{"id":10397,"date":"2025-04-16T11:00:11","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T16:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/?p=10397"},"modified":"2025-04-16T11:00:15","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T16:00:15","slug":"review-consentrik-quartet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/review-consentrik-quartet\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Nels Cline&#8217;s &#8216;Consentrik Quartet&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"\">Considering guitarist Nels Cline&#8217;s history, it&#8217;s no surprise that the music of the Consentrik Quartet occasionally has shades of rock. \u201cSlipping Into Something\u201d starts subtly before bursting into a drum-driven groove fit for a rock song. Tom Rainey (drums) and Chris Lightcap (bass) keep heads nodding as Ingrid Laubrock (tenor saxophone) and Cline impressively trade the limelight. The pair strike up an enthralling musical dialogue with inventive reactions and reinterpretations. The exchanges on \u201cSlipping Into Something\u201d exemplify the strong chemistry between Laubrock and Cline, a crucial component of the success of the<em> Consentrik Quartet<\/em>\u2019s eponymous debut album (Blue Note, 2025).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_2CTqsVMbI6o\"><div id=\"lyte_2CTqsVMbI6o\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/2CTqsVMbI6o\/hqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/2CTqsVMbI6o\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/2CTqsVMbI6o\/0.jpg?resize=420%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The Cline-Laubrock connection reaches searing heights on the compelling &#8220;House of Steam.&#8221; The juxtaposition between the saxophone&#8217;s warm tone and the guitar&#8217;s ethereal wail is stunning. Cline&#8217;s movement between lengthy notes and expressive flourishes combined with Laubrock&#8217;s understated approach creates a beautiful contrast. The rhythm section increases the pace in the second half of \u201cHouse of Steam,\u201d where Cline shifts back to a more traditional guitar tone for impressive interplay with Laubrock.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_l0Ap6PGOZg8\"><div id=\"lyte_l0Ap6PGOZg8\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/l0Ap6PGOZg8\/hqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/l0Ap6PGOZg8\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/l0Ap6PGOZg8\/0.jpg?resize=420%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Cline&#8217;s use of effects pays off well in different ways on &#8220;Inner Wall&#8221; and &#8220;The Bag.&#8221; Patient sax and bowed bass merge with the spacey echo of the guitar to form a mesmerizing atmosphere on &#8220;Inner Wall.&#8221; This ambiance is an eerie, effective build-up to the formidable climax of the tune, a thunderous extensive drum solo. Drums are given the spotlight again in the first half of \u201cThe Bag,\u201d which features a powerful Rainey and Laubrock duo. The two play with an abrasive edge and complexity that shows a keen mutual understanding. When Cline enters, the warped tones and distortion of his fiery guitar solo give \u201cThe Bag\u201d a compelling restless energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_34jdQ1E9Xak\"><div id=\"lyte_34jdQ1E9Xak\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/34jdQ1E9Xak\/hqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/34jdQ1E9Xak\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/34jdQ1E9Xak\/0.jpg?resize=420%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Cline\u2019s talent makes one think he could fit in anywhere. He is equally comfortable ripping through a solo in a structured rock track as he is in an experimental jam session. He is the exact type of guitarist who perfectly fits into the Brooklyn improvised music scene that birthed the Consentrik Quartet. The quartet brings Cline\u2019s compositions to life with an exciting sense of adventure and spontaneity. The album is just over an hour, but it does not feel like it &#8211; the skill on display makes time fly by.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><strong><em>\u2018Consentrik Quartet\u2019 is now available on Blue Note Records. It can be purchased <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bluenote.com\/spotlight\/nels-cline-consentrik-quartet\/\" title=\"\">directly from the label. <\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Photo credit: Nathan West<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Considering guitarist Nels Cline&#8217;s history, it&#8217;s no surprise that the music of the Consentrik Quartet occasionally has shades of rock. \u201cSlipping Into Something\u201d starts subtly before bursting into a drum-driven groove fit for a rock song. Tom Rainey (drums) and Chris Lightcap (bass) keep heads nodding as Ingrid Laubrock (tenor saxophone) and Cline impressively trade [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":10400,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"iawp_total_views":126,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/NelsCline_ConsentrikQuartet_byNathanWest-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/peRkRR-2HH","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10240,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/nels-cline-consentrik-quartet\/","url_meta":{"origin":10397,"position":0},"title":"Slipping into Something: A Conversation with Nels Cline on the Consentrik Quartet","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"March 11, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Wheels. Compact discs and vinyl records. Rings. A full moon. A plate. A Pizza. In our daily life, we are surrounded by circles. Even prehistoric generations saw the importance of the circle, carving them out of stone and timber and featuring the shape in petroglyphs and cave paintings. However, despite\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Interviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Interviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/interviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/img_1412-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/img_1412-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/img_1412-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/img_1412-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11351,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/review-trio-of-bloom\/","url_meta":{"origin":10397,"position":1},"title":"Review: \u2018Trio of Bloom\u2019 with Nels Cline, Craig Taborn, and Marcus Gilmore","author":"Jim Hynes","date":"September 25, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Trio of Bloom (Pyroclastic, 2025) is the first meeting of three titans of creative music, artists to whom genres and boundaries hold little meaning. You can regularly find each of them in conventional or edgy sessions, or within the turf that lies between. The term in the promotional notes is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Album Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Album Reviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/img_1731.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/img_1731.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/img_1731.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/img_1731.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10337,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/edges-big-ears-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":10397,"position":2},"title":"Musical Tourism on the Edges &#8211; Big Ears 2025","author":"Jim Hynes","date":"April 6, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"My sister and I made the scenic journey through the picturesque farmlands of central Pennsylvania, through the bucolic splendor of Virginia\u2019s Shenandoah Valley, on a nine-hour road trip to Knoxville, TN, for the annual Big Ears Festival. The fest has become America\u2019s - and perhaps the world\u2019s - most diverse,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Live Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Live Reviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/live\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/big-ears-2025-scaled-e1742321551957-1-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/big-ears-2025-scaled-e1742321551957-1-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/big-ears-2025-scaled-e1742321551957-1-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/big-ears-2025-scaled-e1742321551957-1-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11651,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/best-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":10397,"position":3},"title":"PostGenre&#8217;s Best of 2025","author":"PostGenre Writing Staff","date":"December 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Deeming any album the \"best\" of a given year is inherently fraught with problems. First, there are the logistical issues. Generally, thousands of recordings are released annually. Given that a year has only 8,760 hours, it is logistically impossible to listen to everything. Often, classifications can help limit the scope.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Best of Lists&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Best of Lists","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/lists-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/img_2649.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/img_2649.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/img_2649.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/img_2649.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11754,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/rob-shepherd-favorite-albums-of-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":10397,"position":4},"title":"EIC Rob Shepherd&#8217;s Favorite Albums of 2025","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"December 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"2025 was a year of great growth for our site. In addition to Brian Kiwanuka and John Chacona\u2019s reviews, friend turned staff writer Jim Hynes, joined us in a big way. That includes his review of the Big Ears Festival, an event I\u00a0 have long wanted to attend, but for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Best of Lists&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Best of Lists","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/lists-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/img_3222-2.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/img_3222-2.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/img_3222-2.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/img_3222-2.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10397"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10397\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10401,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10397\/revisions\/10401"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10400"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}