Nels Cline began playing guitar around the age of 12, when his twin brother, Alex, began learning the drums. By the time Nels reached his 20s, he was heavily involved in LA’s improvisational community and, in 1978, appeared on his first recording, Openhearted by multi-instrumentalist Vinny Golia. He has gone on to appear on over 100 releases, lead several of his own groups — including the Nels Cline Trio, and the sextet that followed, Destroy All Nels Cline — and tour internationally with a variety of bands.
Lynn Johnston plays baritone, alto, tenor and soprano saxophones, as well as the bass, alto and B-flat clarinets. He sees the instruments as providing different colors, moods and densities of sound, all with unique harmonic possibilities. An active performing and recording musician for over 30 years, Johnston began as a conventional jazz musician before being galvanized by the innovations of Coleman and Coltrane. In the late 1980s, he led Cruel Frederick, one of the world’s first punk-garage-jazz bands. His latest CD, “First We Feel,” is available on Win.
Michael Intriere is a cellist and founding member of Fat and Fucked Up, who gained a reputation for performing experimental classical music at punk shows starting in the 1980s.
Heather Lockie is a violist, composer and teaching artist based in Los Angeles. She teaches improvisation on violin/viola, classical viola and piano. In her own work, she plays viola, banjo, paints, sings songs and writes folk music.
Rick Potts wrests strange and amazing sounds from surreal uses and abuses of an assortment of instruments, objects and toys including musical saw, electric toothbrush, old turntables, analog synthesizer and electric guitar. A founder of the LA Free Music Society, he has performed with Airway, Human Hands, Steaming Coils, Debt of Nature, Gothic Hut, and The Monique Experience.
Rich West is a drummer and multi-instrumentalist who has contributed to a wide range of projects since the 1980s, including Mooseheart Faith, Ut Gret, Wrestling Worms, as well as his own solo projects.
