Happy Birthday Nels Cline: With Medeski, Martin & Wood In 2014

Today, Nels Cline celebrates his 60th birthday. The massively talented guitarist born on this date in Los Angeles in 1956 has shared live stages and recording studios with many of the world’s most talented musicians during his career. Currently best known for his role as lead guitarist in Wilco, Cline has also established himself as a premiere jazz and avant garde rock player.

Among his many projects outside of Wilco, Nels also fronts The Nels Cline Singers alongside drummer Scott Amendola and bassist Trevor Dunn. He has also been involved in projects with the likes of Marc Ribot, Julian Lage, Bill Frisell, Mike Watt, Charlie Haden and Thurston Moore to name just a few. In 2013 Cline contributed to the LP Woodstock Sessions Vol. 2 recorded live in the studio with jazz trio Medeski, Martin & Wood. A year later the album was released and the group toured Europe as a quartet in support of the record, appearing at Cully Jazz Festival in Switzerland on April 5, 2014.

Pro-shot footage of that completely improvised 2014 appearance can be seen below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO2u3bSspX0

Setlist (via MMW History)

One Set: Improv > Improv > Improv > Improv > Drum Outro > Improv > Drum Intro > Improv > Open Improv > Improv > Improv > Improv

Encore: Improv

Entire show with Nels Cline