Marc Ribot Solo

(solo guitar)

Enigmatic guitarist Marc Ribot has released 6 very diverse solo guitar albums: (including John Zorn’s Book of HeadsPlays the Works of Frantz CasseusSaintsDon’t Blame MeExercises in Futility) and 2010's, Silent Movies (Pi Recordings) has been described as a "down-in-mouth-near master piece" by the Village Voice and has landed on several Best of 2010 lists including the LA Times and critical praise across the board. His live solo performances are unpredictable events which may draw on all of these or none, creating a sonic matrix of memory, free improvisation, zeitgeist, extra-terrestrial radio signals, and much more...always leaving the listener on the edge of their seats. 

Marc Ribot's singular approach to guitar compresses swathes of Americana into a full spectrum of jazz and stirs in a hefty dash of punk attitude.” - Financial Times, 2023

“In the hear-a-pin-drop setting of Cafe Oto, Ribot's intense, heartfelt commitment invited not only the closest of listening but also allowed scrutiny of his technical approach, offering a minor spectacle as well as a rare, transportative musical experience.” – London Jazz News, review of his 2015 OTO residency

"...he can sit down with just his guitar and simultaneously confound you with technique, beauty, and surprise." - John Garratt and Will Layman, PopMatters Picks: The Best Music of 2010 for the album "Silent Movies."

"In discussing the guitarist Marc Ribot, it's more efficient to wonder what he hasn't done then to list what he has actually accomplished. Across four decades, Ribot's career has spanned smooth soul and gnarled blues, blaring no wave and elegant film scores, solo composer roles and Tom Waits supporting work; that's only a sliver of his prolificacy...Though his solo range is only slightly less boundless than his overall discography, he favors quiet, intricate improvisations around standards that you will recognize in flashes but will rarely sound repetitive of their sources. Ribot is a master of timing, tone, and taste, with a bank of experiences so vast and varied he can navigate his way through any song or situation with panache. Consider this visit a master lesson." Grayson Haver Currin, indyweek.com 

The 2017 New York Guitar Festival and WNYC's New Sounds present guitarist-composer Marc Ribot. Recorded live in The Greene Space at WNYC on June 1.



Photos:

(click on photo to download high-res)