On "New Monastery" guitarist Nels Cline not only reaffirms his jazz roots, which have added such depth to his work with Wilco, he enriches the jazz idiom with some unusual instrumental and sonic choices. The album pays tribute to Andrew Hill, the Chicago-born pianist who recently has enjoyed an autumnal career renaissance at age 67 despite a battle with cancer. Cline rearranges Hill's compositions, including Lee Morgan's old jukebox hit "The Rumproller," to feature electronically altered guitar and accordion instead of piano; by applying expressive, idiomatically faithful solos, fluid ensemble work, and novel textures to musically challenging but listenable tunes, Cline delivers one of the best albums of his career.
Chicago Tribune
9/29/06
