marc ribot ceramic dog tour

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Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog

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On the band’s 5th studio release,  Connection , Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog have pushed their long-brewing tension between traditional pop songcraft and avantgarde improvisational music to the breaking point, bridging their customary genre-agnostic approach with elements of glam boogie, minimalist disco, psychedelic boogaloo, garage-punk-against-the-machine agitprop, and so much more. Recorded at Figure 8 Recording in Brooklyn, NY and mixed by  Ben Greenberg  (Danny Elfman, Depeche Mode, Lamb of God) the album sees Ribot – whose prodigious, impossible-to-categorize body of work as bandleader and musician spans no wave and jazz, Brazilian and Cuban music, roots and avant-garde and protest songs (often at the same time) alongside legendary collaborations with Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, The Lounge Lizards, John Zorn, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Caetano Veloso, and Laurie Anderson (to name but a few) – continuing to utilize Ceramic Dog as the vessel for his distinctive stream-of-consciousness songwriting, penning three out of the album’s four vocal tracks including the groove-infected “Ecstasy” (showcasing  Anthony Coleman ’s slinky Farfisa and longtime friend and associate  Syd Straw  behind the mic). From the anthemic manifesto “Soldiers in the Army of Love” to the unhinged ranting of “Heart Attack” and indescribable “No Name,” Ceramic Dog unleash a fury of complex time signatures, blues abstraction, and free-blowing energy to create their most unapologetically audacious collection thus far, their one-of-a-kind daring evidenced by the unlikely cover of Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz’s “That’s Entertainment,” written especially for the 1953 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical film The Band Wagon but here, in Ribot and Co’s hands, deconstructs Hollywood cliches while simultaneously winking at both the post-punk and post-Cultural Revolution iterations of the Gang of Four. Fueled by what Ribot calls “several bolts of creative lightning,” Connections stands as a vibrant, odd, and in many ways definitive milestone in what is truly a singular creative journey for Marc Ribot and Ceramic Dog, its zeitgeist-busting sound and vision not only affirming their place in the musical universe but raising the stakes for whatever comes next.

Declared by Ribot to be “the best record we’ve ever done,” Connection sees Ceramic Dog furthering their long flirtation with various strains of rock ‘n’ roll while remaining fully entrenched in their signature approach to improvised music, augmented by contributions by such special guests as singer-songwriter  Syd Straw , keyboardist  Anthony Coleman , saxophonist  James Brandon Lewis , organist  Greg Lewis , clarinetist  Oscar Noriega , and cellist  Peter Sachon .

“ Ceramic Dog, a power trio of jazz geniuses who inflect literate rock with formidable chops. The synthesis is frenetic, potent, and at odds with the zeitgeist, even if Ribot’s lyrics decry today’s political oppression: Musically, he rejects both the voguish and the virtuosic in favor of his own whims…His progressive sentiments are welcome, and unfortunately more relevant than ever.” – Pitchfork  2023

“On Ceramic Dog (which also features Shahzad Ismaily and Ches Smith), Connection, the prolific guitarist and bandleader continues to showcase his versatility through noisy jazz freakouts, Jesus Lizard-like noise rock rippers, and occasionally some dirty funk…With Ribot, an album is never just one style, never simply one thing, and Connection finds him following that instinct to fantastic effect.” – Treblezine  2023 “Connection is the fifth Ceramic Dog studio album and finds Ribot, Ismaily and Smith sounding particularly fired up, both lyrically and musically. – Brooklyn Vegan  2023

“Different styles sit side by side on Connection, which showcases a challenging, exciting, and extremely rewarding listen from angular start to its fully inspired finish.”  – Glide Magazine  2023

“Hallucinated yet illuminated, there’s guts and progressive activism in a revolutionary new recording that’s definitely worth digging into.”  – JazzTrail  2023

“Marc Ribot can morph into any style and still come out sounding only like himself, which is central to the jazz aesthetic…He’s a guitarist and artist who takes music wherever the muse goes, diving into jazz, punk, blues, downtown, inside, outside, all sides, avantgarde, spoken word. He’s the ‘beyond’ in DownBeat’s tagline, ‘Jazz, Blues & Beyond.’ That’s especially true with his longtime trio Ceramic Dog.”  – DOWNBEAT

“His Ceramic Dog trio with bassist/multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily and percussionist/drummer Ches Smith is as much of a sonic vehicle for Ribot’s dry, wry lyrics and sandpaper-y vocals as it is for his reverberating skronk and fuzztoned twang-bar noodlings.”  – JAZZTIMES

“…when it comes to Ceramic Dog, his agit punk trio with Shahzad Ismaily and Ches Smith, Ribot mostly eschews nuance in favor aggressive funk, deconstructed flamenco, and scathing punk.” – Aquarium Drunkard  2018 Year in Review

“Guitarist Marc Ribot’s wildest project doesn’t mess around. The guitar legend, with bassist Shahzad Ismaily, and drummer Ches Smith, merges funk backbeats with the taut chaos of Sonic Youth and flashes of Woodstock Santana.” – NY Magazine , 2018

“Ceramic Dog’s bark is just about equal to its bite on the trio’s pissed-as-punk new YRU Still Here? … The music snarls and snaps with self-awareness, righteous fury, and, inevitably, cynical detachment.”-Village Voice

“Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog, whose style is experimental…though much more pleasing on the ears, was one of the best surprises of the festival.” – AV Club review at All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival 2011 curated by Portishead

The Bad Plus & Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog

Saturday, February 17, 2024

Doors: 7:00pm • Show: 8:00pm

Sales Ended

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Now in their 21st year, The Bad Plus continues to push boundaries as founding members Reid Anderson (bass) and Dave King (drums) embark on a new piano-less incarnation of the band with Ben Monder (guitar) and Chris Speed (tenor saxophone) – instigating a new wave of excitement and anticipation within the band that is re-energizing their sound and inspiration. The Bad Plus have constantly searched to bridge genres and techniques while exploring the infinite possibilities of exceptional musicians working in perfect sync.

The Bad Plus is set to release their 15th studio recording and debut self-titled album as a dynamic new quartet via Edition Records on Friday, September 30th. “Evolution is necessary for life and creativity,” say Dave King and Reid Anderson. “We’ve evolved, but we’re still The Bad Plus.”

Ceramic Dog: Marc Ribot- guitar/vocals, Shahzad Ismaily- bass, Ches Smith- drums.

On the band’s 5th studio release, Connection (July 2023), Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog have pushed their long-brewing tension between traditional pop songcraft and avantgarde improvisational music to the breaking point, bridging their customary genre-agnostic approach with elements of glam boogie, minimalist disco, psychedelic boogaloo, garage-punk-against-the-machine agitprop, and so much more. Recorded at Figure 8 Recording in Brooklyn, NY and mixed by Ben Greenberg (Danny Elfman, Depeche Mode, Lamb of God) the album sees Ribot – whose prodigious, impossible-to-categorize body of work as bandleader and musician spans no wave and jazz, Brazilian and Cuban music, roots and avant-garde and protest songs (often at the same time) alongside legendary collaborations with Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, The Lounge Lizards, John Zorn, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Caetano Veloso, and Laurie Anderson (to name but a few) – continuing to utilize Ceramic Dog as the vessel for his distinctive stream-of-consciousness songwriting, penning three out of the album’s four vocal tracks including the groove-infected “Ecstasy” (showcasing Anthony Coleman ’s slinky Farfisa and longtime friend and associate Syd Straw behind the mic). From the anthemic manifesto “Soldiers in the Army of Love” to the unhinged ranting of “Heart Attack” and indescribable “No Name,” Ceramic Dog unleash a fury of complex time signatures, blues abstraction, and free-blowing energy to create their most unapologetically audacious collection thus far, their one-of-a-kind daring evidenced by the unlikely cover of Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz’s “That’s Entertainment,” written especially for the 1953 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical film The Band Wagon but here, in Ribot and Co’s hands, deconstructs Hollywood cliches while simultaneously winking at both the post-punk and post-Cultural Revolution iterations of the Gang of Four. 

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MARC RIBOT’S CERAMIC DOG SET WEST COAST TOUR, In Denver Oct. 21 – Bluebird Theater

MARC RIBOT’S CERAMIC DOG SET WEST COAST TOUR

POST-FUSION ROCK TRIO UNITE WITH THE BAD PLUS

GROUNDBREAKING FIFTH STUDIO ALBUM, CONNECTION,

ARRIVES VIA KNOCKWURST RECORDS THIS FRIDAY, JULY 14

PRE-ORDERS  AVAILABLE NOW

Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog – the visionary post-fusion rock trio comprising guitarist/songwriter/activist Marc Ribot, bassist Shahzad Ismaily, and drummer/percussionist Ches Smith – have announced plans for a West Coast co-headline tour alongside groundbreaking jazz quartet The Bad Plus. The dates begin October 13 at Mesa, AZ’s Mesa Art Center and continue through the month. General on-sales begin Friday, July 14 at 10:00 am (local). For complete details and ticket information, please see  www.marcribot.com/tour-dates .

MARC RIBOT’S CERAMIC DOG – TOUR 2023-2024

19 – Marlboro, VT – Sonic Circus Festival (Ceramic Dog only)

13 – Mesa, AZ – Mesa Arts Center

14 – Seattle, WA – Earshot Jazz Festival @ Town Hall

15 – Portland, OR – PDX Jazz @ Revolution Hall

16 – Vancouver, BC – Capitano University *

20 – Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Ballroom

21 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater

22 – Ft. Collins, CO – Washington’s

All Dates w/ The Bad Plus Except *

This week also sees the arrival of Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog’s eagerly awaited fifth album, Connection, arriving via Knockwurst Records this Friday, July 14. Pre-orders are available now. Declared by Ribot to be “the best record we’ve ever done,” Connection sees Ceramic Dog furthering their long flirtation with various strains of rock ‘n’ roll while remaining fully entrenched in their signature approach to improvised music, augmented by contributions by such special guests as singer-songwriter Syd Straw, keyboardist Anthony Coleman, saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, organist Greg Lewis, clarinetist Oscar Noriega, and cellist Peter Sachon. The album is highlighted by such bracing new songs as the ferocious title track, “ Connection ,” and the anthemic manifesto,  “ Soldiers In the Army of Love ,” both available now for streaming and download.

PRE-ORDER  CONNECTION

LISTEN  TO “SOLDIERS IN THE ARMY OF LOVE”

LISTEN  TO “CONNECTION”

With Connection, Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog have pushed their long-brewing tension between traditional pop songcraft and avantgarde improvisational music to the breaking point, bridging their customary genre-agnostic approach with elements of glam boogie, minimalist disco, psychedelic boogaloo, garage-punk-against-the-machine agitprop, and so much more. Recorded at Figure 8 Recording in Brooklyn, NY, and mixed by Ben Greenberg (Danny Elfman, Depeche Mode, Show Me the Body) the album sees Ribot – whose prodigious, impossible-to-categorize body of work as bandleader and musician spans no wave and jazz, Brazilian and Cuban music, roots and avant-garde and protest songs (often at the same time) alongside legendary collaborations with Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, The Lounge Lizards, John Zorn, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Caetano Veloso, and Laurie Anderson (to name but a few) – continuing to utilize Ceramic Dog as the vessel for his distinctive stream-of-consciousness songwriting, penning three out of the album’s four vocal tracks including the groove-infected “Ecstasy” (showcasing Anthony Coleman’s slinky Farfisa and longtime friend and associate Syd Straw behind the mic).

From the anthemic manifesto “Soldiers in the Army of Love” to the unhinged ranting of “Heart Attack” and indescribable “No Name,” Ceramic Dog unleash a fury of complex time signatures, blues abstraction, and free-blowing energy to create their most unapologetically audacious collection thus far, their one-of-a-kind daring evidenced by the unlikely cover of Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz’s “That’s Entertainment,” written especially for the 1953 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical film The Band Wagon but here, in Ribot and Co’s hands, deconstructs Hollywood cliches while simultaneously winking at both the post-punk and post-Cultural Revolution iterations of the Gang of Four. Fueled by what Ribot calls “several bolts of creative lightning,” Connections stands as a vibrant, odd, and in many ways definitive milestone in what is truly a singular creative journey for Marc Ribot and Ceramic Dog, its zeitgeist-busting sound and vision not only affirming their place in the musical universe but raising the stakes for whatever comes next.

MARC RIBOT’S CERAMIC DOG

(Knockwurst Records)

Release Date: Friday, July 14

Soldiers in the Army of Love

Heart Attack

That’s Entertainment

Order of Protection

CONNECT WITH MARC RIBOT + CERAMIC DOG:

WEBSITE  |  INSTAGRAM  |  TWITTER  |  YOUTUBE

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Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog

“guitarist marc ribot’s wildest project doesn’t mess around.” – new york magazine.

The brilliant and omniferous guitarist Marc Ribot returns to Big Ears with his powerful post-rock trio, Ceramic Dog. Accompanied by bassist Shahzad Ismaily and drummer Ches Smith, Ribot utilizes his trio as a vehicle for his distinctive stream-of-consciousness songwriting. On the band’s fifth studio release, Connection , they push their long-brewing tension between traditional pop songcraft and avantgarde improvisational music to the breaking point, bridging their customary genre-agnostic approach with elements of glam boogie, minimalist disco, psychedelic boogaloo, garage-punk-against-the-machine agitprop, and so much more. Ribot declares their 2023 release as “the best record we’ve ever done.”

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By Daniel Felsenthal

Rock / Experimental / Jazz

July 13, 2023

Marc Ribot keeps watering the roots of no wave. The New York genre, while it seemed to wither 40 years ago, is a key ingredient in his gloriously messy alchemy, which mixes flippant interpretation, heavy feedback, and agit-prop vocals with lofty traditions. The guitarist and composer has layered his scrappy voice over improvisatory jazz, crafted collections of celebratory Cuban montuno (on one track, Ribot sings in Spanish with a self-consciously bad accent ), and recorded a volume of compositions by his mentor, Haitian classical guitarist Frantz Casseus. He’s been most consistent as leader of Ceramic Dog , a power trio of jazz geniuses who inflect literate rock with formidable chops. The synthesis is frenetic, potent, and at odds with the zeitgeist, even if Ribot’s lyrics decry today’s political oppression: Musically, he rejects both the voguish and the virtuosic in favor of his own whims.

The band hitches Ribot with bassist Shahzad Ismaily and drummer Ches Smith, musicians known for artfully changing horses midstream. Famously omnivorous, Ismaily is fresh off Love in Exile , a trio collaboration whose gorgeous, glacial changes are the polar opposite of Ceramic Dog. Smith, once the drummer for indie mainstays Xiu Xiu , has carved out a parallel practice as a composer and percussionist whose outsider immersion in Haitian music rivals Ribot’s. Mercurial tendencies can divide groups; they’ve kept Ceramic Dog together for 18 years, guiding the band as it skirts trendiness in favor of conviction. The three-piece offers a playfully naive idea of how rock might be in a world more invested in social justice than commerce: rambling and trenchant, like the dinnertime rant of a pissed-off family member.

Connection, Ceramic Dog’s fifth LP, stretches these abundant qualities into a rollicking, leisurely hour. Ribot and co. roll through rock, free jazz, boogaloo, son cubano, and, on their thrilling cover of “That’s Entertainment,” the popular songbook as filtered through post-punk. Along the way, they bludgeon us with the most direct rock song of their career, the title track and opener, which sacrifices charming bookishness for bruising force. Later, they proffer soul-stirring free jazz on “Swan,” abandoning the irony Ribot once honed as a member of the Lounge Lizards in favor of unambiguous beauty. Aided by James Brandon Lewis’ saxophone, the track is a gem at the record’s center, its prismatic light brightening the rest of Connection ’s longform improvisations.

Ceramic Dog’s undersung last album, Hope, was a marvel of structure: Split along a line of symmetry, it separated Ribot’s talky concoctions from the band’s jams, a duality that felt almost spiritual. Connection dispenses with its predecessor’s deliberate formatting and, relatedly, a sense of tension. Ribot’s stylistic fascinations each get a moment in the sun: Hard-rockin’ singles adjoin conga rhythms, which bump shoulders with the political screed of “Soldiers in the Army of Love” and the dadaist babble of “Heart Attack.” Ribot previously complicated his leftist declamations with caustic zigzags, flitting between lucid indignation and cracked reasoning. “ Muslim Jewish Resistance ,” from 2018’s YRU Still Here, is a surprising, martial plea for the two faiths to unite against bigotry. “Hippies Are Not Nice Anymore,” from 2020’s Bandcamp-only EP What I Did on My ‘Long’ Vacation , hilariously logs the crowded road linking Woodstock idealism and cynical Silicon Valley riches.

On Connection , Ribot makes calls to action without the balancing weights of humor or self-consciousness. His progressive sentiments are welcome, and unfortunately more relevant than ever: “Fascists beat up on our brothers/Take the choice from our sisters/Hurt our non-binary siblings,” he barks on “Soldiers in the Army of Love.” But for the first time, he sounds wrapped so tightly in the Ceramic Dog flag that it muffles his commentary, obscuring his once skeptically raised eyebrow. “I don’t want you to give me nothing/Unless you give me ecstasy,” he announces on the louche “Ecstasy.” Its groove is sexy, rife with infectious syncopation and cool-as-a-cucumber sprechstimme. Ribot’s lyrics, though, are one-dimensional, which is surprising for a singer whose past outings have revealed so many surprises that straightforward passages served as necessary relief from the chaos.

Soaring peaks rise up from Connection ’s expanse, such as the slippery transition between verse and chorus on “Soldiers in the Army of Love,” the bluesy build of “No Name,” or the 3/4 riff on “Connection,” which cuts against Smith’s common-time rhythm like a blade through tender beef. But the record can feel like a repository of quality ideas and B-side larks that don’t quite fit into a cohesive album. Last month, Ribot told a reporter that many of his current songs he once hoped other artists would record, before he realized that they were “much too weird.” He continued, “I decided I might as well put them out myself. And that’s what I’m in the process of trying to do now. Only there are so many of them that it’s been difficult to figure out how to put them together.” He’s still dirtying his would-be hits with no-wave scuzz, wearing his outré status as a deserved badge of honor. But Connection is the first time that Ceramic Dog has made dissent sound like just a collection of recordings, instead of a prickly, teeming world of its own.

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• Jun 22, 2023

Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog Closes out their June Tour In Winston Salem NC

Words edited by Anna Mengani

With an intense sound, that is an unbelievable mix of unique styles, but are considered a noise rock trio, Ceramic Dog closed out their tour alongside the jazz quartet The Bad Plus at The Ramkat in Winston Salem North Carolina on June 18th.

Photos by Bethany Brandys

Ceramic Dog

Having such a mix of styles, Ceramic Dog is able to take the listener through a wild ride by mixing elements of rock, jazz, avant-garde, and much more. Each piece is played with a striking sound that allows you to travel down a road that you wish would never come to an end. The trio uses their instruments to pull every last feeling from the listener until all you have left are the rollercoaster of emotions that make you come back to the ride over and over again. If you were not able to make it out for this June tour make sure you keep your eyes out for a new tour; along with their next album that will be released in July.

The Bad Plus

Co-lining tonight along the Ceramic Dog is the jazz quartet The Bad Plus. This quartet takes jazz to a different level by adding in rock and pop elements to add flavorful dimensions to their modern avant-garde jazz. With a bold sense of creativity, this band cannot be put into a standard box of what jazz is. Their sound has no limits and connects with the listener in the most soulful manner possible. Make sure you give these guys a listen and keep your eyes open for when they come to a city near you.

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Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog

Our favorite noise rock trio is back!

Fri, Jan 5th 8:00 pm in the The Theater

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Marc Ribot makes a welcome return to Creative Alliance with Ceramic Dog, a power trio of post-rock jazz geniuses featuring Shahzad Ismaily and Ches Smith with a genre-agnostic approach that harnesses traditional pop songcraft and avantgarde improvisational music and takes it to the breaking point.

Declared by Ribot to be “the best record we’ve ever done,” Connection sees Ceramic Dog furthering their long flirtation with various strains of rock ‘n’ roll while remaining fully entrenched in their signature approach to improvised music, augmented by contributions by such special guests as singer-songwriter Syd Straw, keyboardist Anthony Coleman, saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, organist Greg Lewis, clarinetist Oscar Noriega, and cellist Peter Sachon.

Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog Is: Marc Ribot: Guitar/Vocals Shahzad Ismaily: Bass Ches Smith: Drums

“ Ceramic Dog, a power trio of jazz geniuses who inflect literate rock with formidable chops. The synthesis is frenetic, potent, and at odds with the zeitgeist, even if Ribot’s lyrics decry today’s political oppression: Musically, he rejects both the voguish and the virtuosic in favor of his own whims…His progressive sentiments are welcome, and unfortunately more relevant than ever.”

– Pitchfork 2023

“On Ceramic Dog’s (which also features Shahzad Ismaily and Ches Smith), Connection, the prolific guitarist and bandleader continues to showcase his versatility through noisy jazz freakouts, Jesus Lizard-like noise rock rippers, and occasionally some dirty funk…With Ribot, an album is never just one style, never simply one thing, and Connection finds him following that instinct to fantastic effect.” – Treblezine 2023

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Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog

January 4, 2024 8:00pm

Ars Nova Workshop is thrilled to p resent the visionary, politically pointed post-fusion trio Ceramic Dog, compris ing guitarist/songwriter/activist Marc Ribot, bassist Shahzad Ismaily, and drummer/percussionist Ches Smith , at Solar Myth on January 4. 

On their latest album, Connection , Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog have pushed their long-brewing tension between traditional pop songcraft and avant-garde improvisational music to the breaking point, bridging their customary genre-agnostic approach with elements of glam boogie, minimalist disco, psychedelic boogaloo, garage-punk-against-the-machine agitprop, and so much more. Ribot has enjoyed a notorious career as both outsider and icon, his prodigious, impossible-to-categorize body of work as bandleader and musician spanning no wave and jazz, Brazilian and Cuban music, roots and avant-garde and protest songs (often at the same time) alongside legendary collaborations with Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, The Lounge Lizards, John Zorn, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Caetano Veloso, and Laurie Anderson (to name but a few). Ceramic Dog, which unites him with the genre-obliterating talents of drummer Ches Smith and bassist Shahzad Ismaily, is the primary vessel for his distinctive stream-of-consciousness songwriting and his zeitgeist-busting sound and vision.

• Performance

Program Info

$25 General Admission 21 & Over

• Marc Ribot – guitar
• Shahzad Ismaily – bass
• Ches Smith – drums

Solar Myth Philadelphia, PA

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by Marc Ribot, Ceramic Dog

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Marc Ribot New York, New York

Ribot was born in Newark,NJ in 1954. As a teen, he played guitar in garage bands while studying with his mentor, Haitian classical guitarist and composer Frantz Casseus. He moved to New York City in 1978. He was a member of the soul/punk Realtones, and John Lurie’s Lounge Lizards. Ribot has worked extensively with Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, composer John Zorn and producer T Bone Burnett. ...   more

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Swing Time: Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog

photo: Ebru Yildiz

“The significance of the title is that I couldn’t think of another,” Marc Ribot freely admits. He chuckles when he says it; although the guitarist, vocalist and composer, who is talking about Connection , the fifth full-length studio release from his trio Ceramic Dog, could have just made something up and no one would’ve been the wiser. He could, for example, have waxed eloquently about how the album’s 10 tunes blur the lines between genre, disposition, texture and purpose, yet share a palpable connection in their collective spirit. Or he could have noted that his own career has always been about drawing intersecting lines or connecting the dots between his prior work with everyone from Tom Waits to Elvis Costello, Marianne Faithfull, Medeski Martin & Wood, Diana Krall, John Zorn, Trey Anastasio, Richard Hell, Yoko Ono, and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss.

Instead, Ribot, 69, simply explains that the title Connection was inspired by a sculpture created by the 7-year-old daughter of the band’s bassist, Shahzad Ismaily, who has anchored Ceramic Dog along with drummer Ches Smith since its inception in the early 2000s. “What struck me was that it was this kind of shelter that was made by all these connections,” Ribot says, “but it was weirdly shaped and the connections were all very fragile. That feels like our moment.”

The artwork, depicted on the album’s cover, is an appropriate choice because the music on Connection also feels very much of the present: It draws from blistering rock, outré jazz, New Jersey native Ribot’s beloved vintage soul music, punk, funk and much more. There’s chaos and calmness, unchecked anger and implied salvation. There’s experimentation, but there’s also order. The title track—between the severity of the guitar work, the freewheeling, sparring rhythm section and Ribot’s free-associated lyrics—will shake you to the core.

“I’ve developed this wonderful ability to rant,” he says of the opening tune. “It’s automatic, like from a broken dispensing machine or something. But I have a methodology. I just write down what I rant, and then I look through it carefully to see if any of it makes sense. And, if any of it does, I remove it.”

“Soldiers in the Army of Love,” a couple of tracks later, has a backstory worth knowing. “We hold these truths to be self-evident,” Ribot practically barks. But, if you’re thinking that the rest of the Declaration of Independence is about to follow, well, not quite. However, the song’s lyrics still find root in the Civil Rights movement and other more recent battles against oppression.

“Everybody knows what protest is—resistance is not protest,” Ribot says, summarizing the gist of the song’s inspiration. “Protest appeals to an authority that you recognize. Resistance is when you no longer recognize the authority of the people you’re appealing to. You’re trying to get them out of the position of deciding anything. We are not going to re-argue our humanity. We are not going to re-argue our political equality. Those are things we hold self-evident.”

While Ribot’s lyrics are affecting and often border on alarming—another song, “Heart Attack,” extols the virtues of cursing—the trio truly excels on their instrumentals. And, throughout, the musical interplay between the three musicians varies from hyper[1]focused to willfully anarchic. It’s difficult to believe, given the looseness of their jams, that some of those tracks did not form out of improvisations but were composed. “They have chords that eventually go someplace,” Ribot says.

Ribot, Ismaily and Smith have developed a powerful connection of their own over their nearly two decades together, and on several of Connection’s tunes, the trio is augmented by guests who magnify the overall sonic depth—keyboardists Anthony Coleman and Greg Lewis, the remarkable saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, vocalist Syd Straw, clarinetist Oscar Noriega and cellist Peter Sachon. The songs were largely worked out in a Brooklyn, N.Y., studio, engineered by Vishal Nayak and mixed by Ben Greenberg. “I know this destroys a lot of people’s myths, but the best stuff starts out in the studio and grows into something,” Ribot says.

Of course, since he is known by most for his brilliant guitar playing, Ribot still makes sure to find room for some typically impressive axe work on the record. But this time, the concentration was spread out further than on previous Ceramic Dog releases. “There’s plenty of guitar,” he says, “but it’s less dependent on the guitar playing to make it work. It’s more about the composition, arrangements and sonic textures.”

There’s also much allowance for expansion tucked in. Once Ceramic Dog takes the material out on tour, which they just did this summer, something else happens. “We’re incapable of playing anything the same way twice,” Ribot says. “So we’re always looking for ways to open things up. I’m not interested in anything except everything.”

A good part of Ribot’s attitude toward openness in music—the album’s sole cover is the 1953 popular song “That’s Entertainment”— derives significantly from his history as an in-demand session player.

“It comes from literacy, not only in terms of listening to a lot of different music, but also reading and going to movies and checking out what visual artists are doing,” he says of his ability to adapt to different settings. “It’s about how to create something that doesn’t gross you out, that you don’t think is corny or wrong or bad. I just try to rock the house, which is basically all I ever cared about.”

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Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog Announces New Album & Releases First Song

Connection arrives via Knockwurst Records on Friday, July 14.

Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog – the visionary post-fusion rock trio comprising guitarist/songwriter/activist Marc Ribot, bassist Shahzad Ismaily, and drummer/percussionist Ches Smith – have announced the release of their fifth album. Connection arrives via Knockwurst Records on Friday, July 14. Pre-orders are available now.

Declared by Ribot to be “the best record we’ve ever done,” Connection sees Ceramic Dog furthering their long flirtation with various strains of rock ‘n’ roll while remaining fully entrenched in their signature approach to improvised music, augmented by contributions by such special guests as singer-songwriter Syd Straw, keyboardist Anthony Coleman, saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, organist Greg Lewis, clarinetist Oscar Noriega, and cellist Peter Sachon.

The album is heralded by today’s premiere of the ferocious title track, “Connection,” a loose, lo-fi instrumental deeply informed by the scuzz-fueled history of Lower East Side noise rock from the Velvet Underground to White Hassle.

“This song’s (and the album’s) title began with a sculpture by our friend (and Ceramic Dog bassist Shahzad Ismaily’s daughter) Anika (age 6),” says Ribot. “A kind of house made by sticking toothpicks into Halloween candies. It’s an odd-shaped house, kind of like the frame of a geodesic dome…if it wasn’t a dome.

The little structure is home to a drawing of a smiling gingerbread man. Very homey. But, as we all know, it was the gingerbread man’s problematic home that caused him to ‘run as fast as he can.’ And what struck us about this home, apart from its odd beauty, was the fragility of its toothpick design, in which Anika perfectly captured the fragility of our contemporary attempts at human connection, the shadow hanging over our post-everything ‘homes.’ Everything else, the words, and the beat — which, music nerds take note, lays a 4/4 drum beat on top of a 3/4 melody — came later. Thanks, Anika.”

Ceramic Dog – who recently performed a custom composition to soundtrack the Gucci Men’s Fall/Winter 2023 Fashion Show in Milan, Italy (streaming  HERE ) – will celebrate Connection with a wide-ranging international live schedule, the trio’s first full tour in more than half a decade.

The upcoming itinerary includes North American and EU headline shows as well as an eagerly awaited US run alongside The Bad Plus, getting underway June 9 at Chicago, IL’s Thalia Hall. The co-headline tour is highlighted by a one-night-only triple-bill featuring special guest Alan Sparhawk (of Low), set for Minneapolis, MN’s famed First Avenue on June 10. For complete details and ticket availability, please visit  www.marcribot.com/tour-dates .

CERAMIC DOG - TOUR 2023

7 – Toronto, ON – The Great Hall *

8 – Detroit, MI – Marble Bar

9 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall †

10 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue † ^

11 – Madison, WI – Madison Jazz Festival @ High Noon Saloon †

13 – Indianapolis, IN – Toby Theater †

14 – Nashville, TN – 3rd & Lindsley †

15 – Atlanta, GA – Center Stage †

16 – Asheville, NC – Grey Eagle †

17 – Winston-Salem, NC – The Ramkat †

18 – Brooklyn, NY – Union Pool Summer Thunder (Free Show)

30 – Gexto, Spain – Gexto Jazz

1 – Rotterdam, Netherlands – Lantaren Venster

4 – Copenhagen, Denmark - Musik Loppen

6 – Braga, Portugal – TBA

7 – Lisbon, Portugal - TBA

8 – Warsaw, Poland – Pardon, To Tu

10 – München, Germany – Muffatwerk

11 – Forli, Italy – Lupo 340

12 – Rome, Italy - Casa del Jazz

* w/ Andy Moor (of The Ex), Adversarial Networks

† w/ The Bad Plus

^ w/Special Guest Alan Sparhawk (of Low)

Photo Credit: Ebru Yildiz

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