From indie rock to jazz, Cline is one in all most versatile gamers on immediately’s music scene. His newest album is known as after his new group, however in some ways it appears like a retrospective of Cline’s work.
TONYA MOSLEY, HOST:
That is FRESH AIR. Guitarist Nels Cline is likely one of the most versatile gamers on the music scene immediately. He is a heavyweight amongst indie rockers and well-known in each mainstream and avant-garde jazz circles. However he is in all probability finest generally known as a member of Wilco. He joined that band 20 years in the past, and he is continued so as to add muscular grit and keening depth to the band’s sound. Cline’s new recording is known as after his new group, Consentrik Quartet. However in some ways, the brand new album appears like a retrospective of Cline’s numerous musical actions. Visitor critic Martin Johnson has this overview.
(SOUNDBITE OF NELS CLINE’S “SURPLUS”)
MARTIN JOHNSON, BYLINE: Nels Cline first made his mark on the Los Angeles scene within the ’80s, typically in teams alongside his twin brother, Alex, a percussionist. They performed in a wide range of jazz in addition to indie rock bands. This type of dual-genre life is mirrored in Cline’s involvement in jazz, the place he is performed in nearly each subgenre possible, from raucous, skronky free jazz to lush romantic takes on the basic American Songbook on his 2016 launch “Lovers.” The Consentrik Quartet is able to beginning out hummable, as they do on “Surplus,” and rising towards a spectacular fury.
(SOUNDBITE OF NELS CLINE’S “SURPLUS”)
JOHNSON: That is brawny music at instances. A few of it harkens again to the ’80s and the type of free jazz fusion combos. And at instances, there are passages which might be harking back to the rising vary of heavy steel jazz blends on the scene immediately. Cline based the group for an improvised jam in Brooklyn six years in the past, however then he started writing for them, particularly through the lockdowns, when he felt enveloped by silence. And that is a key to the quartet’s vary. Moments of delicate austerity alternate with daring, provocative sections as they do right here on the aptly named “Slipping Into One thing.”
(SOUNDBITE OF NELS CLINE’S “SLIPPING INTO SOMETHING”)
JOHNSON: Since shifting to New York in 2009, Cline has performed with bassist Chris Lightcap and drummer Tom Rainey in a number of codecs, most notably in Lightcap’s excellent group, Superette. For “Consentrik Quartet,” he added saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, one other stalwart of the New York scene. Their unisons over Lightcap’s snorting bass and Rainey’s livid drumming generate a giant, vibrant, energetic sound, which makes their quieter segments really feel darkish and affecting. That is the sequence on “Satomi,” which was named for Satomi Matsuzaki, the bassist and singer for Deerhoof, an indie rock powerhouse. It was written for her household drama through the pandemic, when she needed to fly forwards and backwards between her native Japan and the USA.
(SOUNDBITE OF CONSENTRIK QUARTET’S “SATOMI”)
JOHNSON: Cline generally chooses wry names for his bands. For example, his group The Nels Cline Singers has no vocalist, they usually play summary brooding music that even Bjork is perhaps hard-pressed to vocalize. However the Consentrik Quartet is extra simple. He considers the taking part in and the constructing of solos between his bandmates to be a collection of concentric circles. Nevertheless, he selected the Center English spelling consent-R-I-Ok as a result of he appreciated it higher.
(SOUNDBITE OF CONSENTRIK QUARTET’S “THE BAG”)
JOHNSON: It is arduous to say why this explicit lineup – guitar, saxophone, bass and drums – hasn’t turn into extra commonplace. There was the John Scofield, Joe Lovano bands of the ’80s and, extra just lately, ensembles that includes saxophonist Walter Smith III and guitarist Matthew Stevens. As occurs on this group, the joyous roar of Cline’s guitar pairs properly with the pithy wail of Laubrock’s saxophone. When joined by the grooves of Lightcap’s bass and Rainey’s drums, it seems like a new-millennium model of arduous bop. The music of the Consentrik Quartet suggests that there’s a wealth of sonic floor to discover right here, regardless of the way you spell the band’s identify.
(SOUNDBITE OF CONSENTRIK QUARTET’S “DOWN CLOSE”)
MOSLEY: Visitor jazz critic Martin Johnson writes about jazz for The Wall Avenue Journal and DownBeat. He reviewed the brand new album by Nels Cline referred to as “Consentrik Quartet.”
(SOUNDBITE OF MILES DAVIS’ “BLUE IN GREEN”)
MOSLEY: Tomorrow on FRESH AIR, Terry Gross pays tribute to her late husband, Grammy Award-winning jazz critic Francis Davis, who died on April 14. Terry goes to speak about him, learn excerpts of his award-winning writing, and play among the music he wrote about. I hope you may be part of us.
To maintain up with what’s on the present and get highlights of our interviews, comply with us on Instagram – @nprfreshair. FRESH AIR’s govt producer is Danny Miller. Our technical director and engineer is Audrey Bentham. Our managing producer is Sam Briger. Our senior producer immediately is Therese Madden. Roberta Shorrock directs the present. With Terry Gross, I am Tonya Mosley.
(SOUNDBITE OF MILES DAVIS’ “BLUE IN GREEN”)
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