Younger jazz luminaries such as Vijay Iyer and Jason Moran regularly praise Andrew Hill's compositions, but none have been brave enough to fill an album with the pianist's dense, haunting tunes. Wilco fans unaware of Nels Cline's extensive improv résumé might be surprised to learn that the guitarist is up to the task: His new Hill tribute is both reverent and deeply personal. He lets his clever arrangements and the inspired solos of his West Coast cohorts, including cornet player Bobby Bradford and clarinetist Ben Goldberg, do most of the talking, though fans of his noisier work will be happy to hear tweaked ax squeals peeking through in spots. Cline's key strategy: stringing disparate pieces into ingenious suites.
Time Out-New York
9/28/06
