Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Marc Ribot: Live In Tokyo

Marc Ribot: Live In Tokyo

By Mark Corroto
July 12, 2016
View read count

Art be damned, let's dance. If you are of a certain age, let's say the baby boomer generation, then the vintage sounds of Philadelphia soul are imprinted on your brain. The 1970's began with The O'Jays "Back Stabbers," which you might have heard on Dick Clark's American Bandstand, a show that originated in Philly, or perhaps you've ridden "The Love Train" or danced to "Me And Mrs. Jones" at a wedding. Those tunes were stamped in your soul, and at a time of great turmoil in society (both then and now) the innocence of the Philly sound is life affirming.

Enter guitarist

Marc Ribot

guitar
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Marc Ribot, avant gardist with soul. He has backed performers such as Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, and Joe Henry and covered music by

Albert Ayler

saxophone, tenor
1936 - 1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Albert Ayler, the Haitian-born Frantz Casseus, Jimi Hendrix, and George Harrison. His projects, Ceramic Dog, Caged Funk, Rootless Cosmopolitans, and many others, always turn left when you expect a right-on-red. Same can be said for the quartet The Young Philadelphians with guitarist

Mary Halvorson

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Mary Halvorson and Philadelphia natives Jamaaladeen Tacuma (bass) and G. Calvin Weston (Drums). There have been rumors and much speculation about this band, thankfully we get a taste of it live from a 2014 concert in Tokyo.

The left turn here is Ribot's logical mish-mash (not an oxymoron) of classic Philly soul with elements of

Ornette Coleman

saxophone, alto
1930 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Ornette Coleman's electric Prime Time band. For that he recruited original members Tacuma and Weston. Remarkable how Ribot orchestrates the classic tunes, "Love Epidemic," "Love Rollercoaster," "TSOP [The Sound of Philadelphia]" and even the eye-rolling wedding dance tune "The Hustle" with his unique hipster (not used in the pejorative sense) logic.

With the help of a string trio, a layer often added to those classic Philly records, he negotiates "TSOP" with the same sincerity he applied to Ayler's music. Weston applies the beat apropos and Tacuma the funk, allowing for Halvorson and Ribot to sing the body electric guitar. The disc is packed full of rump shaking steak and cheese party sounds.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Love Epidemic; Love TKO; Fly, Robin, Fly; TSOP [The Sound of Philadelphia]; Love Rollercoaster; Do It Anyway You Wanna; The Hustle.

Personnel

Marc Ribot

guitar

Jamaaladeen Tacuma

bass

Calvin Weston

drums

Mary Halvorson

guitar

Takako Siba

viola

Yoshie Kajiwara

violin

China Azuma

cello

Album information

Title: Live In Tokyo | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Enja Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Naija Rhythm Affair, NYC
< Previous

2016 Montreal Jazz Festival: June 29...
Next >

Marc Ribot Concerts

Sep 30 Tue

Marc Ribot

Solar Myth
Philadelphia, PA

Oct 5 Sun

Marc Ribot: Map of a Blue City (Record Release) partially...

The Tractor Tavern
Seattle, WA

Oct 28 Tue

Marc Ribot

Band On The Wall
Manchester, UK

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.