When people say “Blue Note Records,” an immediate association gets drawn to some of jazz’s greats. Miles Davis. Thelonious Monk. Art Blakey. Uhhh, Wilco guitarist Nels Cline? Yes, for those only casually acquainted with the music of Wilco, it may be a little shocking to discover that their lead guitarist is a 60-year-old jazz veteran, with dozens of credits to his name, now set to release his new album Lovers for the legendary label.
Cline, a man so skilled at his craft I wish we spelled our last names the same way, has conceived of what has become Lovers for over 25 years, longer than some of his Wilco fans have been alive. Drawing on inspiration from the music of Bill Evans (“Autumn Leaves”), Henry Mancini (the themes to Peter Gunn and The Pink Panther), and more, Cline and his 23-musician ensemble have created an 18-track double-album of original compositions, jazz standards, and covers. One of those covers is of Sonic Youth’s “Snare, Girl,” so if you’ve been dying to hear a jazzy take on that specific SY song from 1998, congratulations: Lovers is the album you’ve been waiting your whole life for.
Lovers is out August 5 on Blue Note Records, and will premiere live July 31 at the Newport Jazz Festival.
Check out the tracklist for Lovers below, and then watch the video for “Beautiful Love” while imagining yourself sharing a nice dinner with Nels Cline (an actual possibility):
Lovers tracklist:
01. Introduction / Diaphanous
02. Glad To Be Unhappy
03. Beautiful Love
04. Hairpin & Hatbox
05. Cry, Want
06. Lady Gabor
07. The Bed We Made
08. You Noticed
09. Secret Love
10. I Have Dreamed
11. Why Was I Born?
12. Invitation
13. It Only Has To Happen Once
14. The Night Porter / Max, Mon Amour
15. Snare, Girl
16. So Hard It Hurts / Touching
17. The Search For Cat
18. The Bond