Veteran jazz guitarist Marc Ribot will celebrate his 55th birthday this May with a career-spanning, week-long musical retrospective in New York City. Ribot will visit many of his critically acclaimed projects, including the Los Cubanos Postizos, his ode to Cuban roots music; the Young Philadelphians; and his Albert Ayler-influenced group, Spiritual Unity.
“It's funny. Maybe it's a question of not missing the water until the well is dry, but the impetus for this, was so many people have come up to me and said 'why don't you do this band?'" Ribot explains to Billboard.com. “All I could think was 'where was I when I was doing those bands?' Now will be the opportunity to see whether they've simply grown nostalgic or whether they've in fact liked it."
On May 13, Ribot will be joined by legendary bassist Henry Grimes in both the Marc Ribot Trio and with the group Spiritual Unity. Grimes has been a fixture in the free jazz scene since the 1960's, recording and performing with such fixtures as McCoy Tyner, Cecil Taylor, Sonny Rollins, and David Murray.
“I thought about putting together this band [with Grimes] around Albert Ayler, who has always been a big influence on me. I thought doing a band that used Ayler's material as a jumping off point - it would be good to start off with some common language. We've had some amazing tours."
One of Ribot's newer interests lies in the Brooklyn-based Colombian roots-rock band, La Cumbiamba eNeYe, which he'll collaborate with on two nights. “These are a bunch of young guys from Colombia that are now living in Brooklyn - from the first time I heard them, I continue to think they're one of the hardest rocking bands in New York, period," he says.
“It's funny. Maybe it's a question of not missing the water until the well is dry, but the impetus for this, was so many people have come up to me and said 'why don't you do this band?'" Ribot explains to Billboard.com. “All I could think was 'where was I when I was doing those bands?' Now will be the opportunity to see whether they've simply grown nostalgic or whether they've in fact liked it."
On May 13, Ribot will be joined by legendary bassist Henry Grimes in both the Marc Ribot Trio and with the group Spiritual Unity. Grimes has been a fixture in the free jazz scene since the 1960's, recording and performing with such fixtures as McCoy Tyner, Cecil Taylor, Sonny Rollins, and David Murray.
“I thought about putting together this band [with Grimes] around Albert Ayler, who has always been a big influence on me. I thought doing a band that used Ayler's material as a jumping off point - it would be good to start off with some common language. We've had some amazing tours."
One of Ribot's newer interests lies in the Brooklyn-based Colombian roots-rock band, La Cumbiamba eNeYe, which he'll collaborate with on two nights. “These are a bunch of young guys from Colombia that are now living in Brooklyn - from the first time I heard them, I continue to think they're one of the hardest rocking bands in New York, period," he says.
