Celestial Septet

Los Angeles–based electric guitarist (for Wilco and the Nels Cline Singers) and experimental composer Nels Cline has been called a "guitar god" by Rolling Stone and "the world's most dangerous guitarist" by Jazz Times. This week he teams up with the legendary Rova Saxophone Quartet as the Celestial Septet to stage an exclusive series of California engagements. The collaboration has its origins in Rova's radical reinterpretation of John Coltrane's Ascension (on Rova: Orkestrova's 2005 CD Electric Ascension). The ensemble, backed by Cline's powerhouse rhythm section of Devin Hoff (contrabass) and Scott Amendola (drums/percussion), takes inspiration from Albert Ayler and late-period Coltrane in performances of Coltrane's "Living Space"; compositions by Steve Adams, Larry Ochs, Cline, and company; and other possible surprises.