Nels Cline announces first Consentrik Quartet album, shares “The 23”

Nels Cline has announced Consentrik Quartet, the first album by his band of the same name, which includes saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, bassist Chris Lightcap, and drummer Tom Rainey. It comes out on March 14 via Blue Note, marking his fourth album for the iconic label (pre-order).

Nels says this quartet is “much more of a jazz group, if I dare use that word,” compared to his long-running Nels Cline Singers group. “I wanted to have the music reflect the players, and have the players come forth so that everybody is able to hear them and enjoy their lucidity and their mastery.” He calls Tom Rainey “one of the greatest drummers on the planet,” and of Ingrid Laubrock, who he first heard playing in Mary Halvorson’s octet, he says, “Honestly, when I listen to her playing on the Consentrik record, I’m consistently blown away. To me, it sounds like it’s her record because of how she shines.”

Consentrik first came together for a performance at The Stone shortly before the pandemic, and he says he wrote about half of the material for this album during lockdown. He ended up moving to rural upstate New York during lockdown, but the spirit of the NYC music scene is inseparable from this LP. “My dream starting in the mid-’70s was to live in New York City and play music there,” he says. “I didn’t do it until 2009, when I met Yuka [Honda], and I thought, ‘Whoa—I guess I’m finally doing this.’ But I was very happy to be a part of this community. And I’m still happy about it.”

The announcement also mentions pioneering 1960s free jazz classics by Blue Note legends Eric Dolphy and Andrew Hill as influences, as well as fusion guitarist John Scofield’s collaborations with saxophonist Joe Lovano, and first single “The 23” connects all of those dots, from free jazz to fusion to downtown NYC. It’s a great first taste and you can hear it below.

Consentrik will celebrate the album’s release with a performance at Big Ears Festival, where Nels Cline also performs with eucademix, Jenny Scheinman, and an expanded version of The Nels Cline Singers. He also plays three different sets at The Stone (1/31, 2/7, and 2/8) soon, and he’ll be touring as a member of Wilco this year, including on their just-announced spring tour with Waxahatchee. More Nels Cline dates are TBA.

Tracklist
1. The Returning Angel
2. The 23
3. Surplus
4. Slipping into Something
5. Allende
6. House Of Steam
7. Inner Walls
8. Satomi
9. The bag
10. Down Close
11. Question Marks
12. Time Of No Sirens