Happy New Year/New Decade, everyone! I am thankful for life on planet Earth and wish you all peace and happiness in 2010 and beyond!
So what's happening?? Here is some news, as well as some long-overdue clarification on tidbits mentioned here ages ago. Write this down in your copybooks!
JANUARY:
STAINED RADIANCE: NELS CLINE & NORTON WISDOM (Greenleaf DVD)
Directed by the estimable Aeght Nign and produced by yours truly, this is the long-overdue document of the duo I do with painter Norton Wisdom.
Stained Radiance: Live at the Mint (Los Angeles, CA, 5/17/09)
He paints, I improvise. The DVD, filmed at The Smell in Los Angeles, features two full-length performances/improvisations and bonus features, like the amazing "shoulder cam" and "helmet cam" footage of Norton doing his thing, as well as interviews with the duo that is Stained Radiance. Look for it on the Wilco merch table and somewhere else after mid-January!
MARCH:
THE CELESTIAL SEPTET (New World CD)
The Celestial Septet is The Nels Cline Singers (Scott Amendola, Devin Hoff, me) + the ROVA Saxophone Quartet (Larry Ochs, Jon Raskin, Bruce Ackley, Steve Adams).
The Celestial Septet: Live at Palms Playhouse (Winters, CA, 5/30/08)
Recorded in San Francisco, this documents the compositions and improvisations we have been doing the last year or two, and it came out really good, I think. There are pieces by Larry Ochs, Scott Amendola, Steve Adams, and yours truly (called "The Buried Quilt"). There may well be 'live' engagements forthcoming, schedules allowing. Stay tuned.
APRIL 13:
THE NELS CLINE SINGERS - INITIATE (Cryptogramophone 2 CD set)
Recorded in Berkeley (Fantasy Studios) and San Francisco (Cafe Du Nord), this is a heapin' helpin' of The Singers: a studio and a 'live' disc.
Nels Cline Singers: Live at Cafe du Nord (San Francisco, CA, 9/02/09)
The studio disc sees us moving into some decidedly different terrain. I actually use my voice (wordlessly) on some tracks, Devin plays bass guitar...All hell has broken loose! Produced by David Breskin and recorded and mixed by Ron St. Germain, this is either the most friendly Singers recording to date or the most antisocial, depending on who you are and what you expect. The package features beautiful photographs of the Large Hadron Collider at Cern by Simon Norfolk throughout (as well as some 'live' shots from the Cafe Du Nord gig by Peak), so all in all you know this is another Cryptogramophone production of visionary packaging excellence. And you might like the music, too.
ON DECK AND AWAITING INSTRUCTIONS:
Here are some recordings that very well might emerge in 2010. At least they are recorded!
DIRTY BABY: ED RUSCHA / DAVID BRESKIN / NELS CLINE
(Cryptogramophone 2 CD set/Steidl Publishing book + 4 CD set)
Music by ME. Produced by David Breskin to accompany his amazing recontextualization of some of L.A. legend Ed Ruscha's lesser-known 80s and 90s work, and including his own poetry (both in book and CD form), this has been on deck for ages.
Waiting for the house of Steidl, one of the world's best art book publishers, to give us the release date. The book will include 4 CDs and be beautifully printed and designed to please even the most jaded contemporary art maven. After the book is released, Cryptogramophone will at some point release the music alone: 2 CDs, 2 large ensembles, playing my music as commissioned by Mr. Breskin. Personnel "Side A": Devin Hoff, Scott Amendola, Bill Barrett, Wayne Peet, Glenn Taylor, Jon Brion, Jeremy Drake, Danny Frankel, me. "Side B": Devin Hoff, Scott Amendola, Alex Cline, Jeff Gauthier, Jessica Catron, Jeremy Drake, Dan Clucas, Vinny Golia, Brad Dutz, me. Stay tuned. The suspense is killing me/us...
JON BRION + NELS CLINE: NIGHTS AT THE OLD LARGO (real title TBA)
The amazing and industrious Mr. B and I actually got together and selected material from hours of 'live' recordings by Wayne Peet and came up with a strategy/game plan. Now all we have to do is mix, edit, and release the stuff!
[For more comprehensive info on Mr. Cline's upcoming endeavors, go here.]
Also, Das Vilco have announced date for their 2010 spring tour as well. Go here to check them out.
REST IN TEMPO
Tony Bellamy
Vic Chesnutt
DJ Omega Supreme
Chris "Spacewolf" Feinstein
James Gurley
Tim Hart
Rowland S. Howard
Robert "Sandro" Sanchez
Gregory Slay
James "The Rev" Sullivan
Felix Wurman
