The album Share the wealth - a feeling for fusion
These days we focus on the latest project of guitarist Nels Cline, released on the label "Blue Note" ‘at the end of 2020. In the album "Share the wealth" of the Cline’s formation Nels Cline Singers also take part Cyro Baptista on percussions, Brian Marsella on keyboards, Trevor Dunn on bass, Skerik on saxophone and Scott Amendola on drums. A sextet composed of such names should arouse our interest, but nothing can prepare us for the surprising and deep music that awaits us on the album.
The beginning was sometime in May 2019, when Cline invites his followers to a studio in Brooklyn with a minimum amount of ready-made material and a desire for maximum improvisation. Each participant in these studio sessions is carefully selected precisely because he is deep in the subject matter - the fusion from the time of the late Miles Davis and "Return to forever" by Chick Corea. So for a few days the musicians play and experiment mainly for their own pleasure and enjoying the shared feeling of music. When Cline later decided to send the finished material to the Blue Note for an opinion and possible release, he did not expect a positive response. The result, however, was so impressive that the label immediately agreed to release the album.
We are happy with this decision and enjoy this modern reading and improvisations on topics that immediately see the spirit of Miles, such as "Princess Phone", or the spiral-like and constantly evolving play of the same name Beam / Spiral. The album begins with Caetano Veloso's classic play "Segunda", in which Cline's sharp guitar riffs accurately reflect the social and political message of the play.
The connection between the musicians and the dialogue between them can be heard in each piece. The feeling that they often surprise themselves with the direction they are going does not leave us until the very end. It is as if we are once again attending one of the live sessions of the Baptista, Marsella and Dunn, where the line between play and deep telepathic empathy is drawn. Cline's guitar and Skerik's rebellious saxophone, on the other hand, bring a dramatic and profound color.
Today from this album, we listen to the three songs we talked about, and you will find the whole one on digital platforms. You will hear the richness of the music better on headphones or with quality sound.
November 2021
Image ©МА
