New Nels release "Dirty Baby" box set

[jff]

The following is an email I got today from Cryptogramophone:

 

 

DIRTY BABY CD boxed set by NELS CLINE

DIRTY BABY hits the streets TODAY, October 12th. You can listen to tunes and get a sneak peek at DIRTYBABY.TV

 

Born of a provocative mating of art and music, DIRTY BABY is guitarist/composer Nels Cline and poet/producer David Breskin's visionary recontextualization of Ed Ruscha's "censor strip" paintings. This sumptuous double-CD box set includes more than an hour-and-a-half of new music by Cline for two large ensembles, paired booklets with reproductions of 66 Ruscha pictures, and insightful liner notes by Nels in a third booklet graced by session photos. Supporting musicians include Jon Brion; cohorts Scott Amendola and Devin Hoff; Nels' twin brother Alex Cline; and some of L.A.'s most illustrious instrumentalists and improvisers. Cline's orchestrations offer a panoply of sound and vision: from pedal steel and cigarbox guitars to harmonica, banjo ukulele, violin, cello, saxophone and trumpet, all the way through Cline's mysterious Quintronics Drum Buddy. In both composition and execution, this is a recording of ambition, scope and surprise: it sheds new light (and new sound) on Ruscha's groundbreaking images, and provides a major feast in its own right. And check it out on the iTunes jazz homepage today!

 

But wait...It's also a beautiful art book with poetry and music!

This larger, more sumptuous sibling of the CD boxed set not only has bigger, more beautiful versions of Ruscha's pictures, it also contains ghazals by poet/producer David Breskin. Be one of the first 15 people to buy it from us and your book will be autographed by artist Ed Ruscha, guitarist/composer Nels Cline, and poet/producer David Breskin.

 

A collaboration between an artist, a guitarist, and a poet, this multimedia work is at once spirited, sensuous, and acutely intelligent.

 

DIRTY BABY is a provocative "trialogue" between the paintings of Ed Ruscha, the music of Nels Cline, and the ghazals of David Breskin. The title derives from the notion that when different art forms come together and mate, their offspring is no purebred, but rather muttish and raunchy: gloriously dirty.

 

The 66 Ruscha pictures in the book are drawn from two rarely-seen bodies of work, the Silhouettes and the Cityscapes, in which Ruscha uses censor strips (what he calls "dumb blocks") in place of the words which normally occupy a prominent place in his pictures. With no words visible, DIRTY BABY is a most unusual Ruscha book. However, the very fact of their obfuscation gives the missing words a powerfully subversive presence: language is emphasized even as it is obscured. The book itself is divided into two "sides" in the manner of a vinyl record: Side A offers a time-lapse history of the Western world (from primeval flora through postmodern suburb) and Side B returns to the very "cradle of civilization" to chart the American misadventure in Iraq.

For his poetic form, Breskin uses the ancient Arabic ghazal. Tightly structured-with rhyme, refrain, and meter-the ghazal proves a perfect foil and fencing partner for Ruscha's language-sensitive pictorial strategies, and the poems serve as powerful companions to Ruscha's gorgeously reproduced paintings. To this mix Cline adds more than an hour-and-a-half of new music, by turns lyrical and heartfelt, edgy and raucous, for two large ensembles. For Side A, he offers one extended composition for a nonet, which evolves from acoustic impressionism to a deep, dense electronic groove. For Side B, he pairs each image with its own epigrammatic, evocative accomplice, using a ten-piece ensemble complete with strings and horns.

 

 

 

In all, DIRTY BABY creates a complete synaesthetic experience: a radical recontextualization of Ruscha's work, in vibrant conversation with Cline's music and Breskin's verses. Housed in a luscious, multilayered slipcase and including four CDs (two of music and two of spoken-voice poetry), this polyphonic book is a wild surprise produced by three of the most exciting artists working today.

Indiejazz Going Out of Business Sale!

For 6 years Cryptogramophone has owned and operated Indiejazz.com. It has been a destination on the web for people interested in buying CDs of creative jazz. Sadly, we will be closing down Indiejazz at the end of the year so we can devote more time an energy to making music. For a limited time, you can get 20% off all purchases by entering the promo code GOOB at checkout. This even includes your purchase of DIRTY BABY the CD and book. Take advantage of this great offer while it lasts!

 

Thank you for supporting great music.

[dmait]

An excerpt of Nels' liner notes for the album, via largeheartedboy: http://www.largeheartedboy.com/blog/archive/2010/10/book_notes_nels.html

[Guest Speed Racer]

Is anyone else concerned about Nels' lack of involvement with this project?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Too soon?

[u2roolz]

Is anyone else concerned about Nels' lack of involvement with this project?

 

I think I'm more concerned with his lack thereof.

[choo-choo-charlie]

you can nab an mp3 from the album here: http://captainsdead.com/nels-clines-dont-threaten-me-with-your-threats.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+captainsdead+(captains+dead+feed)

[Halsey12]

I just wonder if he's happy playing in his own band, under his own name.

[jff]

I just wonder if he's happy playing in his own band, under his own name.

 

I'm sure he hates that.

[Three dollars and 63 cents]

Did I miss the memo that October is Ridiculous Album Covers Month for Nels?

 

 

 

I know the Dirty Baby cover is a play on Rucha's style, but it's still silly. I much prefer the more minimalistic style of the box set packaging. Also, it's worth mentioning that Amazon has the box set on sale for around $75 (it retails for $125). Chances are I'll be holding off and asking Santa for this one, because I think it will make more sense to put the art, music, and poems together rather than listen to the music separately.

 

The Floored By Four cover makes them seem inflated and pretentious, and the actual music couldn't be further from that. In fact, I think this may be my favorite Nels-related release of the year. It's only four songs, so many would balk at the $15.98 price tag, but I encourage everybody to check it out digitally first. Both iTunes and Amazon mp3 seem to think it's an EP and are selling it for less than $4, even though the four songs clock in at 43 minutes.

[lost highway]

NPR Story here

 

Sounds really cool.

[choo-choo-charlie]

Dirty Baby made PopMatters' "Best Jazz of 2010" list: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/134327-the-best-jazz-of-2010/P0.

[jff]

Got this from Nels the other day..the bombshell being that Devin Hoff has quit the Singers:

 

A message from Nels:

 

Hi everyone! I am looking forward to another beautiful and jam-packed year. Lots has changed in my world, and life not only goes on, but often positively sparkles....

 

 

In early January, I am pleased to announce that Stained Radiance, the improvising duo comprised of 'live' painter Norton Wisdom and myself, has a few East Coast shows on the books. I produced a DVD (directed by Aeght Nign) that represents this unusual collaboration rather well, should you desire to investigate what we are all about. You can see a sample here. Norton has been doing his unique and brilliant 'live' painting for decades, and I am happy to finally get back together with him for these shows.

 

 

Late Jaunuary-early February will see my trio The Nels Cline Singers playing on the West Coast. Bassist Devin Hoff departed the band last August after 9+ years of committed, visionary and kickass, bass-centric, wondercontributions to pursue his many Chicago-based projects. Good luck and love to him always! Trevor Dunn will replace him on this tour and on as many other Singers projects as possible. Many of you probably know of him and his amazing music-making. Trevor played with us earlier this year on our tour of South America and I am truly honored to have him playing my music. We will also have a special guest playing keyboards and percussion on many of our songs: Yuka C. Honda. Yes! And Scott Amendola will, of course, play drums and 'live' electronics.

 

 

After the Stained Radiance and Singers (and more Wilco recording) activity, the rarely-heard and ever-intense Celestial Septet will play a few gigs in the good old USA. The Celestial Septet is the melding of San Francisco's venerable and unrepentant ROVA Saxophone Quartet and The Singers. I am extremely proud of the eponymous recording we did that was released early this year on New World. Download/buy it if you feel drawn to incendiary-yet-beautiful free jazz-type of music with attention to dynamics and (extended!) structure... See below for dates.

 

 

And for those daunted or confused by my accidental barrage of PRODUCT this year, well... TOO BAD! Hah hah... Really, the release of DIRTY BABY -- the book (DelMonico Books·Prestel) and stand-alone CD box (Cryptogramophone) -- this Fall was unintentionally hefty, but what the heck? And for those of you who don't live in Los Angeles where we performed much of this music (along with poetry recitation by David Breskin, the creator of this project), it's starting to look like an ensemble of sorts may form to export the experience sometime next year. In the meantime, check out all the links below to acquire information/clear up any confusion and maybe catch a few of these gigs, too.

 

 

Best wishes for your New Year + love and thanks to you all >>>>> N

 

 

nelscline.com

 

 

 

UPCOMING SHOWS

 

 

Stained Radiance:

 

 

01/07 Fairfield, CT | Fairfield Theater Company : Stage One l 7:30PM

(one hour from NYC via Metro North)

http://boxoffice.fairfieldtheatre.org/single/EventDetail.aspx?p=235&sStatus=new

 

Win a pair of tickets by answering this question: Where should you set the treble on a Fender Twin? (Hint: See "Tech Talk" on nelscline.com) Email your answer to dc@tmmchi.com; first person to answer correctly wins

 

 

01/08 NYC | Winter Jazzfest

http://www.winterjazzfest.com/2011nycwinterjazzfest/2011schedule.html

 

 

 

01/09 Freehold, NJ | Concerts In The Studio l 5PM

http://www.concertsinthestudio.com/

 

 

 

The Nels Cline Singers with Yuka C. Honda:

 

 

01/29 Seattle, WA | Is That Jazz? Festival

http://www.isthatjazz.org/

 

 

 

01/30 Portland, OR | Doug Fir Lounge

http://ev12.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventInfo?ticketCode=GS%3aTWS%3aPDFL11:PDFL0130%3a&linkID=twspok

 

 

 

02/02 Arcata, CA | Arcata Playhouse

http://www.arcataplayhouse.org/

 

 

 

02/03 San Francisco, CA | The Independent

http://www.theindependentsf.com/

 

 

 

02/04 Santa Cruz, CA | Don Quixote's International Music Hall

http://www.donquixotesmusic.info/

 

 

 

02/05 Los Angeles, CA | Getty Center (Harold M. Williams Auditorium)

http://www.getty.edu/museum/programs/performances/saturday_nights.html

 

 

 

Celestial Septet:

 

 

02/22 Philadelphia, PA | The International House (produced by Ars Nova)

http://ihousephilly.org/events

 

 

 

02/24 Amherst, MA | University of Mass. Bowker Auditorium (produced by Magic Triangle Series)

http://www.umass.edu/fac/calendar/magictriangle/events/CelestialSeptet.html

 

 

 

02/25 Boston, MA | ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art)

http://www.icaboston.org/programs/performance/

 

 

 

02/26 NYC | Le Poisson Rouge

http://lepoissonrouge.com/calendar/2011/2

 

 

 

 

 

Check out the DIRTY BABY website at www.DIRTYBABY.TV.

[calvino]

Got this from Nels the other day..the bombshell being that Devin Hoff has quit the Singers:

 

A message from Nels:

 

 

 

Late Jaunuary-early February will see my trio The Nels Cline Singers playing on the West Coast. Bassist Devin Hoff departed the band last August after 9+ years of committed, visionary and kickass, bass-centric, wondercontributions to pursue his many Chicago-based projects. Good luck and love to him always!

 

 

 

Should be good for us here in Chicago. I have yet to make it to a show that he was part of, but I do see his name pop up a lot.

[Three dollars and 63 cents]

Nels was named musician of the year by All About Jazz--New York. Check out page 26 of the PDF of their latest issue here.

 

It's a shame it took him so long to acknowledge Devin's departure from the Singers and that he did so only in his email newsletter and not on his the website (at least not that I can find). I know he's insanely busy, but it just sort of seems like an afterthought four months later. I'm glad I went through the trouble to get right down front for their set at Solid Sound. I'm incredibly sad that I won't get to see or hear the three of them make music together again.

 

The Singers' music and that first summer I traveled to see them so much helped me through a really rough time in my life. Because of that, I think they're the one of my favorite bands that has meant the most to me. Trevor Dunn is a great bassist and is going to mesh well with Scott and Nels (check out the videos from their South American shows last summer on YouTube to see Trevor playing with them). I'll still buy their albums and go see them when I can, but I'm not sure the band will still mean as much to me as they used to. Time will tell, I guess.

[tinnitus photography]

Trevor Dunn is a pretty kickass contingency plan.

[calvino]

Got this from Nels the other day..the bombshell being that Devin Hoff has quit the Singers:

 

A message from Nels:

 

Late Jaunuary-early February will see my trio The Nels Cline Singers playing on the West Coast. Bassist Devin Hoff departed the band last August after 9+ years of committed, visionary and kickass, bass-centric, wondercontributions to pursue his many Chicago-based projects. Good luck and love to him always!

 

I put the below information in the Jazz thread, but some may not visit that particular thread. Cline will be playing with Hoff at the Hideout(in Chicago) in March. Should be a great show - Rempis and Rosaly are both excellent musicians.

 

*Wednesday, March 9 -

Rempis/Cline/Hoff/Rosaly

Dave Rempis - saxophones

Nels Cline - guitar

Devin Hoff - bass

Frank Rosaly - drums

[Three dollars and 63 cents]

Oh man, two days before I'm off for a week I was already thinking about spending in Chicago

[moxiebean]

At my suggestion we've purchased one of the signed limited edition copies of Dirty Baby for our library special collections department (I figured it's the next best thing to owning a personal copy), which just arrived today - everything about this from the slipcase to the artwork & cds is stunning.