Marc Ribot (pronounced REE-bow) was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1954. As a teen, he played guitar in various garage bands while studying with his mentor, Haitian classical guitarist and composer Frantz Casseus. After moving to New York City in 1978, Ribot was a member of the soul/punk group Realtones, as well as John Lurie's Lounge Lizards from 1984 - 1989. Between 1979 and 1985, Ribot also worked as a sidemusician with Brother Jack McDuff, Wilson Pickett, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Chuck Berry, and many others.
Ribot's recording credits include Tom Waits, Soloman Burke, John Lurie, Elvis Costello, Marianne Faithful, Arto Lindsay, Caetano Veloso, Laurie Anderson, David Sylvian, Susana Baca, McCoy Tyner, T-Bone Burnett, The Jazz Passengers, The Lounge Lizards, Evan Lurie, Chocolate Genius, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Cibo Mato, Medeski Martin & Wood, James Carter, Vinicio Caposella (Italy), Auktyon (Russia), Vinicius Cantuaria, Sierra Maestra (Cuba), Alain Bashung (France), Joe Henry, Alan Toussaint, Marisa Monte, Allen Ginsburg, Trey Anastasio, Madeline Peyroux, Patti Scialfa, Sam Phillips, Akiko Yano, The Black Keys, and many others. Ribot frequently collaborates with producer T Bone Burnett, most recently on Alison Krauss and Robert Plant's grammy award winning "Raising Sand" and regularly works with composer John Zorn.
Ribot's own recording projects have included the bands Rootless Cosmopolitans (Island Antilles), Shrek (Tzadik), and Los Cubanos Postizos (Atlantic). Marc's solo recordings include "Marc Ribot Plays The Complete Works of Frantz Casseus" (Les Disques Du Crepuscule), "The Book of Heads" (Tzadik), "Don't Blame Me" (DIW), described as "a record filled with savory and unlikely amusements" by Village Voice, "Saints" (Atlantic), and most recently "Exercises in Futility" (Tzadik).
Marc has performed on scores such as "Walk The Line (Mangold)," "Everything is Illuminated," and "The Departed" (Scorcese)." Marc has also recently composed original scores for the PBS documentary "Revolucion: Cinco Miradas," and the film "Drunkboat," starring John Malkovich and John Goodman. Past scoring project include Yoshiko Chuma's "Altogether Different" dance piece, a documentary film by Greg Feldman titled "Joe Schmoe," a feature film by director Joe Brewster titled "The Killing Zone", and "In as Much as Life is Borrowed", a dance piece by famed Belgian choreographer, Wim Vanderkeybus.
Marc's talents have also been showcased with a full symphony orchestra. Composer Stewart Wallace wrote a guitar concerto with orchestra specifically for Marc. The piece was premiered by the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington DC in July of 2004 and also appeared at The Cabrillo Festival in Santa Cruz, CA in August of 2005.
Ribot is currently touring with two bands, the Albert Ayler tribute project "Spiritual Unity" (Pi Recordings), featuring original Ayler bassist Henry Grimes, and Ceramic Dog featuring bassist Shahzad Ismaily and drummer Ches Smith. Ceramic Dog will release their debut album "Party Intellectuals" this May on Pi Recordings in the North America, and Enja in Europe and Japan.
