Nels Cline: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 05:39, 24 June 2005

Latest revision as of 20:22, 20 April 2025

(481 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)

Line 1:

{{short description|American guitarist and composer|bot=PearBOT 5}}

Guitarist '''Nels Cline''' was born in [[Los Angeles]] in [[1956]]. He began to play [[guitar]] at age 12 when his brother, [[Alex Cline]] took up the [[drums]]. Nels Cline is known for his improvisational work and for the diversity of his musical projects. 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]]. Cline has also performed and recorded with [[punk rock]] hero [[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 (band)|Banyan]] with Watt and ex-[[Jane's Addiction]] drummer [[Stephen Perkins]].

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}

{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->

| name = Nels Cline

| image = Nels cline.jpg

| caption = Cline in 2004

| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist

| birth_name = Nels Courtney Cline

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|1|4}}

| birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.

| genre = [[Free jazz]], [[experimental music|experimental]], [[Noise (music)|noise]], [[punk rock]], [[indie rock]]

| occupation = Musician

| instrument = Guitar

| years_active = 1977–present

| label = [[Cryptogramophone Records|Cryptogramophone]], [[Nine Winds]], [[Atavistic Records|Atavistic]], [[Enja Records|Enja]], Little Brother, Strange Attractors, Audio House, Long Song, [[Mack Avenue Records|Mack Avenue]], [[Blue Note Records|Blue Note]]

| associated_acts = Quartet Music, [[Nels Cline Trio]], [[The Nels Cline Singers]], [[Wilco]], [[Geraldine Fibbers]]

| website = {{URL|www.nelscline.com}}

| module = {{Infobox person|embed=yes

| signature = Nels Cline signature, Billboard Open Letter 2016.png

}}

}}

'''Nels Courtney Cline''' (born January 4, 1956)<ref name="wsj">{{Citation |last=Fusilli |first=Jim |title=Four Rock Nomads Unite for a Fleeting Tune |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703859204575526452687024886?mod=WSJ_NY_Culture_LEFTTopStories|access-date=March 31, 2011 |date=October 5, 2010}}</ref> is an American guitarist and composer. He has been a guitarist for the band [[Wilco]] since 2004.

Cline has performed on over 100 albums in the jazz, pop, rock and [[experimental music]] genres. His most recent work as a leader is ''The Giant Pin'' by The Nels Cline Singers, released in late 2004 by [[Cryptogramophone Records]]. He continues to expand his audience as a member of the [[Grammy]]-winning rock band [[Wilco]], which he joined in early 2004.

In the 1980s he played [[jazz]], often in collaboration with his twin brother [[Alex Cline|Alex]], a percussionist. He has worked with musicians in [[punk rock|punk]] and [[alternative rock]] such as [[Carla Bozulich]] and the [[Geraldine Fibbers]], [[Mike Watt]] and [[Thurston Moore]]. He leads the Nels Cline Singers, Nels Cline Trio, and the Nels Cline 4.{{cn|date=May 2022}}

Cline was named the 82nd greatest guitarist of all time by ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine in November 2011.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-guitarists-153675/eddie-hazel-43560/| access-date = May 26, 2012}}</ref>

==Career==

[[File:Nils double neck Wilco London on 24.2.10.jpg|alt=|thumb|Cline playing a double-necked guitar with Wilco in 2010]]

Cline began to play guitar at age 12 when his twin brother Alex Cline started playing drums. The brothers developed together musically, playing in a rock band called Homogenized Goo.<ref name="Village Voice">{{cite news |last=Hoinski |first=Michael |title=Nels Cline on Masturbation, Thurston Moore, and Wilco's New Record |date=May 8, 2009 |website=The Village Voice |url=http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/archives/2009/05/interview_nels.php |access-date=June 1, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090510231754/http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/archives/2009/05/interview_nels.php |archive-date=May 10, 2009}}</ref> Both graduated from [[University High School (Los Angeles, California)|University High School]]. Cline cites hearing a recording of [[Jimi Hendrix]] performing "[[Manic Depression (song)|Manic Depression]]" as a defining moment in his decision to become a guitarist.<ref>{{cite web |last=Poole |first=Rod |title=Nels Cline: In The Avant-Garde Spotlight |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103128664 |website=National Public Radio |access-date=December 18, 2013 |format=Audio interview |quote="It was hearing Jimi Hendrix one afternoon on the AM radio, the song was Manic Depression. That was it. We were both literally jumping up and down and freaking out."}}</ref>

[[File:Nels-Cline_DSC00309.jpg|alt=|thumb|Cline in Aarhus Denmark 2014 playing with the BB&C Band]]

Cline has performed on over 150 albums in jazz, pop, rock, country, and experimental music. He was featured in a cover story by ''[[Guitar Player]]'' magazine for his work with the rock band Wilco.<ref>[http://www.guitarplayer.com/story.asp?storycode=1973 Steadfast Inclinations]. Barry Cleveland. ''Guitar Player''. March 2005.</ref>

==Personal life==

Cline is married to [[Yuka Honda]] of [[Cibo Matto]].<ref name="wsj"/><ref name="gilbert-2011">{{cite web |last=Gilbert|first=Andrew |title=Nels Cline and Yuka Honda treasure time together |newspaper=[[The Seattle Times]] |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/musicnightlife/2014055168_cline28.html |access-date=March 31, 2011 |date=January 27, 2011 }}</ref> Their wedding was in Honda's hometown in Japan in November 2010.<ref name="wsj"/><ref name="gilbert-2011"/> They met through Mike Watt when he assembled the group [[Floored by Four]].<ref name="wsj"/><ref name="music-illuminati">{{cite web |title=Interview: Mike Watt talks about Yoko Ono gigs |url=http://music-illuminati.com/interview-mike-watt-talks-about-yoko-ono-gigs/

|access-date=October 24, 2010 |date=January 27, 2011 |website=Music-illuminati.com}}</ref> Cline joined Honda as a guest guitarist in the [[Plastic Ono Band|Yoko Ono Plastic Ono band]] for their tour in 2010.<ref name="latimes">{{cite web |last=Tulich |first=Katherine |title=Musicians pay tribute to John Lennon and Yoko Ono |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-sep-30-la-et-john-lennon-20100930-story.html |access-date=March 31, 2011 |date=September 30, 2010 }}</ref> Cline joined Honda and her band Cibo Matto at the 2015 Solid Sound Festival.<ref>{{cite news |title=Wilco Tinkers and Experiments at a Festival It's Happy to Share |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/30/arts/music/wilco-tinkers-and-experiments-at-a-festival-its-happy-to-share.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]| access-date=June 29, 2015 |date=June 29, 2015}}</ref>

==Discography==

{{main|Nels Cline discography}}

* ''[[Angelica (album)|Angelica]]'' (1988)

* ''[[The Inkling]]'' (2000)

* ''[[Destroy All Nels Cline]]'' (2001)

* ''[[New Monastery]]'' (2006)

* ''[[Coward (Nels Cline album)|Coward]]'' (2009)

* ''[[Dirty Baby]]'' (2010)

* ''[[Lovers (Nels Cline album)|Lovers]]'' (2016)

* ''[[Currents, Constellations]]'' (2018)

* ''[[Consentrik Quartet]]'' (2025)

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==

*[http://www.nelscline.com/ Official Website]

*[http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/35650/a-qa-with-poet-david-breskin-on-dirty-baby-his-new-collaboration-with-ed-ruscha-and-nels-cline/ Q&A about Cline's DIRTY BABY project]

*[http://www.stateofmindmusic.com/?entry=26 State of Mind - Conversation with Nels Cline - June 2007]

*[http://www.stateofmindmusic.com/entry/1512/Conversation-with-Nels-Cline/ State of Mind - Conversation with Nels Cline - May 2012]

{{Nels Cline}}

{{Wilco}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cline, Nels}}

{{guitarist-stub}}

[[Category:1956 births]]

[[Category:Guitarists|Cline,Living Nelspeople]]

[[Category:1956Avant-garde births|Cline,jazz Nelsmusicians]]

[[Category:American male composers]]

[[Category:20th-century American guitarists]]

[[Category:21st-century American guitarists]]

[[Category:American jazz guitarists]]

[[Category:American rock guitarists]]

[[Category:American male guitarists]]

[[Category:University High School (Los Angeles) alumni]]

[[Category:Wilco members]]

[[Category:Guitarists from Los Angeles]]

[[Category:20th-century American composers]]

[[Category:American male jazz musicians]]

[[Category:Big Walnuts Yonder members]]

[[Category:The Nels Cline Singers members]]

[[Category:Atavistic Records artists]]

[[Category:Enja Records artists]]

[[Category:Mack Avenue Records artists]]

[[Category:RogueArt artists]]