Happy Birthday Nels Cline: With Banyan At Monterey Jazz Festival In 2005

Guitarist Nels Cline turns 61 years old today. The current lead guitarist in Wilco has forged an eclectic career that has seen his output effortlessly shift between rock, jazz, experimental and many other diverse styles while always maintaining a recognizable biting tone and approach.

Prior to joining Wilco in 2004, a project Cline was involved in was Banyan alongside Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins, Minutemen/Firehose/The Stooges bassist Mike Watt and trumpeter Willie Waldman. Banyan has also involved several other musicians including Money Mark, Rob Wasserman, Woody Aplanalp and improvisational painter Norton Wisdom.

Banyan performed with Cline at the 2005 Monterey Jazz Festival in California. The collective of Watt, Perkins, Waldman and Cline were joined by saxophonist Herman Green and guitarist Calvin Newborn. Watch Nels and Banyan cover Funkadelic, The Stooges and more in the videos presented below:

[Maggot Brain]

[El Sexxo]

[Fun House]

[Part One]

[Part Two]