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by Efrén delValle

Giancinto Scelsi, who is obviously the inspiring figure for this album, might well be the most elusive personality in contemporary music and his compositions, the brainchild of a genuinely enigmatic character. No wonder why Ribot’s last large-scale work oozes such a somber mood throughout.
The first set, originally composed for the dance piece Inasmuch As Life Is Borrowed, opens with Bataille, and Aylerian passage with incisive percussion, Ribot’s caustic guitar and Ned Rothenberg’s bass clarinet hard-blowing. The title-track, an atmospheric, slow-paced development showcasing the excellent works of Ted Reichman on pump organ and Jill Jaffe on viola, flows into the abrasive Earth, a frightening maremagnum of electric guitars, samplers and primitive percussion. Chris Wood’s bass and Anthony Coleman’s piano shine beneath Ribot’s peculiar melodic approach on the haunting Pennies From Hell. Closing this minisuite is Geese, a long, spacious piece for woodwinds and strings.
The four last compositions, written for the dance piece Reverse Psychology, rely upon similar motifs: persistant rythms, guitar noise, quirky melodies, the spirit of Albert Ayler and a prevailing dark atmosphere that make Our Daily Bread or Kabukitsch some of Marc Ribot’s most challenging music to date. Although sometimes reminiscent of his work with Shrek with a chamber-ish approach, Scelsi Morning is an enigmatic journey through uncharted territories. Gloomy territories, I might add.