marc ribot / john zorn

Asmodeus : Book Of Angels Volume 7

Probably best known as one of the leading session musicians of his generation, Marc Ribot's unique guitar style has graced all manner of recordings. From Downtown New York to Nashville, Ribot's got to be one of the most sought-after guns-for-hire in the game. Ribot has recorded extensively with Tom Waits, appearing on classics like Rain Dogs, Frank's Wild Years, Mule Variations and most recently laying down some implausibly beautiful work on 'The Day After Tomorrow' from Real Gone. This disc sees Ribot taking centre stage and cutting loose like never before. Forming a trio with bassist Trevor Dunn (Fantomas) and G. Calvin Weston (who has played drums for Ornette Coleman and James Blood Ulmer), Ribot fronts a free rocking assault on the Masada repertoire. The all-electric performance clearly references the Jimi Hendrix Expeience, in fact the whole performance isn't too far away from the final instrument-smashing sequences at the end of a particularly frenzied Hendrix performance, with the rhythm section flailing wildly as Ribot spouts hugely inventive, inconceivably florid guitar passages calling upon the full range of his technique and incorporating the scales and modes of Jewish traditional music into blues, free jazz, and unrestrained shred. There's some simply unbelievable musicianship on show here, making this one of the most incendiary entries into the Masada series thus far.