Nels Cline, Tim Berne and Jim Black To Release Live Improvised Album

[Analogman]

Nels Cline, Tim Berne and Jim Black To Release Live Improvised Album

 

The next record by Wilco guitarist Nels Cline is set for a June 7 release. On The Veil, Cline is joined by alto saxophonist Tim Berne and drummer Jim Black in a trio known as BB&C (also sometimes called Sons of Champignon). This release presents music drawn from two improvised sets which took place at John Zorn’s The Stone before an audience that included Mike Watt and Yuka Honda (the band notes, “For convenience, track numbers have been added and song names assigned within two largely continuous excursions”). At present the group has not confirmed any dates in support of this album but one imagines that such a show or shows will follow.

[calvino]

That should be a good one. I wonder what label it is going to be on: Berne's Screwgun, Zorn's Tzadik, or other.

[uncool2pillow]

Interesting. Keith Jarrett's Koln Concert is a favorite of mine.

[LouieB]

Interesting. Keith Jarrett's Koln Concert is a favorite of mine.

I didn't know folks still listened to that. It was one of my faves in the 1970s. Recently I got a copy of the Sun Bear Concerts, which I have yet to listen to.

 

LouieB

[WaronWar]

Awesome news. I have been waiting for this.

[jff]

Wait, what does this have to do with the Koln Concert?

[LouieB]

Wait, what does this have to do with the Koln Concert?

No idea really. Maybe the inprovisational aspect. Not sure. Whatever this group is doing is not all that similar to what Keith Jarrett did/does. In fact it has very little to do with one another.

 

LouieB

[calvino]

Wait, what does this have to do with the Koln Concert?

 

Kinda thought the same thing when I read uncool2pillow's post.

[Three dollars and 63 cents]

I'm glad this is finally going to see the light of day. I'm hoping this will be the first of two Nels + Jim Black albums for this year, since I know there's a Mischief and Mayhem album in the works. I'm not sure if they got the whole thing recorded last summer, though.

[uncool2pillow]

Koln Concert is pretty much the definitive live improvised piece released as album. Nels is doing the same thing. They will sound completely different as Keith's was a solo piano piece, very much blues based. This will sound avant garde and disonant, but they sure do have a lot to do with each other.

[jff]

Koln Concert is pretty much the definitive live improvised piece released as album. Nels is doing the same thing. They will sound completely different as Keith's was a solo piano piece, very much blues based. This will sound avant garde and disonant, but they sure do have a lot to do with each other.

 

I see what you mean, and I see the connection, it just seemed a little random to bring in Jarrett/Koln since there have been loads of live improvised releases by (so-called) jazz artists. Nels has probably been a player on a dozen or more already.

 

It sort of felt like someone saying "Wilco has a new single coming out" and someone else saying, "that's great news, I love Great Balls of Fire."

[LouieB]

I see what you mean, and I see the connection, it just seemed a little random to bring in Jarrett/Koln since there have been loads of live improvised releases by (so-called) jazz artists. Nels has probably been a player on a dozen or more already.

 

It sort of felt like someone saying "Wilco has a new single coming out" and someone else saying, "that's great news, I love Great Balls of Fire."

Uh really...good analogy. I don't know what the material will sound like that we are talking about on this record, but I have seen Nels a few times do some balls to the wall free form and crazy improvisation. That kind of improv is very different from what Jarrett did (and still does.) Also I don't find Jarrett riffing on blues, he seems to have a much more classical approach to improv, in fact going for a more melodic effect than avant garde. Jarrett even had the audacity to say that some day his improv would be scored and played by others. Keith has always been kind of full of it, although a highly talented guy. As someone who also expresses themselves in hyperbole, I would take issue with Koln being definitive. It certainly is the best selling improv solo piano album of all time I would think. There are alot of pretty amazing full on improv records out there, even piano (I am thinking Cecil Taylor actually....several albums, but then Cecil doesn't sell like Jarrett. Check out Neffrititi for example, but okay that one is with a band I guess.)

 

LouieB

[calvino]

Got the below from the DMG Newsletter for June 3rd, 2011 - should be great.

 

BB&C [TIM BERNE/JIM BLACK/NELS CLINE] - The Veil: Live At The Stone

(Cryptogramophone; USA) The tradition of electronified powerhouse

jamming extends back to Miles Davis and Led Zeppelin circa 1970, but

rarely has it achieved the artful balance of BB&C's new

Cryptogramophone release, The Veil.

BB&C's acronym stands for alto saxist Tim Berne, drummer Jim Black

and guitarist Nels Cline -- old friends with a long history of

collaboration in the universe of extreme improv. Cline recorded with

Berne as early as 1980; Berne and Black logged many miles in the

1990s with Bloodcount. Formed in 2008 when the trio was asked to

perform on the WFMU radio program "Stochastic Hit Parade," BB&C

(sometimes called Sons of Champignon) erupted the following year in

New York with two July 30 sets at John Zorn's The Stone, providing

the source material for The Veil.

It was a hot night in more ways than one -- "over 100 degrees, packed

and sweaty," says Cline, who knows something about perspiration via

his seven years with alt-rock jamsters Wilco, not to mention many

energetic expressions leading his own groups. Says Black, "I hadn't

planned on a wet-T-shirt display"; Berne describes the atmosphere as

"like a New York subway in midsummer." Urged on by a rabid audience

that included fellow musicians Mike Watt and Yuka Honda, BB&C did not

wilt, generating wave after wave of nonstop ecstasy. (For

convenience, track numbers have been added and song names assigned

within two largely continuous excursions.)

The BB&C group dynamic veers far from the trio tradition. Although

Black, known for his work with Dave Douglas, does his share of evil

slogging and funky jerking, he demonstrates why one of his groups is

called Alasnoaxis: More than a groover, he uses his kit as a cement

mixer and a catapult, sometimes hand-triggering spacy effects or

electronic bass on computer. Cline says Black inspires him toward the

feel of I Sing the Body Electric-era Weather Report and the energy of

Slayer: The guitarist scrambles, crunches and spiels, one minute

drifting into nebulas of early Tangerine Dream, the next melting with

Berne into peaceful Coltrane-like figures. Few saxists other than

Berne would say, "I've always wished I'd been a bass player, so I try

to think like one onstage"; fewer still could back it up with this

display of uniting geometry -- he spins repetitions like an electron

around a nucleus, or ricochets within a defined space to delineate a

listening field.

Those who've seen BB&C live know that the trio's aural roles are

reflected physically, with big Berne standing like sculpture, little

Black roiling in constant motion, and lanky Cline rocking like a

deckhand between jolts of electric shock. For all the energy they

expend, though, the three find their greatest virtue in the ability

to take a fresh breath -- the concluding "Tiny Moment," 12 minutes of

sheer beauty, is a glowing example.

The sound, recorded by Joseph Branchiforte, rages with appropriate

force and humidity. And the legendary Cryptogramophone packaging

values hold true: Cline, who collaborated with label head Jeff

Gauthier on production and design, says that Carole Kim's mysterious

cover image tuned in precisely to the music's vibe and captured the

essence of the album's title.

Though musicians such as Berne, Black and Cline can write when they

need to, BB&C possess enough of an cask-aged blend that they can just

step up and bring the magic. Black says they began with only three

guidelines: Play loud; play your ass off; take no prisoners. Got it.

[jff]

Got the below from the DMG Newsletter for June 3rd, 2011 - should be great.

 

Wow. That should be pretty amazing.

[bböp]

I think Nels half jokingly called this his (or their) "metal" album. It's pretty heavy music, as I recall, and very intensely played, as befitting the oven-like conditions at the Stone that night.

[Three dollars and 63 cents]

I remember considering coming down for that show, then imagining those oven-like conditions. That changed my mind in a hurry!

 

A few Nels shows in New York that I've heard about in the last few days...

 

Nels and Marc Ribot will be playing two sets at Le Poisson Rouge in the West Village next Wednesday at 8:30 and 10:30 (doors and hour earlier for each set). $15 per set in advance or $20 the day of the show. They're also sharing the cover of Downbeat magazine in July!

 

On Monday, July 11, Nels will be playing two sets--8 and 10 p.m.--with the Les Paul Trio at the Iridium Jazz Club as part of their Les Paul Guitar Tribute series. Tickets are $32.50 per set.

 

NPR is showing a broadcast of a performance by Jenny Scheinman's Mischief and Mayhem (Jenny + Nels + Jim Black + Todd Sickafoose) on Wednesday, August 17, as part of their Live at the Village Vanguard series. The Vanguard doesn't have their August schedule posted yet, but I'm hoping this is a new week of shows for them and not a segment NPR has been holding onto since the week they played there last July. If they're playing again, I"ll definitely be making the trip down, because they were fantastic last summer (and speaking of oven-like conditions...).

 

Nels' website is also showing that the Singers (as a quartet including Yuka C. Honda) will be playing jazz festivals in Austria and Switzerland at the very end of August.

 

I pre-ordered a copy of The Veil, so hopefully I'll have it by the end of the week. I'm also waiting for a copy of the limited vinyl release of the Nels Cline Trio's Ground that I ordered last week. Apparently it's a three 7" set. I'm glad to see the Trio's work getting new attention. While I doubt it's feasible for Cryptogramophone to start releasing vinyl, I'd love to see another label (maybe dBpm...?) release the Singers' albums on vinyl.

[WaronWar]

I remember considering coming down for that show, then imagining those oven-like conditions. That changed my mind in a hurry!

 

A few Nels shows in New York that I've heard about in the last few days...

 

Nels and Marc Ribot will be playing two sets at Le Poisson Rouge in the West Village next Wednesday at 8:30 and 10:30 (doors and hour earlier for each set). $15 per set in advance or $20 the day of the show. They're also sharing the cover of Downbeat magazine in July!

 

On Monday, July 11, Nels will be playing two sets--8 and 10 p.m.--with the Les Paul Trio at the Iridium Jazz Club as part of their Les Paul Guitar Tribute series. Tickets are $32.50 per set.

 

NPR is showing a broadcast of a performance by Jenny Scheinman's Mischief and Mayhem (Jenny + Nels + Jim Black + Todd Sickafoose) on Wednesday, August 17, as part of their Live at the Village Vanguard series. The Vanguard doesn't have their August schedule posted yet, but I'm hoping this is a new week of shows for them and not a segment NPR has been holding onto since the week they played there last July. If they're playing again, I"ll definitely be making the trip down, because they were fantastic last summer (and speaking of oven-like conditions...).

 

Nels' website is also showing that the Singers (as a quartet including Yuka C. Honda) will be playing jazz festivals in Austria and Switzerland at the very end of August.

 

I pre-ordered a copy of The Veil, so hopefully I'll have it by the end of the week. I'm also waiting for a copy of the limited vinyl release of the Nels Cline Trio's Ground that I ordered last week. Apparently it's a three 7" set. I'm glad to see the Trio's work getting new attention. While I doubt it's feasible for Cryptogramophone to start releasing vinyl, I'd love to see another label (maybe dBpm...?) release the Singers' albums on vinyl.

 

Yeah, these are all great shows especially the Marc Ribot and Nels Cline duo! I wish I could be there. Since marrying Yuka Honda, I think Nels has moved to New York. I don't remember if I heard him say it in an interview, but the constant shows he has been playing in New York and not in LA might prove my theory. Plus, my friend recently saw him at a Tune-Yards show in NYC. This gives me more reason to move to New York soon.

 

I actually own the three 7" set on vinyl of the Nels Cline Trio's "Ground." I found it on amazon about a year and half ago for $10, and I bought it right away. My girlfriend also bought me for my birthday this year the vinyl release of Nels Cline Trio "Sad."

[jff]

 

I actually own the three 7" set on vinyl of the Nels Cline Trio's "Ground." I found it on amazon about a year and half ago for $10, and I bought it right away. My girlfriend also bought me for my birthday this year the vinyl release of Nels Cline Trio "Sad."

 

I have the triple 7", too. I didn't know they were re-releasing it. Awesome stuff! I think Nels said he was copying Polvo by releasing a triple 7". Polvo did that with their Celebrate the New Dark Age ep.

 

Now all you need is Silencer (recently reissued), Chest and their various 7" releases, all of which are pretty easy to track down.

[WaronWar]

I have the triple 7", too. I didn't know they were re-releasing it. Awesome stuff! I think Nels said he was copying Polvo by releasing a triple 7". Polvo did that with their Celebrate the New Dark Age ep.

 

Now all you need is Silencer (recently reissued), Chest and their various 7" releases, all of which are pretty easy to track down.

 

Yeah, I will have to get those. Last summer, I also found a Quartet Music's (Jeff Gauthier, Eric Von Essen, Nels, and Alex Cline)"Window on the Lake." Amazing record. I have to keep getting more of Nels' stuff even though I already have a ton.

[jff]

Yeah, I will have to get those. Last summer, I also found a Quartet Music's (Jeff Gauthier, Eric Von Essen, Nels, and Alex Cline)"Window on the Lake." Amazing record. I have to keep getting more of Nels' stuff even though I already have a ton.

 

I've been on the lookout for Quartet Music stuff for a while. I think one of them is back in print finally (available on Amazon). For a few years there, starting around the time just before the Singers formed, I'd grab anything I could find with Nels on it. I can't keep up anymore.

[Three dollars and 63 cents]

My BBC album arrived today. Thoughtful and lovely packaging, as always from Cryptogramophone. I've been reading papers for my summer class all day, so my brain is sort of fried. Hopefully I'll be up for a first listen this evening, though.

[Three dollars and 63 cents]

NPR is showing a broadcast of a performance by Jenny Scheinman's Mischief and Mayhem (Jenny + Nels + Jim Black + Todd Sickafoose) on Wednesday, August 17, as part of their Live at the Village Vanguard series. The Vanguard doesn't have their August schedule posted yet, but I'm hoping this is a new week of shows for them and not a segment NPR has been holding onto since the week they played there last July. If they're playing again, I"ll definitely be making the trip down, because they were fantastic last summer (and speaking of oven-like conditions...).

 

Jenny Scheinman's Mischief and Mayhem will be playing at the Village Vanguard August 16-21.

[calvino]

How do you like the new Cline,Berne, Black disk, $3.63? I haven't gotten around to get it, yet.

[Three dollars and 63 cents]

I haven't gotten around to it, either. I'm teaching a summer class, so most of my music listening has been a background to grading. I want to wait until I can give it the attention it deserves. I may listen to it as I'm driving up to Solid Sound next week, though. I may listen to Thurston's new album then, too.

[Kim Bodnia]

Tim Berne on how he met Nels Cline in the 70s:

 

 

How did you meet Nels originally in the '70s?

 

I was going out there to make records in L.A. and I knew his brother, Alex. His brother was a drummer. I met his brother through Julius. He was playing in Julius's trio. I met Alex when he was like 21. Nels is really good at production so he would always help out. We did these five-hour recording sessions in a big room and Nels was always there to kinda make sure it sounded good. He's really good at that.

 

We hadn't played for a long time but then we started playing doing little gig here and there when he was in New York and then this thing came up a couple years ago with Jim. We would do it more if he wasn't doing Wilco. These last two gigs [in Austria], I think, were probably our best.

 

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2012/09/tim_berne_interview.php?page=7