nels cline

i first became aware of nels cline via his stunning gtr work on mike watt's "punk opera" contemplating the engine room. i'm so ign'ant of mainstream pop kulcha that i was unaware he's now a mbr of wilco until i read it on his website. guh.

besides being a master of edgy outside noise / freeblow improv wonderment in a variety of contexts (his own band, the nels cline singers; the group banyan with watt and ex-porno for pyros drummer steve perkins; a multiplicity of duos 'n' trios; sesh participation in heavy-duty projects like ex-geraldine fibbers front carla bozulich's re-imagineering of willie nelson's red-headed stranger alb and the rova saxophone quartet's similar re-jigging of coltrane's ascension), he's also a good writer and (apparently) mindful cat. i'm looking forward to checking out more of his work in '06.