Nels and Alex Cline are identical twin brothers, both with eclectic histories running through the Los Angeles rock/jazz/avant-garde scene for over 30 years. Nels, probably now best known for playing in Wilco for the last few years, is a straight up shit-hot guitar player. The guy can literally play anything. His current band, The Nels Cline Singers, are about as dangerous as power-trios get — reflective and lyrical one second, blistering free-form assaults the next. Gets the blood going.
Alex, by contrast, bears softer edges and a more meditative approach in his own music. Having studied under Buddhist thinker Thich Nhat Hanh, there’s a genuine fluidity and non-hurriedness to his playing. He offers a humane grace seldom heard from drummers.
By happenstance they each have brand new releases out on Cryptogramophone, both of which are excellent. Nels’ is the mostly solo acoustic Coward, while Alex’s is the transcendentally beautiful Continuation. Some kind of twin thing going on with the C titles?
The clip above sees the two effortlessly and efficiently nail a Hendrix tune. Makes you wonder what else they could just pop out at will.
I heard a certain someone and his..pa..saw these guys last Saturday.
it’s the never ending and wonderful world of music1
thanks for posting this.