Paramount Theater
Nels Cline
An “avant-garde guitarist” who “practically burns with talent,” (Dallas Observer), Nels Cline has performed on over 100 albums in the jazz, pop, rock, country, and experimental music genres.
Speaking of his chameleon-like musical abilities, All About Jazz observed that “in the fractured zone between punk, progressive rock, jazz, electronica, and neo-tribal futurism lie all sorts of loose ends just waiting to be tied together in unpredictable ways. Cline's specialty is exactly this."
Keeping “one foot in the avant-garde and one in rock” (Guitar Player), the self-taught Cline displays a mastery of guitar expression that inspired Jazz Times to call him “The World’s Most Dangerous Guitarist.” Born in Los Angeles in 1956, his earliest musical influences included Roger McGuinn, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, John Fahey, and Duane Allman.
Later these giants, as well as those of jazz, jazz/rock, punk, and the improvising avant-garde twisted his head around. Cline claims his most valuable music training came from his work with bassist/multi-instrumentalist Eric von Essen, with whom he performed as a duo from 1977 until von Essen’s untimely death in 1997.
In the late 1970s, Cline formed the influential chamber-jazz group Quartet Music with von Essen, percussionist (and brother) Alex Cline, and violinist Jeff Gauthier. Quartet Music recorded four albums and toured extensively, a twelve-year run highlighted by two performances in 1989 with the Milwaukee Symphony. Cline's first appearance on an album was on woodwindist Vinny Golia's 1978 record, Openhearted. His first work as a bandleader was 1988's Angelica with New York City altoist Tim Berne.
Other musicians Cline has performed and/or recorded with include Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Rickie Lee Jones, Julius Hemphill, Charlie Haden, Tim Berne, Mark Dresser, Bobby Bradford, Elliott Sharp, Thurston Moore, Gregg Bendian, Mark Isham, The Geraldine Fibbers, Thurston Moore, Mike Watt, Devin Sarno, Zeena Parkins, Wadada Leo Smith, Henry Kaiser, The Scott Amendola Band, Banyan, and Carla Bozulich.
Nels Cline
An “avant-garde guitarist” who “practically burns with talent,” (Dallas Observer), Nels Cline has performed on over 100 albums in the jazz, pop, rock, country, and experimental music genres.
Speaking of his chameleon-like musical abilities, All About Jazz observed that “in the fractured zone between punk, progressive rock, jazz, electronica, and neo-tribal futurism lie all sorts of loose ends just waiting to be tied together in unpredictable ways. Cline's specialty is exactly this."
Keeping “one foot in the avant-garde and one in rock” (Guitar Player), the self-taught Cline displays a mastery of guitar expression that inspired Jazz Times to call him “The World’s Most Dangerous Guitarist.” Born in Los Angeles in 1956, his earliest musical influences included Roger McGuinn, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, John Fahey, and Duane Allman.
Later these giants, as well as those of jazz, jazz/rock, punk, and the improvising avant-garde twisted his head around. Cline claims his most valuable music training came from his work with bassist/multi-instrumentalist Eric von Essen, with whom he performed as a duo from 1977 until von Essen’s untimely death in 1997.
In the late 1970s, Cline formed the influential chamber-jazz group Quartet Music with von Essen, percussionist (and brother) Alex Cline, and violinist Jeff Gauthier. Quartet Music recorded four albums and toured extensively, a twelve-year run highlighted by two performances in 1989 with the Milwaukee Symphony. Cline's first appearance on an album was on woodwindist Vinny Golia's 1978 record, Openhearted. His first work as a bandleader was 1988's Angelica with New York City altoist Tim Berne.
Other musicians Cline has performed and/or recorded with include Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Rickie Lee Jones, Julius Hemphill, Charlie Haden, Tim Berne, Mark Dresser, Bobby Bradford, Elliott Sharp, Thurston Moore, Gregg Bendian, Mark Isham, The Geraldine Fibbers, Thurston Moore, Mike Watt, Devin Sarno, Zeena Parkins, Wadada Leo Smith, Henry Kaiser, The Scott Amendola Band, Banyan, and Carla Bozulich.