Using the legendary free-jazz summit by John Coltrane and Rashied Ali as an authentic sonic blueprint, guitarist Nels Cline and drummer Gregg Bendian trace the impetuous improvisation of Interstellar Space with startling skill and unbridled enthusiasm. While Cline"s wildly expressive guitar playing approximates "Trane"s infamous "sheets-of-sound" saxophone stylings, it"s actually Bendian"s hyperkinetic drum excursions that propel this session into the outer regions of the jazz stratosphere. Thoughtfully embracing Coltrane"s wide-open compositions like "Mars," "Leo," "Venus," and "Jupiter," Cline and Bendian explore the many creative options of their drum-guitar dyad. Recorded live and alternating between eminently peaceful passages and physically raucous interactions, the union of Cline and Bendian has resulted in a worthwhile sequel to the immortal duets of Messrs. Coltrane and Ali. --Mitch Myers