Nels Cline: Tales of a Daunted Guitarist

Today, we’re putting The Tonearm’s needle on guitarist Nels Cline.

Most people know Nels Cline as Wilco's guitarist for the past two decades. But his range goes far beyond indie rock. He's spent forty-plus years moving between jazz clubs, punk venues, and studios where the rules get bent or thrown out entirely. Rolling Stone put him on their list of the top 100 guitarists of all time, but that tells you nothing about how he actually plays.

His current project, Trio of Bloom, pairs him with keyboardist Craig Taborn and drummer Marcus Gilmore on Pyroclastic Records. The three had never played together before producer David Breskin brought them into the studio in November 2024. What came out sounds like a band that's been working together for years, full of ambient drift and barbed funk that explores the outer edges of dub.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Trio of Bloom's self-titled album)

–

Dig Deeper

Artist and Album

• Visit Nels Cline at nelscline.com and follow him on Instagram and Facebook
• Visit Craig Taborn at craigtaborn.com and follow him on Instagram
• Visit Marcus Gilmore at drummerslams.com and follow him on Instagram
• Purchase Trio of Bloom from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Trio of Bloom on Pyroclastic Records

Collaborators and Producer

• David Breskin - producer, poet, and creative catalyst
• Kris Davis - founder of Pyroclastic Records
• Pyroclastic Records - independent label supporting creative music

Key Groups and Projects Mentioned

• Wilco - Nels Cline has been guitarist since 2004
• The Nels Cline Singers - long-running experimental project
• Nels Cline 4 - featuring Julian Lage, Scott Colley, and Tom Rainey
• Consentrik Quartet - with Ingrid Laubrock, Chris Lightcap, and Tom Rainey on Blue Note Records

Cover Songs Referenced

• Terje Rypdal - What Comes After (ECM, 1974) - source of "Bend It"
• Wayne Shorter & Milton Nascimento - Native Dancer (Columbia, 1975) - source of "Diana"
• Ronald Shannon Jackson & Decoding Society - Eye On You (About Time, 1980) - source of "Nightwhistlers"

Original Compositions Referenced

• Initiate by Nels Cline Singers (Cryptogramophone, 2010) - source of "Forge" and "King Queen" (which became "Queen King")
• Marcus Gilmore - "Breath"