For a gutsy, punky, uncompromising listen look no further than Connection. Two years on from Hope and five from the questioning Are You Still Here guests with guitar icon Marc Ribot's trio of bassist-keyboardist Shahzad Ismaily and drummer Ches Smith include saxophonist James Brandon Lewis whose Eye of I shook us up wonderfully this year and keyboardist Anthony Coleman. Snake Oil reedist Oscar Noriega (he and Smith were on the excellent You've Been Watching Me) also is on Connection, the title track of which is streaming. As a sidenote if you enjoyed Love in Exile this year you will be understandably attuned to the role of Ismaily here in the Ayler loving Ribot's latest. Includes striking Ribot originals and a cover of Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz's 1950s song 'That's Entertainment' that Ribot sings with gusto in a feverish Iggy like snarl. Gripping from the get go listen as he cranks into A clown with his pants falling down/Or the dance that's a dream of romance.
The Lewis features to gravitate to are 'Heart Attack' and particularly the storming meisterwerk here that is 'Swan' with its squally droney Ribot slashes of spraypaint attack and a gravity forcefield that is Lewis' visceral apocalyptic trademark. Ramped up Connection never lets up and shakes off all available cobwebs that may be clinging to your tattered clothing dear jazzhead. Pick up these replacement threads of a new sonic wardrobe when the album is out on Friday.
Ceramic Dog, l-r: Shahzad Ismaily, Ches Smith, Marc Ribot, photo: via Big Fish. The band are playing this week on the continent with dates including Belgium tomorrow night, Copenhagen on Tuesday, Portugal on Thursday and Friday, Poland on Saturday with the tour continuing the following week - for venue details mosey here
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