Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog

(noise rock trio)

CERAMIC DOG: Marc Ribot- guitar/vocals, Shahzad Ismaily- bass/moog/electronics, Ches Smith- drums/electronics

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 (with bassist Shahzad Ismaily of Arooj Aftab & Vijay Iyer’s Love in Exile, and drummer Ches Smith of Secret Chiefs 3, Xiu Xiu, etc) 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 

Ceramic Dog performs “Lies My Body Told Me” live at Gucci’s Men’s Runway Show FW2023

Photos:

(Click on photo for Hi-Res)

Discography:

2023: Connection - Knockwurst Records (US) / Yellowbird (Europe)
2021: HOPE - Northern Spy Records (US)/Yellowbird (Europe)/P-Vine (Japan)
2020: What I Did On My Long ‘Vacation’ - Northern Spy exclusively on Bandcamp
2018: YRU Still Here? - Northern Spy Records (US)/Yellowbird (Europe)/P-Vine (Japan)
2013: Your Turn - Northern Spy Records (US)/Yellowbird (Europe)/P-Vine (Japan)
2008: Party Intellectuals - Pi Recordings

Press:

For CONNECTION

For HOPE

For YRU STILL HERE?

For Your Turn:

For Party Intellectuals:

Performance History:

03/24/24 Big Ears Festival - Knoxville, TN

CERAMIC DOG EUROPEAN - ALBUM RELEASE TOUR FOR ‘CONNECTION’ 2024
19.01.2024  WIEN/Austria - Porgy & Bess Jazz & Music Club SOLD OUT!
20.01.2024  PRAGUE/Czech Republic - Jazz Dock SOLD OUT!
22.01.2024  OBERHAUSEN/Germany - Ebertbad
23.01.2024 PARIS/France - Sons d’Hiver (Marc: Words & Music of Resistance) SOLD OUT!
24.01.2024  PARIS/France - Sons d’Hiver (Ceramic Dog + Marc Ribot New Trio w/ special guest James Brandon Lewis) SOLD OUT!
25.01.2024  LAUSANNE/Switzerland - Jumeaux Jazz Club SOLD OUT!
26.01.2024  SION/Switzerland - Ferme-Asile/ Centre Artistique et Culturel SOLD OUT!
27.01.2024  BIEL/Switzerland - Le Singe SOLD OUT!
29.01.2024  AMSTERDAM/Netherlands - Bimhuis SOLD OUT!
31.01.2024  NANTES/France - Salle Paul Fort
01.02.2024  ANTWERP/Belgium - De Roma Tickets
02.02.2024 Cologne/Germany - Stadtgarten SOLD OUT!
03.02.2024  GSCHWEND/Germany - Gemeindehalle Gschwend
04.02.2024  LANDSBERG/Germany - Stadttheater Landsberg a. Lech
05.02.2024 London / UK - Jazz Cafe SOLD OUT!

CERAMIC DOG - USA 2024
02/17 Berkeley, CA - The UC Theatre (co-bill w/ The Bad Plus)
02/18 Los Angeles, CA - Zebulon
01/04/24 Philadelphia, PA - Solar Myth
01/05/24 Baltimore, MD - Creative Alliance
01/12/24 Winter Jazz Fest Manhattan Marathon @ Bowery Ballroom - NYC


CERAMIC DOG USA Fall Tour 2023 - (co-bill w/ The Bad Plus)
10/13/23 – Mesa, AZ – Mesa Arts Center
10/14/23 – Seattle, WA – Earshot Jazz Festival @ Town Hall
10/15/23 – Portland, OR – PDX Jazz @ Revolution Hall
10/16/23 – Vancouver, BC – Capilano University (Ceramic Dog only)
10/18/23 - San Diego - The Loft @ UCSD (Ceramic Dog only)
10/20/23 – Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Ballroom
10/21/23 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
10/22/23 – Ft. Collins, CO – Armory (moved from Washington’s)
10/24/23 - Brooklyn, NYC - Public Records (Ceramic Dog only)

CERAMIC DOG US Tour for CONNECTION 2023- (*co-bill w/ The Bad Plus)
06/07/23 Toronto, CA - The Great Hall + Andy Moor (of The Ex), Adversarial Networks
06/08/23 Detroit, MI - Marble Bar
06/09/23 Chicago, IL * - Thalia Hall
06/10/23 Minneapolis, MN * - First Avenue + Alan Sparhawk of Low
06/11/23 Madison, WI * - Madison Jazz Fest @ High Noon
06/13/23 Indianapolis, IN * - Toby Theater
06/14/23 Nashville, TN * - 3rd & Lindsley
06/15/23 Atlanta, GA * - Center Stage
06/16/23 Asheville, NC * - Grey Eagle
06/17/23 Winston-Salem, NC * - Ramkat
06/18/23 Brooklyn, NY - Union Pool Summer Thunder (Free! Early Show)

CERAMIC DOG European Tour for CONNECTION 2023
6/30  GETXO/Spain - Getxo Jazz - Muxikebarri Zentroa Tickets
07/01  ROTTERDAM/Netherlands - LantarenVenster Tickets
07/03 Belgium TBA
07/04 COPENHAGEN/Denmark - Musik LOPPEN
07/06 BRAGA/Portugal - gnration - Blackbox
07/07 LISBON/Portugal - Grande Auditório de Culturgest Tickets
07/08  WARSAW/Poland - Pardon,To Tu Tickets
07/10  MÜNCHEN/Germany - Muffatwerk/Ampere
07/11  FORLI/Italy - Lupo 340
07/12  ROMA/Italy - Casa del Jazz PARCO Tickets

CERAMIC DOG US RECORD RELEASE MINI TOUR 2018
3/18: Washington DC - Black Cat 
3/24: Knoxville, TN - Big Ears Festival
3/25: Nashville, TN - The Basement 
3/26: Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle
3/27: Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle (backroom)
3/28: Richmond, VA - Black Iris
3/29: Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
5/6: NYC - (le) Poisson Rouge
5/10: New Haven, CT - Cafe 9

CERAMIC DOG EUROPEAN RECORD RELEASE TOUR
April 18-May 5, 2018
20.04.2018 NANTES/France ;Salle Paul Fort - La Bouche d'air
22.04.2018 LUBLIN/Poland
24.04.2018 WIEN/Austria
25.04.2018 BIEL/Switzerland Le Singe
27.04.2018 TORINO/Italy OGR Torino
28.04.2018 TRENTO/Italy Teatro Sanbàpolis
30.04.2018 SAN SEBASTIAN/Spain Teatro Victoria Eugenia
04.05.2018 LIEGE/Belgium Le Reflektor more TBA

CERAMIC DOG JAPAN TOUR 2018
July 23: Umeda Club Quattro
July 24: Blue Note Tokyo
July 25: Blue Note Tokyo
July 27: Fuji Rock Festival

March 16 - March 25, 2017
CERAMIC DOG European Tour
17.03.2017 VAULX EN VELIN/France Centre Charlie Chaplin
19.03.2017 BERN/Switzerland Turnhalle im PROGR
21.03.2017 ZÜRICH/Switzerland Moods
22.03.2017 HALL i.T./Austria Kulturlabor Stromboli
23.03.2017 MÜNCHEN/Germany Unterfahrt Jazzclub
24.03.2017 BORGERHOUT/Belgium De Roma
25.03.2017 BUDAPEST/Hungary Trafó House of Contamporary Arts

October 21 - November 2, 2016
Ceramic Dog European Tour
22.10.2016 COIMBRA/Portugal - Jazz ao Centro Festival / Salão Brazil 
23.10.2016 ROMA/Italy - MONK CLUB
24.10.2016 RIJKSEVORSEL/Belgium - De Singer
25.10.2016 BILBAO/Spain - Sala BBK
26.10.2016 INNSBRUCK/Austria - Treibhaus
27.10.2016 OSLO/Norway - Nasjonal Jazzscene, Victoria
28.10.2016 AMSTERDAM/Netherlands - Bimhuis
29.10.2016 LA ROCHELLE/France - La Sirene
30.10.2016 TOURS/France - Le Temps Machine
31.10.2016 BARCELONA/Spain - Teatre Apolo

September 16, 2016 La Trastienda - Montevideo, Uruguay
September 17-18, 2016 Usina del Arte - Buenos Aires, Argentina
9/17: Ceramic Dog @ Museum, Perú 535

Ceramic Dog West Coast Tour
June 21 2016 San Francisco: The Chapel 
June 22 2016 Seattle: KEXP: In Studio performance + Interview, Tractor Tavern w/Skerik 
June 23 2016 Portland: Mississippi Studios
June 24 2016 Vancouver International Jazz Festival: North Shore Jazz

May 16, 2015 Festival International Musique Accuelle Victoriaville

CERAMIC DOG - European Tour
22.05.2015 CERKNO/20th Jazz Cerkno, Slovenia Old Square23.05.2015 ARGENTEUIL (Paris)/France
24.05.2015 VANDOEUVRE/France
25.05.2015 ZÜRICH/Switzerland Moods27.05.2015 TILBURG/Netherlands
28.05.2015 AMSTERDAM/Netherlands
29.05.2015 BARELONA/Spain Primavera Sound
30.05.2015 HAMBURG/Germany
31.05.2015 BERGEN/Norway

CERAMIC DOG - SUMMER EUROPEAN TOUR
03.07.2015 VIGO/Spain Auditorio Municipal Do Concello
04.07.2015 WAIDHOFEN/Austria Thayapark
05.07.2015 WARSAW/Poland Pardon To Tu
06.07.2015 WARSAW/Poland Pardon To Tu
08.07.2015 CORDOBA/Spain Grand Teatro de Cordoba
09.07.2015 PRATO/Italy Anfiteatro del Centro per l'Arte Contemporanea L. Pecci
10.07.2015 SANTARCANGELO di Romagna/Italy ;Piazza delle monache, santarcangelo di romagna
11.07.2015 ROMA/Italy CASA DEL JAZZ

5/28/14: Grass Valley Center for the Arts - Grass Valley, CA
5/27/14: Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR
5/26/14: Largo - Los Angeles, CA
5/11/14: Rough Trade - NYC
4/3 – 4/12/14: Ceramic Dog Europe Tour
3/28/14: Big Ears Festival - Knoxville, TN
1/11/14: Winter Jazz Fest - Le Poisson Rouge - NYC
10/5/13: Boot and Saddle - Philadelphia, PA
10/4/13: Union Pool - Brooklyn, NY
10/3/13: Tropicalia - Washington, DC
8/22/13: Festival Distritofonico - Bogota, Colombia
5/28/13: The Constellation - Chicago, IL
5/27/13: Downtown Sound series at Pritzker Pavilion - Chicago, IL
5/5/13: Record release show at (Le) Poisson Rouge - New York, NY
4/30 - 5/3/13: Japan Tour
2/14/2013: European Tour
2/9/2013: Ear We Are Festival - Switzerland
1/17/2013: Alterna Jazz Festival – Mexico City, Mexico
11/9 – 11/18/2012: European Tour
1/6/2012 – Winter Jazz Festival - NYC
12/13/2011: Brooklyn Bowl – BK, NY
11/14 – 11/18/2011: East Coast Mini Tour
10/1/2011:  All Tomorrow’s Party – Asbury Park, NJ curated by Portishead
7/11/2011: Rocks Off Cruise – East River, NYC
6/25/2011: Montreal Jazz Festival (1 of 3 days of Marc Ribot Artist Residency)
6/23/2011: Undead Jazz Fest - NYC
5/4 – 5/14/2011: European Tour
10/10 – 10/11/2009: Ruhr, Germany - Marc Ribot curates Century of Song at Ruhr Triennale with Iggy Pop + Tine Kindermann (CDog as backing band)
2/2/2010: NY Guitar Festival
10/17 – 10/30: European Tour
10/16/2009: Saalfelden Festival
8/18/2009: Hudson Square Festival at City Winery - NYC
6/1/2009: Moers Festival - Germany
2/25/2009: Salle Pleyel – Paris, France on John Zorn’s Serge Gainsbourg Tribute
12/11/2008: Knitting Factory w/Fred Frith’s Cosa Brave
6/19/2007: Celebrate Brooklyn! – NYC w/ Medeski Martin and Wood
7/17/2007: River to River Festival at World Financial Center – NYC
11/18/2006: London Jazz Festival – Queen Elizabeth Hall – London, UK for workshops with London Sinfonietta (exploration of the territory that exists between the differing musical languages of the classically-trained and the improvisational musicians)
11/17/2006: London Jazz Festival – Queen Elizabeth Hall – London, UK
9/6/2006: Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour w/ Deerhoof
9/5/2006: San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall w/ Deerhoof