Ches Smith

Born in California, he found his own voice in the Bay Area’s alternative rock scene and collaborated with bands such as Xiu Xiu, the Secret Chiefs 3 and Evangelista, led by Carla Bozulich.

For some time now, Smith’s career has been characterised by overlapping interests: whilst studying traditional Haitian music, he simultaneously worked closely with saxophonist Tim Berne and pianist Craig Taborn, and performed compositions by John Zorn. With his quartet Clone Row, however, he brings his earlier interests and his improvisational practice together more seamlessly than in any of his other numerous band projects.

The group’s debut album, released in 2025, draws on ideas inspired by, amongst others, Ornette Coleman’s band Prime Time, the Minutemen and Gang of Four. It approaches these influences, however, from a decidedly contemporary perspective.

The quartet’s sound is driven by the powerful interplay between Mary Halvorson and Liberty Ellman – two of the most accomplished and versatile guitarists working today – as well as by the fluid playing of Berlin-based bassist Nick Dunston. Smith’s wide-ranging interests are reflected in the impetuous collision of acoustic and electronic beats, in the combination of jazz’s harmonic sophistication with intense rock grooves, and in the group’s refusal to be confined to a single musical tradition.

The band’s name alludes to the ‘tone row’ in Arnold Schönberg’s twelve-tone technique, whilst the title ‘Abrade With Me’ is a variation on the name of a 19th-century hymn adapted by Thelonious Monk. Both suggest that, for all their artistic complexity, Clone Row are ultimately driven by a palpable sense of playfulness. This performance marks the band’s Berlin debut.

Line-up

• Ches Smith – drums, vibraphone, electronics
• Mary Halvorson – guitar
• Liberty Ellman – guitar
• Nick Dunston – double bass, electronics