Following is the official Nels Cline discography. (Accept no substitutes!)
Last
Update |
02.01.05 |
Total
Listings |
132 |
Click on the links below if you'd like to jump to a particular year:
| '79
| '80 | '81 | '83
| '84 | '85 | '86
| '88 | '89 | '90
|
| '91 | '92 | '93
| '94 | '95 | '96
| '97 | '98 | '99
| '00 |
| '01 | '02 |
'03
|
'04
| '05 |
| 1979 |
| Artist | Vinny
Golia |
| Title | Openhearted |
| Label | Nine
Winds LP 0102 |
| Notes | Tracks
2, 4, 6 only. Yes, my first session. With Baikida Carroll (trumpet), Roberto
Miranda (bass) & Alex Cline (drums, percussion). |
| 1980 |
| Artist | Walter
Thompson |
| Title | Stardate |
| Label | Dane
LP 002 |
| Notes | Track
4 only. I think this record had Vinny Golia, John Rapson, Roberto Miranda,
Alex Cline, and ?? Surely out-of-print -- this was one of the worst album
covers ever designed! |
| Artist | Tim
Berne |
| Title | 7X |
| Label | Empire
LP EPC 36K |
| Notes | Tracks
1, 2, 3, 6 only. Reissued by Screwgun (4xCD box
- 70009). With Vinny Golia, Roberto Miranda, John Rapson, Alex Cline.
|
| Artist | Nels
Cline and Eric Von Essen |
| Title | Elegies |
| Label | Nine
Winds LP 0105 |
| Notes | Acoustic
duets that only partially represent what turned out to be a nearly 15
year collaboration. Lord knows we should have done at least one more alb.
|
| 1981 |
| Artist | Quartet
Music |
| Title | Quartet
Music |
| Label | Nine
Winds LP 0106 |
| Notes | Out-of-print
first album from a band that lasted 11 years! Jeff Gauthier (violin),
Eric Von Essen (contrabass), Alex Cline (percussion), moi on acoustic
guitars. |
| Artist | Roberto
Miguel Miranda |
| Title | Raphael |
| Label | Nimbus
LP NS 1024 |
| Notes | Track
4 only. A really
eccentric record from one of the most remarkable characters in jazz; bassist Miranda. I was 104 degrees when I recorded this! |
| 1983 |
| Artist | Grey
Pavilion |
| Title | Grey
Pavilion |
| Label | Pink
Shoe EP 1 |
| Notes | My
dear old friends Bill & Mary Spiers-Floyd doing their neo Pink Industry/Eurythmics
synthipop thing. Pretty funny now. |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | A
Children's Guide to C.O.M.A. |
| Label | Rotary
Totem LP 4 |
| Notes | w/
Rhythm Plague. Our track (the longest one on this ancient comp) is called
"Radio Free Dude." Rhythm Plague = Wayne Peet (keebs & drum
machine), Steuart Liebig
(bass guitar & drum machine) & yours truly on electric guitar. |
| 1984 |
| Artist | Rhythm
Plague |
| Title | Dressed
for the Apocalypse |
| Label | Killzone
cass. KZC-1 |
| Notes | See
last listing for personnel. This was a cassette release (mail order only!). |
| Artist | Quartet
Music |
| Title | Ocean
Park |
| Label | Nine
Winds LP 0113 |
| Notes | Album
#2 from your favorite acoustic band-out-of-time. |
| 1985 |
| Artist | Julius
Hemphill |
| Title | Georgia
Blue |
| Label | Minor
Music LP 002 |
| Notes | Out-of-print
live album of a gig which was my first ever concert in Europe with anyone!
40 minutes or so from what was a 2 hour + set! Of course, Julius was so
marvelous, but my playing on this pretty much sucks. Julius (woodwinds),
Steuart Liebig (bass guitar), Jumma Santos (percussion), Alex Cline (drums),
& me, of course. This band should have recorded the following year
(when Bill Frisell was added to the band), but in typical Julius fashion,
it never quite happened. |
| 1986 |
| Artist | John
Fumo |
| Title | After
the Fact |
| Label | Nine
Winds LP 0116 |
| Notes | John
(trumpet player extraordinare) is one of my favorite people & musicians.
That said, this is probably one of my least favorite records i've ever
been involved with (and i suck on it!). |
| Artist | Quartet
Music |
| Title | Window
on the Lake |
| Label | Nine
Winds LP & cass. 0122 |
| Notes | Album
#3 - a smooth & reverby exploration from your favorite acousticchamberclassicaljazzexperimental combo. Check out Eric's chromatic harmonica! |
| 1988 |
| Artist | Wayne
Peet's Doppler Funk |
| Title | Blasto! |
| Label | Nine
Winds LP 0126 |
| Notes | Personnel:
Wayne (keebs/composer), Vinny Golia (woodwinds), John Fumo (trumpet),
Bruce Fowler (trombone), Steuart Liebig (bass), Alex Cline (drums), &
me, of course. Sort of the kinder/gentler Doppler Funk (live gigs with
this band were insane!). |
| Artist | Nels
Cline |
| Title | Angelica |
| Label | Enja
LP & CD 5063 |
| Notes | w/
Tim Berne, Alex Cline, Eric Von Essen, Stacy Rowles. I think this is still
in print in Europe (check the cut-out lists for Amercian copies). I'm
still very proud of this session. This is my first effort as a leader,
and while I can hear my nerves trembling on a lot of it, the writing and
playing seems to hold up well. A facet of my work that has since been
less-explored. Find it if you can! |
| 1989 |
| Artist | Quartet
Music |
| Title | Summer
Night |
| Label | Delos
International CD 4010 |
| Notes | Recorded
direct-to-digital by your favorite, acoustic mini orchestra on the verge
of disintegration. Delos totally ripped us off. That said, this is quite
representative of our sound, and you still may find it around somewhere. |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | Live
at the Knitting Factory Vol. One |
| Label | A&M
CD & LP 5242 |
| Notes | w/
Dresser-Feldman-Cline/"Harkening." When we listened to this
upon its release we could not figure out what we were hearing. Turns out
it was our soundcheck! Fortunately, even our soundchecks were
pretty damn good! This was a rare and beautiful experience - a gig wherein
i subbed for cellist Hank Roberts. |
| 1990 |
| Artist | Alex
Cline |
| Title | The
Lamp and the Star |
| Label | ECM
CD 1372 |
| Notes | Track
3 only. Try
ECM's website for a personnel listing. What i do on this album is sing
in a "male choir," but it's pretty much mixed out of the album
(i produced the original session). A great record (i'm not biased at all!)
|
| 1991 |
| Artist | Dennis
Gonzalez |
| Title | The
Earth and the Heart: The NYC and LA Sessions |
| Label | Konnex
CD 5028 |
| Notes | Reissued
in 1997 on Koch Jazz. I wrote a piece on this album that i'm really happy
about called "Two For Mr. Bradford" dedicated to Bobby Bradford,
of course. Trumpeter Gonzalez with Ken Filiano (bass), Alex Cline (drums),
yours truly, Andrew Cyrille (drums) and some other guy who i never met
on guitar. |
| Artist | Bloc |
| Title | In
the Free Zone |
| Label | A&M
CD 75021 |
| Notes | Ack!!!
Major label funky rock that has to be one of the most '80's-sounding records
recorded in the '90's.
This band was really like a disfunctional family. We stayed together for
over 7 years and now i just wonder... I did get to grow my hair, dress
funny, and wear make-up which was important to me at the time! With Steuart
Liebig (bass), Christopher Mancinelli (drums), Camille Henry (voice),
Nick Kirgo (guitar), and rock-boy me. Thankfully out-of-print (we were
dropped 4 weeks after the album's release.) |
| Artist | Vinny
Golia |
| Title | Blood
and Concrete: A Love Story |
| Label | IRS
CD N25G13825 |
| Notes | Soundtrack.
Good luck finding this! It was just an EP but if you find the movie you'll
hear tons of cool music. |
| Artist | Nels
Cline Trio |
| Title | Lady
Speed Stick |
| Label | Ecstatic
Peace!/WDTCHC/Forced Exposure/Magnatone/Amphinomics/Interonic Sentient
Media/Senseware from the Senseworks 7" (FE 028 F&M 999 NCTVSISMO 2709
MGT EP #17 - 7" BOX 1/1) |
| Notes | 7
labels, one 7"! A rockout dedicated to Kim Gordon with Mark London
Sims (bass) and Michael Preussner (drums). |
| 1992 |
| Artist | Nels
Cline Trio |
| Title | Silencer
|
| Label | Enja
CD 6098 |
| Notes | w/
Mark London Sims, Michael Preussner. Out-of-print in the States (but check
those cut-out lists or eBay). The first Trio recording - a bit low-key
and reverb-y, but in spite of my insistence on harmonizer, a lot of this
still sounds good. The German release (magenta cover letters) has some
really inept liner notes, the American one (red cover letters - out-of-print)
has notes by yours truly. |
| Artist | Nels
Cline Trio |
| Title | Beardism/WDTCHC
(theme) |
| Label | Ecstatic
Peace!/Father Yod 7" E#28 FYPS 2 |
| Notes | Side
1 with Mark London Sims on bass. Side 2 with Mike Watt on bass. Michael
Preussner plays drums on both sides. Trio 7"'s were always pretty
rocking affairs! |
| 1993 |
| Artist | Film
Score |
| Title | Welcome,
Said the Angel (France) |
| Label | none |
| Notes | No
soundtrack album available. Both films were scored direct to DAT in one
day with John Fumo (trumpet), Robert Lloyd (keyboards), Bob Mair (basses),
Michael Preussner (drums).
This was nerve-wracking and also fun. I enjoy the Bad Seeds-inspired love
theme to this day...Now on DVD, I'm told. |
| Artist | Film
Score |
| Title | Hard
Drive (straight to video) (Triboro Entertainment Group) |
| Label | none |
| Notes | No
soundtrack album available. Both films were scored direct to DAT in one
day with John Fumo (trumpet), Robert Lloyd (keyboards), Bob Mair (basses),
Michael Preussner (drums).
I can't really recommend these movies. This one had some very tongue-in-cheek
writing and was a ridiculously bottom-wrung Hollywood experience. A total
B- movie! I think this is on DVD, too. |
| Artist | Brad
Dutz |
| Title | Camels
|
| Label | Nine
Winds CD 0152 |
| Notes | Tracks
5 & 9 only. Mr. Dutz is one of the most creative and indefatigable
percussion/composition forces around. And, he always has hilarious song
titles. |
| Artist | fIREHOSE |
| Title | Mr.
Machinery Operator |
| Label | Columbia
CD 53208 |
| Notes | Track
13 only. (If
you blink you'll miss me!) |
| 1994 |
| Artist | Borneo
Express |
| Title | From
Here to Nowhere |
| Label | B
Jeavis CD 0101 [Norway] |
| Notes | Tracks
2 & 8 only. One of the worst recordings ever
made.
(When friends do favors for friends...) |
| Artist | Deborah
Holland |
| Title | Freudian
Slip |
| Label | Bugle/Dog
& Pony CD 7971 180001 28 |
| Notes | Tracks
2 & 3 only. |
| Artist | Bonnie
Barnett |
| Title | Delay
in Gravity |
| Label | Nine
Winds CD 0161 |
| Notes | Tracks
7 & 10 only. Ms. Barnett, a vocalist, is one of the many unheralded
L.A.-based free improvisers whom you should check out. |
| Artist | Nels
Cline Trio |
| Title | Pants
|
| Label | Ecstatic
Peace!/Father Yod 7" E#50/FYPS 7 |
| Notes | This
A-side tune (dedicated to Polly Jean Harvey) turned out to be many people's
favorite neo-rock Trio anthem. For all you obsessives, the piece "Nico's
Dream" on the B-side incorporates a melody from the Horace Silver
piece "Nica's Dream". |
| 1995 |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | Our
Band Could Be Your Life: A Tribute to D Boon and the Minutemen
|
| Label | little
brother CD & LP lb-003 |
| Notes | Nels
Cline Trio: "Self Referenced"/"West Germany". The
only Trio track with my vocals (if you could call them that). This track
started my relationship with the fabulous svengali of little brother records,
Mike Hogan. |
| Artist | Brad
Dutz |
| Title | Krin |
| Label | Interworld
CD 919 |
| Notes | Tracks
1 & 10 only. |
| Artist | Mike
Watt |
| Title | Ball-hog
or Tugboat? |
| Label | Columbia
CD & 2xLP 67086 |
| Notes | Tracks
1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 11 only. What
an experience! I ended up on a lot of tracks, then went out on tour w/
Watt. Check out his hootpage. |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | Whore:
Various Artists Play Wire |
| Label | WMD
CD 2 |
| Notes | w/
Mike Watt and the Crew of the Flying Saucer /"The 15th".
Mike said, "Raccoon
coats!" This is his 1930's fratboy take on the classic Wire tune
and has 4 guitarists on it! |
| Artist | Nels
Cline Trio |
| Title | Ground
|
| Label | Krown
Pocket CD & 3x7" 02 |
| Notes | This
CD was only supposed to be a 7". Somehow, after listening to a bunch
of unreleased demos, Krown Pocket kingpin Brian Rosser opted for a full
release. Recorded for about $100, this has some of the Trio's more tongue-in-cheek
rock
stuff as well as some affecting balladry etc. The luscious Bruce Licher-designed
triple 7" was a surprise. Brian said "Polvo did it!" Bob
Mair on bass & Michael Preussner on drums. |
| 1996 |
| Artist | The
Turkanas |
| Title | Under
One Sky |
| Label | Tonga
CD 8301 |
| Notes | I
won't reveal the leader's true name on this pseudo-African project done
for some French guy. Includes G.E. Stinson among others. Humorously, all
the song titles are right, but assigned to the wrong songs! |
| Artist | Osamu
Kitajima |
| Title | Beyond
the Circle |
| Label | CyberOctave
CD 2002 |
| Notes | Don't
ever say that the New Age market and I are strangers! (Sometimes i get
a session...) |
| Artist | Vinny
Golia Quintet |
| Title | Against
the Grain |
| Label | Nine
Winds CD 0159 |
| Notes | With
Rob Blakeslee (trumpet, fluegelhorn), Ken Filiano (bass), Billy Mintz
(drums). Like this one a lot! Recorded in about 4 hours. |
| Artist | The
West Coast Modern Day Punk Rock Orchestra |
| Title | Correspondence
|
| Label | little
brother 7" lb-007 |
| Notes | Jovi!!! |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | O
Come All Ye Faithful: Rock 4 Choice |
| Label | Columbia
CD 67376 |
| Notes | w/
Mike Watt and the Crew Of The Flying Saucer. The only artifact that documents
the touring Watt band of '95: Watt, Vince Megrouni, Michael Presssner
& moi. There is a Minutemen-like spirit to this track (I think). |
| Artist | Vinny
Golia Quintet |
| Title | Razor |
| Label | Nine
Winds CD 0169 |
| Notes | With
Mike Vlatkovitch (trombone), Ken Filiano (bass), Billy Mintz (drums).
Never knew this was going to be a record. A very oblique session. |
| Artist | Jeremy
Toback |
| Title | Jeremy
Toback |
| Label | Cherry
Disc CD 22843 |
| Notes | Me
with G.E. Stinson on guitars trying to create some nice, hooky arrangements
for sensitive songwriter boy Toback. |
| Artist | A
Thousand Other Names |
| Title | A
Thousand Other Names |
| Label | Birdcage
CD 110014 |
| Notes | This
was G.E. Stinson's group with Karou (voice), Brad Dutz (percussion), and
yours truly. G.E.'s songs (yes, he sings) were excellent vehicles for
our unique and atmospheric improvisational style. Well worth listening
to if you can find it (and one of my favorite groups i've ever worked
with.) By the way, I did the artwork on the album. |
| Artist | Mark
Weber |
| Title | Obbligatos
For Terpsichorean Dispomaniacs |
| Label | Nine
Winds CD 0182 |
| Notes | Poetry
and improvised music featuring a large ensemble of folks here in L.A. |
| Artist | Nels
Cline Trio |
| Title | Chest
|
| Label | little
brother CD & 2xLP lb-006 |
| Notes | Sort
of our most epic alb. Includes the crowd pleaser of '94, "The Gamine."
Double vinyl includes bonus track! With Bob Mair (bass) & Michael
Preussner (drums). Contrary to popular belief, both formats are still
in print (AND that's not my torso on the back, it belongs to Violeta.)
|
| 1997 |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | Dice
2 (She Says) |
| Label | Ishtar
CD 002 |
| Notes | w/
Bonnie Barnett. Duets with the always inventive and controversial vocalist.
|
| Artist | Joel
Harrison |
| Title | 3+3=7
|
| Label | Nine
Winds CD 0187 |
| Notes | Two
variations on a concept: 3 guitars, 3 percussionists. With guitarist Harrison
plus Steve Cardenas, John Schott, Alex Cline, Brad Dutz, John C. Holmes,
Scott Amendola, Glenn Cronkhite & Garth Powell. |
| Artist | The
Geraldine Fibbers |
| Title | What
Part of Get Thee Gone Don't You Understand? |
| Label | Sympathy
for the Record Industry CD 481 |
| Notes | Track
15 only (recorded
live at the El Rey in Los Angeles). |
| Artist | Wayne
Kramer |
| Title | Citizen
Wayne |
| Label | Epitaph
CD & LP 86488 |
| Notes | Track
11 only. After doing a bunch of wild, free pieces i somehow got turned
into a tiny little loop! If you can tell that this is me you should win
something really expensive. |
| Artist | James
Carney |
| Title | Offset
Rhapsody |
| Label | Jacaranda
CD 71002 |
| Notes | Track
7 only. |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | The
Patio Collection, Volume 2 |
| Label | Smilex
CD 007 |
| Notes | Track
9 only (Nels Cline "Totally Tourist"). This
is me overdubbed with vocals taken from a phone conversation that accidentally
got on my phone machine between the Smilex Records guy and his ex-girlfriend!
Isn't technology mysterious? |
| Artist | Vinny
Golia Quintet |
| Title | A
Nation of Laws |
| Label | Nine
Winds CD 0189 |
| Notes | With
Rob Blakeslee (trumpet), Joel Hamilton (bass) & Alex Cline (percussion).
Vinny recorded this in the sequence he wanted the CD to be in to save
money in editing (just like Double Nickles on The Dime!). |
| Artist | Gregg
Bendian's Interzone |
| Title | Gregg
Bendian's Interzone |
| Label | Eremite
CD MTE03 |
| Notes | Bendian
on vibes with Mark Dresser (bass) & Alex Cline (drums). Kind of thin
sounding, but a great band nonetheless. (*See 2004 CD reissue
on Atavistic). |
| Artist | Banyan |
| Title | Banyan
|
| Label | CyberOctave
CD 2005 |
| Notes | With
Steve Perkins, The Freeway Keyboardist and Mike Watt. This was supposed
to have Dave Navarro instead of me. The concept was to improvise on material
from Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" - as though any of these
people even really knew the piece! What we ended up with was an album
of edited and slightly overdubbed jamming that's pretty interesting. I
miss "The Freeway Keyboardist". |
| Artist | Nels
Cline
& Thurston Moore |
| Title | In-Store |
| Label | Father
Yod/WDTCHC CD FYP-C17/BOX 3/3 |
| Notes | Recorded
the same day as "Pillow Wand", live at Rhino Records West L.A.
What can i say about playing with Thurston? It's really great and I really
am proud of this CD. |
| Artist | The
Geraldine Fibbers |
| Title | Butch
|
| Label | Virgin
CD & cass. 7243 8 4419 Sympathy for the Record Industry 2xLP 507 |
| Notes | Much
has been written about this band and this record. Suffice to say that
I am extremely proud of this. Find it before it disappears forever. |
| Artist | The
Geraldine Fibbers |
| Title | California
Tuffy |
| Label | Virgin
7" 7pro-12748 |
| Notes | Promo
only. |
| Artist | Nels
Cline & Thurston Moore |
| Title | Pillow
Wand |
| Label | little
brother CD lb-011 |
| Notes | Intentionally
minimal duets which we called "The Dream Guitar Project" for
a long time before we actually did it. Pillow wand (a make-up applicator)
is a metaphor for "dream guitar". The cover photo (of clothes
designer Wendy Mullin) ended up costing me more than the actual session
(which only took about 2 1/2 hours)! I guess i got charged the rock star
rate. *This
was also licensed in Europe to the German label Skycap (CD 001). |
| Artist | Mike
Watt |
| Title | Contemplating
the Engine Room |
| Label | Columbia
CD 68161 |
| Notes | Watt's
"punk rock opera". A really affecting (and unjustly ignored)
conceptual work with TONS of guitar playing. Steve Hodges on drums &
percussion (YEAH!). For more on this amazing project, go to Watt's hootpage.
|
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | The
Basement Tapes Volume Two: Live Underground |
| Label | KSPC
CD 2 |
| Notes | Nels
Cline & Woody Aplanalp/"Fly Fly". Woodward Lee Aplanalp. He
rules! |
| 1998 |
| Artist | Mary
Lou Lord |
| Title | Got
No Shadow |
| Label | Sony/WORK
Group CD 67574 |
| Notes | Tracks
4,5,7 only. Promos for this album listed me as one of Mary Lou's "musical
friends". (But it was four years after this recording session that
I finally did meet her in Boston!) |
| Artist | Nels
Cline + Devin Sarno |
| Title | Rise
Pumpkin Rise |
| Label | Volvolo
LP LO-1209 |
| Notes | CRIB
dronemeister Devin Sarno and me doing what we do best: raising some sonic
dust! Never should have done this on vinyl ('cause it sounds pretty wimpy
and crackly), but what the hell? You have to own it anyway. (Note the
obscure Guv'ner reference.) |
| Artist | Nels
Cline Trio |
| Title | Sad
|
| Label | little
brother CD lb-012 |
| Notes | This
title, initially tongue-in-cheek, turned out to be horrifically prophetic
in many ways. Not only was this to be the last Trio session (which was
itself quite stressful), there were sound problems, and other people involved
with the project either died or were seriously fucked up around this time.
Not to mention the fact that my personal life was later in shreds! Nonetheless
i think that in spite of a few technical probs that this album has some
of our best stuff. |
| Artist | Scarnella |
| Title | s/t
|
| Label | Smells
Like CD SLR-027 |
| Notes | Scarnella,
for those of you who don't know, is an anagram of Carla & Nels. This
is truly one of the happiest projects i've ever worked on. We're super
proud of this one, so when your local record shop tells you they can't
get it, pitch a fit! Don't give up! Thanks. (P.S. That's Carla Bozulich,
for all of you who may have been living in a bomb shelter for the last
10 years). |
| Artist | Nels
Cline + Devin Sarno |
| Title | Edible
Flowers |
| Label | WIN
CD WIN030 |
| Notes | Very
proud of this part live/part studio duo document with CRIBmeister Devin.
This in spite of the fact that we had to do some gnarly cover-up action
(and stiff-arming) involving the mad taper who had recorded some of the
live stuff. This album was almost an accident yet it has garnered a staggering
amount of favorable press. |
| Artist | Mark
Weber |
| Title | Time
Zone Differential |
| Label | Zerx
CD 007 |
| Notes | Tracks
1,2,4,5,7,8,10-17, 20 only. |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | Yo
Miles! |
| Label | Shanachie
2xCD 5046 |
| Notes | w/
Henry Kaiser & Wadada Leo Smith. There are millions of people on this
double CD. They're all good, and i think Henry did a good job as producer
of this session which produced over 8 hours of recorded material! |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | SWR
Sound |
| Label | SWR
giveaway |
| Notes | Nels
Cline Trio "Bath" (taken from "Chest" CD). If you
went to the NAMM show a couple of years ago, the SWR booth was giving
these away. (Surprise!) |
| Artist | Mark
Weber |
| Title | Bygone
Tumbleweeds, Tarnation of Smoke |
| Label | Zerx
CD 011 |
| Notes | Track
8 only. |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | Super
Bad at 65 : A Tribute to James Brown |
| Label | Zero
Hour ZERCD 1220 |
| Notes | Scarnella
"Hot Pants (She Got To Use What She Got To Get What She Wants)"
(track #10 only). The first Scarnella recording! Features my drumset debut.
The name Scarnella is misspelled on the actual package. Funny story: the
original title of this comp was "Super Bad at 70", but James
Brown's people insist he's not that old! |
| 1999 |
| Artist | Sissybar |
| Title | Songs
For Peeps |
| Label | Mootron
MOO005 |
| Notes | Track
12 only (playing the Chapman Stick!) |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | Drinking
From Puddles |
| Label | Kill
Rock Stars CD 318 |
| Notes | Track
6 only w/ The Geraldine Fibbers "Butch". With the first appearance
of temp violinist/extraordinary human Jessica Moss. |
| Artist | G.E.
Stinson |
| Title | Vapor
|
| Label | Ecstatic
Peace! E#CD 176 |
| Notes | Tracks
4,6 only. G.E. gives names to all his improv bands. I'm in Stinkbug and
the G.E. Stinson String Ensemble (these involve Steuart Liebig, Scott
Amendola & Jeff Gauthier.) Thurston asked me to write the liner notes. |
| Artist | Mike
Watt & The Black Gang |
| Title | This
is A Prayer |
| Label | Kill
Rock Stars 7" 352 |
| Notes | The
only document of this trio which toured at the end of '98. Bob Lee wails
on drums! This is a piece that i wrote backed with yours truly playing
a solo guitar version of a Captain Beefheart piece with the addition of
tour spiel (i tried to talk Watt out of this part but...) Very cool (&
i did the cover art). |
| Artist | Banyan |
| Title | Anytime
At All |
| Label | CyberOctave
CD |
| Notes | Tracks
9 & 13 only. |
| Artist | Nels
Cline & Gregg Bendian |
| Title | Interstellar
Space Revisited: The Music of John Coltrane |
| Label | Atavistic
ALP 102 CD |
| Notes | Our
guitar and percussion version of the John Coltrane & Rashied Ali duets.
Recorded live in L.A. and NYC. We thought we would get killed for doing
this but reviews have been alarmingly favorable and we were actually nominated
for an International Jazz Critics Award (didn't win though). |
| 2000 |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | Pakistani
Space Album! |
| Label | Wallace
Records CD [Italy] |
| Notes | w/
Bonnie Barnett, others. Good luck finding this! I couldn't even find a
matrix number! I guess the concept behind this was that various people
cover songs or a song by some Italian lady. Bonnie's group for this was:
Mark Trayle (samples), Carla Bozulich (samples), Richard Wood (woodwinds),
Dan Ostermann (trombone) & yours truly. |
| Artist | Two
Dollar Guitar |
| Title | Weak
Beats and Lame-ass Rhymes |
| Label | Smells
Like Records |
| Notes | Track
1 only. Buy this record 'cause it's good! |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | The
Music of Eric Von Essen - Vol. 1 |
| Label | Cryptogramophone
CG 103 |
| Notes | I'm
on 4 tracks in 2 different combos playing the music of my greatest teacher/soul
brother. Fake Quartet Music sesh featured Michael Elizondo on bass. Another
quartet was with Joel Hamilton (bass), David Witham (piano). Alex Cline
in both. Two more volumes follow this. |
| Artist | Nels
Cline |
| Title | The
Inkling |
| Label | Cryptogramophone
CD 105 |
| Notes | Mark
Dresser (bass), Zeena Parkins (electric & acoustic harp), Billy Mintz
(drums). I'm damn proud of this! Thanks to Jeff Gauthier for making it
possible. See reviews on the Cryptogramophone site for hype. This session,
recorded in NYC, is about 1/2 acoustic, and charts some territory not
often explored on my other recordings. And, if you are aware of the powerful
talents of Dresser, Parkins, and Mintz, you know that this is something
to hear (and that they kicked my ass!). |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | New
Coat of Paint: Songs of Tom Waits |
| Label | Manifesto
MFO 42101-2 |
| Notes | Tracks
3, 10 only. What a bizarre thing! An album of early Waits stuff because
the label guy owns the publishing to these tunes! Yet, it enabled me to
do some TOTALLY RAD tracks. "Heartattack and Vine" with Lydia
Lunch, Joseph Berardi and William Tutton (perhaps the last ever track
recorded with his old Fibbers upright bass before he sold it). PLUS Carla
Bozulich's near-visionary rendering of "On The Nickel" with
a string quintet & harp!!! |
| Artist | Gregg
Bendian's Interzone |
| Title | Myriad |
| Label | Atavistic
CD ALP 119 |
| Notes | This
time with Steuart Liebig on electric bass, this is the more prog rock
Interzone. |
| Artist | Phillip
Greenlief & Covered Pages |
| Title | Russian
Notebooks |
| Label | Evander
Music CD EM 007 |
| Notes | Greenlief
(the fabulous Bay area woodwind player) along with Vinny Golia, G.E. Stinson
& yours truly. A very amorphous and conceptual album. |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | Knormalities
Vol. 2 |
| Label | Exclamatories!
DKM05/AMAKN02 7" compilation |
| Notes | This
disc is a tandem release by Dephine Knormal Music (USA) & Amanita
Records (France), and also features Moe!kestra! and Alboth. Edition of
600 pressed. My track ("Food Dries On") is me on guitar &
"metal" microjammer w/ Carla Bozulich as the "phone voice,"
and it's 2 minutes long. Dedicated to Mynka. (To order contact: info@amanitarecords.com). |
| 2001 |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | The
Music of Eric Von Essen - Vol. 2 |
| Label | Cryptogramophone
CG108 |
| Notes | The
second of 3 volumes. (See Vol. 1 listing under year 2000 for personnel
info.). |
| Artist | Destroy
All Nels Cline |
| Title | s/t
|
| Label | Atavistic
CD ALP 122 |
| Notes | One
of my personal favorite achievements because it takes me to a place sonically/compositionally/emotionally
that I like/need to go to - in other words, I actually listen to it! With
G.E. Stinson, Woodward Lee Aplanalp, Carla Bozulich, Zeena Parkins, Alex
Cline, Wayne Peet & Bob Mair. |
| Artist | Gregg
Bendian's Interzone |
| Title | Requiem
for Jack Kirby |
| Label | Atavistic
CD ALP 125 |
| Notes | The
third CD and the third permutation (Bendian, Alex Cline, Joel Hamilton,
me) a concept album with 78 minutes of music dedicated to the influential-yet-almost-ignored
Marvel cartoonist/visionary so beloved by Gregg. The CD art featuring
full color Kirby and endless liner notes alone are worth it! |
| Artist | Steuart
Liebig |
| Title | Pomegranate
|
| Label | Cryptogramophone
CG 109 |
| Notes | An
amazing tour-de-force of inventive composition/improvisation by one of
my most long-standing musical associates. I'm on track 4 of 4. Each piece
has a featured soloist + an 8 piece group. Other soloists = Tom Varner,
Vinny Golia, Mark Dresser. |
| Artist | Alex
Cline Ensemble |
| Title | The
Constant Flame |
| Label | Cryptogramophone
CD 110 |
| Notes | I'm
on one piece (along w/ Vinny Golia), the title track, which is dedicated
to the memory of John Carter. The last recording of this particular Ensemble,
and a continuation of the Bro's heartfelt music dedicated to his favorite
artists. |
| Artist | Acoustic
Guitar Trio |
| Title | s/t
|
| Label | Incus
CD 46 |
| Notes | Improvised,
microtonal, and quite varied, this is the first of what I hope is a string
of cogent explorations on record with these amazing gentlemen (Jim McAuley
& Rod Poole). |
| Artist | Mark
Isham |
| Title | Don't
Say A Word (Soundtrack) |
| Label | Varese
Sarabande 302 066 291 2 |
| Notes | I
don't even own this, but in what must be a classic bit of Hollywood sickness,
when I finally saw the movie, the 8 minute opening cue- which I really
thought was amazing -- had been totally expunged and the temp music put
in! And that was my major bit on this soundtrack! How shit like this happens
is beyond me! And it's why I could never hack the movie thing - too much
idiocy! |
| Artist | Zeena
Parkins/Nels Cline/Thurston Moore |
| Title | Live
at Easthampton Town Hall |
| Label | JMZ
Records JMZ 002 |
| Notes | This
trio played 4 gigs on the East Coast. All of them were very satisfying,
all of them were taped by somebody, but I think this night was my personal
favorite. Who knows if the others will emerge. Buy this and it helps The
Flywheel, a cultural center/collective in East Hampton. And, you get a
good slab of string-driven instant composition. |
| Artist | Freda
Rente |
| Title | Where's
My Water? |
| Label | Man
Woman Sex Birth Death Productions |
| Notes | Track
5 only. |
| 2002 |
| Artist | Jeff
Gauthier Goatette |
| Title | Mask
|
| Label | Cryptogramophone
CG112 |
| Notes | I'm
proud of this - a "jazz-esque" foray into freedom, groove, and
chamber music with some of my favorite people/musicians. I wrote "The
Fools". |
| Artist | The
Nels Cline Singers |
| Title | Instrumentals
|
| Label | Cryptogramophone
CG113 |
| Notes | The
debut recording! See
TECH TALK for extensive notes on this session. |
| Artist | CRIB |
| Title | Remnant |
| Label | True
Classical CDs/Transparency TCCD-013/0168 |
| Notes | Track
3 only.
Before Devin Sarno dropped the CRIB moniker he made this somewhat epic-in-scope
mood record with some of his favorite collaborators. You know you need
it! |
| Artist | Bobb
Bruno |
| Title | The
Shy Tuff Bunny Runs Away |
| Label | Transparency
0106 |
| Notes | Bobb
Bruno is in the Polar Goldie Cats, The For Carnation, Owl & Friend.
He was in The Uphill Gardeners way back when. This is his uniquely insular
slice of personal soundworld that embraces industrial/metal/lo-fi/meditative/noise
instrumental idioms. I play lap steel on one track. |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | 156
Strings |
| Label | Cuneiform
Rune 163 |
| Notes | Henry
Kaiser asked me to contribute a short bit of acoustic guitar to this daunting
roster for a benefit disc. I recorded a bunch of stuff near my house at
Wet 'n Dry Studio with George Tseng and picked this improv - a sort of
portrait of a most dysfunctional cat named Runaway. Playing solo wracks
my nerves like you wouldn't believe - just me and my......shit! |
| Artist | The
Nels Cline Trio |
| Title | Hold
It Under a Faucet |
| Label | Ecstatic
Peace! |
| Notes | 7"
single. It took something like 6 years for this now "posthumous"
release to emerge. Some things take time... Anyway, this is the last artifact
of my old trio with Bob Mair and Michael Preussner, and like its 7"
predecessors it is by turns rocking, odd, humorous, and brief. |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | soundCd
no. 1 |
| Label | Sound
Net |
| Notes | Disc
01: Tracks 1, 6, 8. Disc 02: Track 6. Some examples of collaborations
with some of my favorite L.A.-based improvisors/pals, as selected by curator
Cindy Bernard.
|
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | The
Music of Eric Von Essen, Vol. 3 |
| Label | Cryptogramophone |
| Notes | This
is the last in this series of releases documenting the compositions of
my late friend and - for many years - close musical collaborator/teacher.
But unlike the first two, this one contains an acoustic duet with New
York bassist Ken Filiano. Check all of these CDs out if you like "jazz"
of great breadth and nuance.
|
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | The
Debaser Compilation #1 |
| Label | Debaser
|
| Notes | Track
17: Nels Cline + Devin Sarno "Missal" (Excerpt of live performance
from Knitting Factory Hollywood). This was a 20 track comp CD given away
in copies of local L.A. music fanzine Debaser. |
| 2003 |
| Artist | Scott
Amendola Band |
| Title | Cry |
| Label | Cryptogramophone
CG116 |
| Notes | This
is Scott's second Band CD, but the first with yours truly. After many
wonderful gigs/tours, we went in to record Scott's wide-ranging compositions.
After a lot of problems with the studio equipment, we finally emerged
with this document, which features Scott and me + Jenny Scheinman, Eric
Crystal, Todd Sickafoose, and a gut-wrenching version of Dylan's "Masters
of War" sung by Carla Bozulich. |
| Artist | Scot
Ray Quintet |
| Title | Active
Vapor Recovery |
| Label | Cryptogramophone
CG117 |
| Notes | Scot
Ray is a great trombone player/composer who happened to form a band with
most of my most long-standing friends-cum-musical associates (Alex Cline,
Jeff Gauthier, and Steuart Liebig. Jeff's the newest - I started playing
with him in 1980...). Like most of what I/we do, it's all over the map
stylistically, and it was really fun to do. Scot now lives in Wyoming
and is playing a lot of excellent Dobro slide guitar (!). |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | Swallowed
By Machinery, Vol. 3 |
| Label | Fort
Hazel FHM045 |
| Notes | 1
track by The Nels Cline Singers: "Have A Bitchin' Summer". Written
to prominently feature Scott Amendola's electronics (manipulated with
his left hand while he played the drum set with his right). The decision
to have the contrabass play arco was very post-Fibbers! |
| Artist | Carla
Bozulich |
| Title | Red
Headed Stranger |
| Label | DiCristina
Stairbuilders |
| Notes | So
much could be said about this project. It's a major one. We toured the
U.S. and Canada, then recorded it with (Jenny Scheinman added on some
tracks) in L.A. in one day (not counting some vocal retakes with a new
mic, etc. a day later). Because there was little money, it was mixed here
and there, pulling favors. Then my friend John played it for Willie Nelson,
and he wanted to play and sing on some of it! So here it is: Carla's way
back into performing and recording was to do her version of this classic,
breakthrough Willie Nelson concept album - an album she has been rather
obsessed with. Like INTERSTELLAR SPACE (REVISITED), it was a risky homage
to what some would view as a "sacred cow", but the love is there,
and most found it stirring (including Mr. Willie Nelson). |
| Artist | Blue
Man Group |
| Title | The
Complex |
| Label | Lava |
| Notes | Tracks
6, 9, 10, 13. I initially went to New York to play a "blazing"
solo on their cover of The Who's "Baba O'Reilly", but the song
- which I did play on - never made the final cut. It's funny then that
I ended up playing on 5 other tracks! And they're all here. Not really
obvious contributions, mix-wise, but these main Blue Men and the core
band members were really great to work for/with. |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | You've
Got Your Orders |
| Label | Chrome
Peeler |
| Notes | Nels
Cline solo guitar track: "X-Ray My Dreams". The fellow who put
this comp together suggested the title, suggested I try to keep the track
under 4 minutes, and then said I could do absolutely anything. Since this
was a 'freebie', I edited a bootleg recording of me playing solo accompaniment
to a dance recital. |
| Artist | Mia
Doi Todd |
| Title | The
Golden State |
| Label | Columbia |
| Notes | Tracks
1, 3, 6, 9. Produced by Mitchell Froom and Yves Beauvais, this was a 'pro'
date that went OK considering it was a big Sony sesh, replete with all
the comforts and discomforts. My contribution was pretty minimal, I think. |
| Artist | Noe
Venable |
| Title | The
World Is Bound By Secret Knots |
| Label | Petridish |
| Notes | As
I wrote extensively on the NEWS page on this site, this was a really fun
and rather vague recording session on what ended up being a rather classic
album (in my opinion) by an amazingly gifted young singer/songwriter.
Produced and recorded almost miraculously by Todd Sickafoose in their
house in Oakland, this was fun and challenging for me. Check it out! |
| Artist | A.J.
Roach |
| Title | Dogwood
Winter |
| Label | New
FolkStar |
| Notes | Tracks
4, 6. Across the hall from Todd Sickafoose's home studio lurked a folk
singer named A.J. Roach. After hearing me play on a lot of Noe Venable's
stuff, he asked me to play a couple of acoustic solos on his record. It's
well done, rather classically traditional mountain folk with a modern
edge, and this stuff is always harder for me to do than most other musics.
I tried. He's a talented guy, by the way. |
| Artist | Steve
Shelton |
| Title | Some
Stories |
| Label | Petridish |
| Notes | Tracks
2, 7. |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | Neon
Meate Dream of A Octafish (Tribute to Captian Beefheart & his Magic
Band) |
| Label | Animal
World Recordings |
| Notes | Track
w/ Mike Watt & Michael Preussner ("Dirty Blue Gene"). This
was originally recorded in 1994 for Watt's epic "Ball Hog or Tugboat?".
There are many good outtakes from this record, and this one - almost slavishly
Magic Band-esque - is one of them. We worked our asses off to get this
to the point you hear on this comp! |
| Artist | The
Vinny Golia Quintet |
| Title | One,
Three, Two |
| Label | Jazz'Halo
TS018-019 2xCD |
| Notes | Recorded
live @ La Tentation (Brussels). This double CD documents our run through
Belgium in the tragically-charged month of September 2001. We flew out
of New York's JFK after midnight on what was then technically Sept. 11th!
Anyway, while weird shadows loomed, this was still a great experience
and well-documents Mr. Golia's quintet approach that I have participated
in on and off for almost 30 years (!). With Michael Vlatkovitch, Scott
Walton, Alex Cline, Vinny, me. |
| Artist | Rickie
Lee Jones |
| Title | The
Evening of My Best Day |
| Label | V2 |
| Notes | Track
9 only. I'm only on one track on this, but it was my first encounter with
Ms. Jones, who kind of blew me away with her consistency as a performer
in the studio. I like the song I'm on (with Mike Watt, Pete Thomas, and
others added later) pretty well, but the album itself is a KILLER. |
| 2004 |
| Artist | Carla
Bozulich |
| Title | I'm
Gonna Stop Killing |
| Label | DiCristina
Stair Builders Step03 |
| Notes | 9
song studio + live EP. This seems like an almost secret release. It was
originally intended as a Europe/U.K.-only E.P. to coincide with Carla's
performance at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival (Spring 2004), but
the label (surprise!) released it in the U.S. too, with no fanfare whatsoever.
It's basically 2 tracks from RED HEADED STRANGER, plus a selection of
tapers' 'live' tracks culled from our last 3 tours together (making it
full album length, by the way). As a major Bozulich fan , I'd have to
say that this is a really cool document. All the range, quirks, pathos,
and humor are in evidence - originals and covers. A personal fave. And
I took the cover portrait, by the way. |
| Artist | Nels
Cline & Devin Sarno |
| Title | Buried
on Bunker Hill |
| Label | Groundfault
GF028 |
| Notes | The
third dronefest (and the most refined recording) by me and Cribmeister
Sarno. We love doing this music, and it's surprising sometimes how much
others like it, too! |
| Artist | Nels
Cline & Vinny Golia |
| Title | The
Entire Time |
| Label | Nine
Winds NWCD0259 |
| Notes | After
almost 30 years (!) of jamming, hanging, touring, and other new music/jazz
mischief, Vinny and I finally made a duo recording for his long-surviving
label. Mostly improvised, this was really fun to do. Why did we wait so
long? Who knows! |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | Secular
Steel |
| Label | Gaff
Music 67917727 |
| Notes | Track
1 only ("Eagle Rockers") w/ Bobb Bruno, Carla Bozulich &
Chris Heenan. Elliott Sharp compiled this collection of errant lap/pedal
steel players, and it's predictably unpredictable. My track. called "Eagle
Rockers", featuresan all-Eagle Rock lineup of Carla Bozulich, Bobb
Bruno, and Chris Heenan, and was recorded on Bobb's home taping deck in
his bedroom (mostly). It's really fun and nonsensically Bollywood-inspired. |
| Artist | The
Nels Cline Singers |
| Title | The
Giant Pin |
| Label | Cryptogramophone
CG120 |
| Notes | The
second Singers salvo, and I couldn't be more pleased. It's the now-familiar
blend of free jazz/psychrock/droneprov/balladry/spacenoise that you've
come to expect by now (I think), but really well-recorded, and with magic
guests Jon Brion and Greg Saunier. Read more elsewhere on this site. |
| Artist | Banyan |
| Title | Live
At Perkins' Palace |
| Label | Sanctuary
06076-84718-2 |
| Notes | This
record, recorded in bits over a long period of time in Stephen Perkins'
garage, is the closest thing to an accurate document of the "core"
version of the band (w/ Mike Watt, Willie Waldman, painter Norton Wisdom,
and yours truly). Lots of guitar, folks! We're sort of what's now called
a "jam band"...but not. |
| Artist | Nels
Cline / Andrea Parkins / Tom Rainey |
| Title | Ash
and Tabula |
| Label | Atavistic
ALP148 |
| Notes | This
trio was instigated by me. We improvise collectively and have a great
time doing it - once a year at Tonic in New York! Sometimes life isn't
all that fair... Anyway, we got a super deal at a nice studio in Manhattan,
so Andrea and I coughed up a bit of cash to record some wailage, Wayne
Peet mixed and edited, and Atavistic put it out in their "Out Trios"
series. A favorite of mine. |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | Spongebob
Squarepants - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
| Label | Warner
Bros. Records |
| Notes | Appears
on 1 track w/ Wilco (*debut recording w/ Wilco). This was recorded really
casually in Chicago at Soma Studios, and is my first Wilco sesh. Cute
power pop song! I played electric 12-string mostly, plus some 6-string
and bass guitar. |
| Artist | Nels
Cline + Chris Corsano + Carlos Giffoni |
| Title | Graduation |
| Label | free103point9 |
| Notes | LP
& CD (recorded in Brooklyn 5/17/03). Sometimes records come out that
one never knew were going to be records... This 'live' blowout with wild
young things Carlos Giffoni and Chris Corsano was one tiny part of a marathon
benefit for Brooklyn pirate radio station FREE103.9. I thought I kind
of stunk it up on this - felt kind of stiff -but here it is, on vinyl,
and with a glitched-out custom version on the B-side. It was the day Carlos
graduated from college. His whole family was there....listening to this
sonic shitstorm.... |
| Artist | Gregg
Bendian's Interzone |
| Title | Gregg
Bendian's Interzone |
| Label | Atavistic
ALP156 |
| Notes | Atavistic's
remastered reissue of Interzone's self-titled debut release
is replete with over 12 minutes of previously unreleased bonus material
(recorded live @ The Alligator Lounge) in a new package with images by
digital maven Bill Elsworth. (See 1997 for original release listing). |
| Artist | Various
Artists |
| Title | soundCd
no. 2 |
| Label | Sound
Net |
| Notes | Disc
01: Tracks 1 ("Venus" w/ Gregg Bendian). This documents the
last time Gregg Bendian and I played INTERSTELLAR SPACE - 2 nights at
the Schindler House in West Hollywood, CA. Though fully 14 minutes long
(!) "Venus" was selected. The whole disc is worth checking out
- from James Tenney to the Polar Goldie Cats! |
| Artist | Lydia
Lunch |
| Title | Smoke
In The Shadows |
| Label | Atavistic |
| Notes | Finally
out, Lydia's collaborations with those Anubian Lights boys, a Terry Edwards
track, and yours truly contributing Mancini-inspired spy noir bits and
pieces. Too much to say about this disc, which is populated with fabulous
musician scum talent. Perhaps Lydia's best in years. |
| Artist | Various
Artists "Sound Migration: An Exhibition of Sound Art & Music" |
| Title | Perish
The Thought (For Raymond Pettibon) |
| Label | Sound
Migration |
| Notes | As
I understand this, this is available as an edition. I guess you'd have
to have 4-channel sound at home or in your "space", but there are quite a few notable artists involved! I was pleased with my piece, on which I play layered guitars, bass, and autoharp. It's pretty cool in 4-channel, though I only heard it that way once (while mixing at Catasonic w/ Mark Wheaton)! Anyway, it's dedicated to the amazing artist Raymond Pettibon, and as I understand it if someone forks out for this "edition", we'll all get paid (hint hint...). |
| Artist | Sky
Saxon & The Seeds |
| Title | Red
Planet |
| Label | Jungle
Records FreudCD080 |
| Notes | 1
track only. Limited pressing. |
| 2005 |
| Artist | Crater |
| Title | Proceed |
| Label | Cycling
'74 (C74-010) |
| Notes |