Plays Monk è un creativo e inusuale progetto che rivisita brani del grande Thelonious Monk, a cura di tre acclamati e brillanti musicisti: Scott Amendola, Ben Goldberg e Devin Hoff. Questo trio si fa sentire: la sezione ritmica di Devin Hoff e Scott Amendola swinga e colpisce per potenza, precisione ed inventiva. Ben Goldberg è un solista eccezionale. Le sue linee melodiche sono gioia pura per le orecchie. Il suo controllo, la sua tecnica e la sua creatività sono quelle dei più grandi. — ..quello che rende questo disco così elegante è il modo in cui il trio suona questi brani, i quali sono stati tutti composti con il ruolo del pianoforte al centro. Con vivacissime versioni di “Little Rootie Tootie”, “Four in One” e “Teo”, come potrebbero sbagliare? Una proposta davvero eccellente.Featuring Ben Goldberg on clarinet, Devin Hoff on bass and Scott Amendola on drums & production. Devin Hoff and Scott Amendola are the great rhythm team for the Nels Cline Singers. Devin, Scott & clarinet wiz, Ben Goldberg, are also members of Nels Cline’s New Monastery / Andrew Hill project. On this rich offering, the trio plays ten Thelonius Monk compositions in their own quirky way. “Skippy” is taken at a brisk tempo and has an infectious, happy vibe. Very nice to hear this trio playing a few of the rarer Monk tunes like “Shuffle Boil” and “Boo Boo’s Birthday”. What makes this disc so fine is the way the trio plays these tunes, all of which were written at and often feature a piano at the center. With spirited versions of “Little Rootie Tootie”, “Four in One” and “Teo”, how can they go wrong? An excellent offering.

Duo Milano è una creazione sonora senza compromessi, radicalmente improvvisata da due maestri della chitarra come Nels Cline ed Elliott Sharp. …Questo disco favoloso consiste di dieci duetti incredibili, cinque acustici e cinque elettrici. Registrato magnificamente è soddisfacente in qualsiasi dettaglio audio. La parte acustica equilibra linee velocissime e quasi arpistiche con la nuda purezza di ampi e blueseggianti bordoni di e-bow. La parte elettrica è cupa e sognante con strani interventi melodici. Dalla calma cosmica all’estremamente intenso.. – B.L.Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery, NYC.Duo Milano is a no compromise, totally improvised sonic landscape by two guitar masters as Elliott Sharp and Nels Cline. This is what Nels and Elliott say about their work together. Elliott: “Nels is one of my favourite people and favourite guitarists – our playing together resonates in such a way as to create the sound of one seething bubbling bristling glowing instrument. Every gig and recording we’ve done has been different. “Duo Milano” captures some sonic moments in Italy in a fine studio in hyper real detail.” Nels: “Elliott and I have been investigating an improvised duet language/interaction in both acoustic and electric settings for several years now. It is always a pleasure and an honor, and this disc is the first document to represent our ongoing dialogue in sound and feeling. We seem to function as one empathetic, huge guitar. The result is, to my mind, a splendid example of our sometimes fragile and intimate and other times monolithic and tripped-out sensibilities.”

This record celebrates the meeting of the best pre-fusion electric jazz with the vibe of the best instrumental rock. Daniel Cavallanti, a veteran sax player from the critically acclaimed groups Nexus and Italian Instabile Orchestra,” joins forces with his old friend Nels Cline and some great Italian jazzmen to crate daring music, classical and modern and fresh at the same time. You get long original compositions dominated by a strong and pulsating rhythmic feel, no-nonsense melodies and extended, soaring solos. “A large group of Italians and I recorded this, a set of “electric jazz”, in Milan for Long Song Records. It’s very early 70s style, and almost everyone involved with this fun record are old enough to really know how to play this stuff in the pre-FUSION way, which is to say, pre-“popping”, pre-“symphonic”, pre-CRAPPY… Daniele, who I met and played with about 13 years ago, has a sound that reminds me of the great (and, sadly, recently departed) Dewey Redman.” -Nels ClineQuesto lavoro celebra l’incontro tra il migliore jazz elettrico con radici nei primi anni ’70 e un rock strumentale intenso e diretto. Daniele Cavallanti, sassofonista veterano della scena jazz italiana e internazionale con i gruppi “Nexus” e “Italian Instabile Orchestra” si unisce al suo amico di vecchia data Nels Cline (talento indiscusso e acclamato della chitarra elettrica moderna, sia nel jazz che nel rock più sperimentale e indipendente, come chitarrista dei celebri Wilco) e ad altri grandi musicisti della scena nostrana (tra cui il bassista Giovanni Maier e l’eterno compagno di avventure Tiziano Tononi). Dall’incontro ne esce una musica che attualizza sonorità del passato e le rende ancora fresche, potenti e coinvolgenti.

“Breaking News” is a project led by Italian guitarist Simone Massaron playing with a superb band: Daniele Cavallanti and Tiziano Tononi (from the critically acclaimed Italian Instabile Orchestra and Nexus), Steve Piccolo (Lounge Lizards) and the great New York guitarist Elliott Sharp. It’s raw and bluesy stuff, with jazz and improvised moments held together mainly by the saxophone and some experimental and free movements. There’s also a furious version of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Run Through The Jungle” featuring some exciting electric lap steel work by Elliott Sharp.