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Marc Ribot Mystery Trio | 10.29.03 | Tonic | New York, NY
Marc Ribot's name is synonymous with New York's downtown avant-garde jazz scene. His name should also be synonymous with bitchin' guitar playing. His Mystery Trio provides an eclectic blend of surf-inspired ballads, shear punk explorations, and legitimate funk jams. The Trio played for roughly an hour and a half and covered many Ribot compositions and an array of musical styles (big shock). The first piece, along with most of the ballads played, had a very noir feel to it... possibly homage to his own Film Works II album, released a few months back. Would this be a night of mellow jazz?
By Cyril Moshkow |
The second song crushed my assumptions as Ribot worked a stripped-down punk version of a jazz song, using his volume pedal and distortion extremely effectively. He was able to hit hectic "out of control" runs and end them with blistering sustained feedback notes reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix (yeah I said it). He was also using the volume pedal well, taking the volume almost off while strumming madly and giving drummer Don McKenzie ample time to hit some crazy fills. McKenzie very successfully was able to keep the drums rolling constantly, even while playing in twos! Ribot's selective volume control also allowed Dave Hofstra (playing acoustic bass in the punk songs) to accentuate the subtle bass lines of "swinging noise."
Mystery Trio did a nice job of mixing ballads in with punk songs and played both with equal dexterity. The highlight of the evening came late in the set where Ribot started on a funky lick and the rest joined in with incredible comping. Ribot was the master of this track, squealing bended notes and using the wah wah pedal and delay to help break down the song and give the drummer and bass some.
Ribot and his trio should not be missed. Whether you're a jazz aficionado, improv jam fan, or punk rocker, the Mystery Trio provides the ample fix for all your needs. Check out marcribot.com for tour info.
Alex Fry
JamBase | New York
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