The Giant Pin

The Giant Pin is the second album by The Nels Cline Singers led by American guitarist Nels Cline which was released in August 2003 on the Cryptogramophone label.[1]

The Giant Pin
Studio album by
The Nels Cline Singers
ReleasedSeptember 14, 2004 (2004-09-14)
RecordedAugust 24 & 25, 2003
Castle Oaks Studios in Calabasas, CA
GenreRock, jazz
Length73:04
LabelCryptogramophone
CG120
ProducerJeff Gautier
The Nels Cline Singers chronology
Instrumentals
(2002)		 The Giant Pin
(2004)		 Draw Breath
(2007)

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
All About Jazz[3]
Pitchfork Media7.0/10[4]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings [5]

The Allmusic review by William Tilland awarded the album 4 stars out of 5, stating "it offers the most dramatic example of Cline's general ability to synthesize beauty, emotion, intellect, technique, and even humor in his playing".[2] Writing for All About Jazz, Alex K. Fong stated "The compositions on The Giant Pin simultaneously evoke traditional jazz, blues, post rock, and free improvisation without any of the awkward deliberateness found on the trio's debut release Instrumentals. That's a testament to the development of Cline's writing and the group's chemistry".[3] Pitchfork Media's Sam Ubl stated "Cline has fused his jazz and rock interests before but The Giant Pin takes both poles to heretofore untouched extremes-- especially at the low-volume end of the spectrum. Stark stylistic and dynamic contrasts pervade the album, yet the transitions are smooth. The record is quieter and more restrained than other The Singers releases, making it a rewarding if slightly less exhilarating final product. Whether Cline will continue to cleave himself from the gigging life remains to be seen, but for now he's handling the balancing act quite nicely".[4] JazzTimes' David R. Adler noted "Cline's music is resolutely left of the dial, a challenge. But its dynamics, rhythmic intensity and frequently searing melodicism are a joy. It's easy to imagine listeners of many stripes cottoning to his sound. (Might he lure Wilco fans toward far-out jazz?)".[6]

Track listing

All compositions by Nels Cline except as indicated

  1. "Blues, Too" - 3:13
  2. "Fly Fly" - 7:03
  3. "He Still Carries a Torch for Her" - 6:43
  4. "The Ballad of Devin Hoff" - 7:48
  5. "The Friar" (Devin Hoff, Nels Cline, Scott Amendola) - 1:15
  6. "Something About David H." - 10:12
  7. "Bright Moon" - 11:03
  8. "A Boy Needs a Door" - 4:34
  9. "Square King" - 5:26
  10. "Spell" - 9:22
  11. "Watch Over Us" - 6:25

Personnel
The Nels Cline Singers
Additional musicians

References
  1. Crypotogramophone album entry, accessed August 15, 2014
  2. Tilland, William. "The Giant Pin - Nels Cline Singers". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2014-08-15.
  3. Fong, Alex (2010-11-08). "Nels Cline Singers: The Giant Pin". allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved 2014-08-15.
  4. Ubl, Sam (2004-11-09). "Nels Cline Singers: The Giant Pin". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2014-08-15.
  5. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 261. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  6. Adler, D. R., JazzTimes review, October 2004
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