The Nels Cline 4 - Currents, Constellations

Nels Cline 4 is the latest project for the Wilco guitarist.  The band is made up of Nels along with Julian Lage who he has done several other projects with including a duet album.  Joining the two are Bassist Scott Colley and Drummer Tom Rainey.  The quartet take some really cool and funky paths with improvisational tunes turned into some really good jazz pieces.

When I think of Jazz I think of Sax, Trumpet, Bass & Drums.  This Jazz sound takes a Nels approach of blazing guitar riffs that all complement the rhythm of the bass and drums.  Cline and Lage do such wondrous things together playing off each others various notes.  They compliment each other and with the addition of drums and bass really set the musical tone.

It's hard for me to sometimes describe the music of Nels with his crazy screaming, screechy guitar to the melodic tones he add in a jazz funky way.  So keep that in mind as I try to put words to the style and play of Nels and his band with their bending and twisting notes in full circle.

Currents, Constellations consists of 8 songs and 45 minutes of spacey rolling jazz funk.  "Furtive", the first song on the album, and builds up from a drum solo to add bass and then in comes the twanginess of Nels and Julian playing off each other.  Bending notes and scales feels like someone took a Superball and bounced it all around the room as it travels up and down changing directions and still following an up and down pattern.  What a fantastic way to start this album off.

"Swing Ghost 59'" certainly has a swing feel as it busts out in fast eighth notes popping along to a funky little guitar riff that he bends about through the progression of the song.  It then blends back into a swing with almost a nice dance rhythm reminding me of listening to something from Prairie Home Companion that then turns into The Who's "We're Not Gonna Take It"!

"Imperfect 10" is a Rock/Jazz Fusion tune.  It's repetitive patters at the start play into some nice cooler tones of later that kick back into the rock tempo with an almost rolling down a hill feel to the song and crashing at the end into the back of the house.

"As Close as That" is a ballad that Nels says is based off of Ralph Towner's "Distant Hill".  The song is quite slow and melodic in tone.  Makes me want to grab a glass of scotch and a cigar and sit on the porch.  Following this up is a fun upbeat tune "Amenette" The song originally was on the duet album Rooms with Lage and now turned into a quartet version.  It's a good play off each other as they weave their play in and out of each other in a constant flow.

Carla Bley's "Temporarily" is the only song that Cline did not write but his composition of it is quite nice.  It's soft and smooth and really just makes you want to sit back and look at the stars and ponder over the movement within.

The next to last song on the album is "River Mouth Parts 1 & II" that Cline says was inspired by Davis's In a Silent Way.  It has an in and out feel of driftyness as it weaves along like a canoe floating on the river with a few bobbles here and there is speeds at times, slows down.  It would make for a good piece in a movie soundtrack.

Closing out the album is "For Each, A Flower" is an homage to lost friends/musicians  Cline knew.  Its a subtle song with a feeling of Grace and Peace wrapped into it.  It's a fitting way to end this project of his.

Nels will be out touring with Nels Cline 4 in July along the East Coast.  Go check out one of his performances if you can, it will be fantastic.  Now lets hear some new Wilco!