los Angeles' improvised music community, Cline has hung with jazz seekers Julius Hemphill and Charlie Haden, and toiled with progressive folks from Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra West Coast to Wilco.
His largely trio effort here with bassist Devin Hoff and drummer Scott Amendola is one wild affair - gorgeous at times, raucous noise at others.
There aren't even singers per se. The set, which adds in the percussion and glockenspiel of Glenn Kotche, careens from the wildest rock to frenetic jazz to moments of meditative calm. Some of it is artistic self-indulgence of an extreme kind that's likely to engage only free music converts who are on massive amounts of caffeine.
But then there's the simple "Caved-In Heart Blues," which suggests a mystical side, and "The Angel of Angels," which is flat-out beautiful.
- Karl Stark
Karl Stark www.philly.com [12/30/07]
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