Celebrated American guitarist and composer Marc Ribot is set to release his groundbreaking new album, “Map of a Blue City,” on May 23rd via New West Records. Marking a significant milestone in his influential thirty-plus-year solo career, this reflective and deeply personal record is Ribot’s first-ever vocal album.
At 70 years old, Ribot has cultivated a prolific and remarkably diverse body of work, collaborating with a who’s who of music icons including Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Richard Hell, John Zorn, Yoko Ono, and The Black Keys, alongside leading his own acclaimed projects such as Ceramic Dog and The Jazz Bins.
“Map of a Blue City” delves into the theme of feeling lost, with some tracks originating from as far back as the 1990s, including a shelved studio session with the late Hal Willner – whose passing in 2020 lent the project a new emotional weight. Producer Ben Greenberg (of Brooklyn industrial band Uniform) played a key role in shaping the album’s unique sound, which artfully blends the intimacy of lo-fi home recordings with refined studio elements, creating a sonic tapestry that weaves together blues, rhythm and blues, bossa nova, no wave, and free jazz influences.
To support the release, Ribot will embark on a series of UK and European performances, including two intimate nights at London’s Café Oto on May 17th and 18th, and a show at The Jazz Cafe on July 17th (with his quartet Hurry Red Telephone).
The record features striking interpretations of The Carter Family’s “When The World’s On Fire” – released as the first single when the album was announced – and Allen Ginsberg’s “Sometimes Jailhouse Blues.”
Of The Carter Family track, Marc says: “The Carter Family recorded this song in 1930. You have to admit they were way ahead of the curve. I added a few lyrics to make it safe for agnostics.”
Speaking more broadly about the album, he says: “There are some hard truths and cold observations in these songs. I wanted the room to be small enough so that we couldn’t turn away but warm enough to feel like you’re hearing it from a friend.”
Featuring Doug Wieselman on flute & sax, listen to his current single, Daddy’s Trip to Brazil: “a hungover post-punk echo of (Antônio Carlos) Jobim’s famous ‘Wave’ importing the ennui of a late-capitalist touring musician into the tropicalismo paradise.” The accompanying video was directed by Clara McHale-Ribot.
Marc Ribot’s Map of a Blue City will be available across digital retailers, on compact disc, and standard black vinyl. A limited, blue color vinyl edition will be available at Independent Retailers.
Pre-order Map of a Blue City via Bandcamp
Tour Dates: https://www.marcribot.com/tour-dates