It’s been a little while since we paid tribute to Nels Cline, so, um, let’s do that…
We’ve declared a few times recently that Nels Cline joining Wilco may just be the best addition to a rock outfit since The Rippers added Jesse Katsopolis (well, the first part of that sentence is true at least). But Cline’s pre-Tweedy resume features some stunning independent work, not the least of which is his Coltrane imitation with drummer Gregg Bendian on Interstellar Space Revisited.
Cline cleverly incorporates Trane’s sheets of sound mentality as well as Bendian adapts Rashied Ali’s spastic-yet-rhythmic drumming, and the end result is a tribute for the ages. Let’s kick this one off Casey Kasem-style: “Recorded live at the Schindler House in September of 2002, here’s Leo from John Coltrane’s Interstellar Space, performed in two parts by Nels Cline and Gregg Bendian.”
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I remember Casey spinning this one a lot as a long-distance dedication.