Nels Cline & Julian Lage - Room

Album download included with bonus tracks

The setup on Room is simple. Julian Lage is on the left channel, Nels Cline on the right, and they play just four guitars total: Cline a 1965 Gibson Barney Kessel archtop and a 1962 Gibson J-200 acoustic; Lage his tried-and-true Linda Manzer archtop and a 1939 Martin 000-18 acoustic. The sound is pristine, alive with personality and contrast, improvisational daring and jaw-dropping precision.

"These are all ‘live' performances," Cline adds — there are no overdubs.

In a 2013 Q&A with JazzTimes, Lage described the Cline-Lage duo sound as "200 percent power," and that's exactly what comes through on Room: an inspired collection of originals and collaborative pieces that run the full range from intricately composed and complex to free and spontaneous.

Cline, a major force as a guitarist and improviser, and a member of Wilco, builds on the strength of his previous duo work with the likes of Vinny Golia, Zeena Parkins, Elliott Sharp, Thurston Moore, Carla Bozulich, Marc Ribot and not least of all the late West Coast bassist Eric Von Essen, to which the gorgeous dual-acoustic showcase "Whispers From Eve" is dedicated. Lage, for his part, has worked in duo settings with David Grisman, Martin Taylor, John Abercrombie, Taylor Eigsti and others.

Side 1

1. Abstract 12

2. Racy

3. The Scent Of Light

4. Whispers From Eve

Side 2

5. Blues, Too

6. Odd End

7. Freesia/The Bond

8. Calder

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