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Shrek (Avant, 1994) is an album of violent, unfriendly music, that
even tries to capture the essence of Albert Ayler's Bells in the
context of a combo with two electric guitars.
Spigot begins like another minimalist piece in the vein of the
Requiem, except that the tone is almost lugubrious (definitely not
jovial) and David Shea's sampler adds a jarring cacophonous dimension.
There are still hints of Ribot's caustic humor, notably
the martial Hoist The Bloody Icon High borrows from
Jimi Hendrix's performance of the national
anthem.
The ten-minute Human Sacrifice invests a lot in Ribot's guitar
doodling instead of focusing on the percussive aspect that would turn it into
the voodoo ceremony that it only hints at; hence the collective dance sounds
rather like a childish nursery rhyme.
The highlight of the album is the Glenn Branca-ian guitar tornado of Fourth World. Ribot's stroke of genius is to
play it in a "stop and go" fashion, each "stop" being a pretext to restart
at a furious, quasi-metal pace. The lengthy dissonant intermezzo of the
second half is worth a standing ovation by itself.
Shrek reaches even louder and denser heights of neurosis, although
framed between a beginning and a coda that are sophisticated in their
uncertainty.
When it works, this album delivers Ribot at his best. Unfortunately, several
pieces sound like filler.
Sounds Of A Distant Episode (Sub Rosa, 1994), an album split with
guitarist Fred Frith, contains two his
best surrealistic/classical compositions: Lobster Claw Symphonette and
The Rise And The Fall Of.
Don't Blame Me (Japan, 1995) is a collection of pop and jazz
traditionals given the Ribot treatment.
His virtuoso playing is on display on collaborations such as John Zorn's
Book Of Heads (Tzadik, 1995) and Fred Frith's
Sounds Of A Distant Episode (Subsonic, 1994)
Shoe String Symphonettes (Tzadik, 1997) collects his works for cinema.
Marc Ribot wastes his stellar musicianship in a homage to Cuban composer
Arsenio Rodriguez:
Los Cubanos Postizos (Atlantic, 1998)
Yo I Killed Your God (Tzadik, 1999) is a live album recorded around
the world.
Los Cubanos Postizos' second album, featuring keyboardist Anthony Coleman,
is a more liberal take on the Cuban tradition.
Muy Divertido (Atlantic, 2000) exploits the new wave of latin dance-music
for some unrestrained fun.
Ribot's dance pieces Altogether Different and
In As Much As Life Is Borrowed debuted in China and Belgium
respectively.
From the title, Saints (Atlantic, 2001) is a tribute to
Albert Ayler, of whom Ribot covers three compositions. The rest of the album
is a similar display of erudite humility, as Ribot tackles different styles
and different authors. As a recital of solo guitar, this is as close to
perfection as one can get, but the artistic value is dubious.
Scelsi Morning (Tzadik, 2003) collects dance pieces.
The album is mostly austere like none other from Ribot. The only exceptions are
the war anthem Bataille, intoned by a distorted guitar amid torrential
gongs as well as drunk horns, and the street jig
The Youth Brigade Triumphs Again, which inherits the genes of both
Albert Ayler and Lol Coxhill.
Ribot's chamber constructs are actually quite intriguing.
Earth juxtaposes mindblowing guitar feedback, timpani-like percussion,
rattling bells and sinister electronica.
Scelsi Morning is a truly Scelsi-an movement for clarinet, pump organ, strings and bass.
Identity I-Shmentity is a somber threnody for accordion and didjeridu-like drones that guitar and percussion try in vain to upset.
The artistic peak (not only of this album) is the 12-minute Geese
for clarinet, accordion, pump organ, violin, viola and guitar, that alternates
brief minimalist repetitions, anguished counterpoint, Fred Frith-ian
dissonance and traces of melodies.
Ribot's guitar is often irrelevant.
Soundtracks II (Tzadik, 2003) is basically the second part of
Shoe String Symphonettes.
Spiritual Unity (Pi, 2005) is an explicit tribute to Albert Ayler
Not only does Ribot employ Ayler's original bassist Henry Grimes and
set up a similar backing (Chad Taylor on drums and Roy Campbell on trumpet),
but he plays his guitar in such a manner as to simulate as much as possible Ayler's
saxophone (and even violin and cello). It is both a sincere tribute to his
master and a virtuoso show of a guitarist who can use the guitar like a
universal instrument. After Ribot's Invocation, four tracks reenact
(more than merely cover) four Ayler classics,
interpreting the spirit of Ayler's ritual jazz while retaining Ribot's unique
post-modernist elegance.
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(Translation by/ Tradotto da Michele Mulas)
Shrek (Avant, 1994) è un album di musica violenta,
ostile, che prova a catturare l'essenza dello stile di Albert Ayler
nel contesto di un ensamble che ruota attorno alla chitarra. Le
cacofoniche Spigot e Shrek, la dissonante Fourth
World, l'angolosa Big Money, e la marziale Hoist The
Bloody Icon High portano avanti un incessante assalto sonico che
vale quello dell'hardcore.
Sounds Of A Distant Episode (Sub Rosa,
1994), split album con il chitarrista Fred
Frith, contiene due tra le sue migliori composizioni tra il
classico e il surrealistico: Lobster Claw Symphonette e The
Rise And The Fall Of.
Don't Blame Me (Japan, 1995) è una collezione di
standard pop e jazz passati attraverso il “trattamento Ribot”.
Il suo virtuosismo fa mostra di sè in
collaborazioni come Book Of Heads (Tzadik, 1995) di John Zorn
e Sounds Of A Distant Episode (Subsonic, 1994) di Fred Frith.
Shoe String Symphonettes (Tzadik, 1997) colleziona i suoi
lavori per il cinema.
Marc Ribot spreca il suo stellare talento musicale in un omaggio
al compositore cubano Arsenio Rodriguez: Los Cubanos Postizos
(Atlantic, 1998).
Yo I Killed Your God (Tzadik, 1999) è
un album registrato dal vivo in giro per il mondo.
Il secondo album dei Cubanos Postizos, con la presenza del
tastierista Anthony Coleman, offre uno ripresa più libera
della tradizione cubana. Muy Divertido (Atlantic, 2000)
sfrutta la new-wave della musica da ballo latina per un pò di
instancabile divertimento.
I balletti di Ribot Altogether Different
e In As Much As Life Is Borrowed hanno debuttato
rispettivamente in Cina e Belgio.
Fin dal titolo Saints (Atlantic, 2001) è un tributo
ad Albert Ayler, del quale Ribot ripropone tre composizioni. Il resto
dell'album vede un grande dispiego di erudita umilità
nell'approccio di Ribot a differenti stili
e autori. Come un recital per sola chitarra, questo rappresenta il
punto più vicino alla perfezione a cui si possa ambire, ma il
valore artistico resta dubbio.
Scelsi Morning (Tzadik, 2003) raccoglie
piece per balletti, incluso uno dei capolavori di Ribot: i 12 minuti
dissonanti e minimalisti di Geese, per fisarmonica, organo
chiesistico, violino, viola, clarinetto e chitarra. Soundtracks II
(Tzadik, 2003) è in pratica la seconda parte di Shoe String
Symphonettes.
Spiritual Unity (Pi, 2005) è un esplicito tributo ad
Albert Ayler. Non solo Ribot ingaggia Henry Grimes, il bassista
originale di Ayler, e allestisce una formazione analoga alla sua
(Chad Taylor alla batteria e Roy Campbell alla tromba), ma suona la
sua chitarra in modo tale da richiamare per quanto possibile il
sassofono di Ayler (nonchè il violino e il violoncello).
L'album rappresenta sia un sincero tributo al suo maestro che uno
spettacolo virtuosistico di un chitarrista che è in grado di
usare la chitarra come uno strumento universale. Dopo Invocation
di Ribot, quattro tracce riportano in scena (più che darne
una mera versione calligrafica) quattro classici di Ayler,
interpretando lo spirito del rituale jazz di Ayler e conservando
l'eleganza post-moderna di Ribot.
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