#tom cora

At that time, and for a few years, I only listened to free jazz, or avant-garde jazz.

I really liked TOM CORA, and I was lucky enough to see him live the only time he played in Portugal.

I loved and only listened to music from MY FAV bands like Skeleton Crew, Skeleton Crew, Shockabilly, The WORK, Henry Cow, The Art Bears, Slappy Happy, Steve Beresford, Fred Frith, Kramer, Eugene Chadbourne, John Zorn, Butch Morris, Fred Frith, Samm Bennett, the excellent "virtual trio" band Third Person, The Ex, and formed The Hat Shoes with the forward's wife/vocalist Catherine Jauniaux, Henry Kaiser, Han Bennink, Derek Bailey, etc...

Tom Cora described himself as "a musician who happens to play cello."

That humble description belies the fury of his cello, but points to the overall musicality and excellence that he demonstrated as a musician.

A seminal figure in the early downtown NY scene of the 70's Cora played with seemingly everyone of note, both in and around that scene.

His early work had him playing with Lee Konitz and Don Cherry.

He then formed the band Curlew with George Cartwright and Bill Laswell, arguably that band's best period.

Moving to Manhattan in 1979 he fell in with artists like Steve Beresford, Fred Frith, Kramer, Eugene Chadbourne, John Zorn, and Butch Morris, and Fred Frith created the incredible band Skeleton Crew, and with Samm Bennett the excellent "virtual trio" band Third Person. He collaborated with the Dutch band The Ex, and formed The Hat Shoes with wife/avant vocalist Catherine Jauniaux.

With Phil Minton he formed the unusual band Roof which toured the European avant/free- improv scene to acclaim (and continues to under the name "4 Walls."

His untimely death from melanoma robbed the world of a tremendous musician, a charismatic and vigorous player who is still missed.

Amazing band that ended far too early in their creative cycle due to the early demise of Tom Cora. The band continued as 4Walls, but the recordings under the name Roof remain stellar achievements.

ROOF - Trace (1999) - Live At Bremen and Amsterdam 1997

Tom Cora - cello

Luc Ex - bass

Phil Minton - vocals

Michael Vatcher - drums

1999, Free Jazz, Alternative Rock, Avantgarde

Skeleton Crew: The disassembled body

Frith + Tom Cora + Zeena Parkins.

Albums: Learn to Talk (1984), The Country of Blinds (1986).

A trio that sounded like a broken orchestra

The Work: formed in 1980 by Tim Hodgkinson (ex-Henry Cow) and Bill Gilonis, with Mick Hobbs and Rick Wilson.

It is one of the most radical bands of the post-Rock in Opposition era:

Slapp Happy: the bridge to lyrical absurdity

Frith joins via Henry Cow; Desperate Straights (1975) is the fusion point. Mutant chamber pop

The Ex: political friction and angular dance

Frith collaborated with The Ex on performances and recordings, especially during the period when the band expanded its vocabulary to free improvisation and Ethiopian music.

Militant Energy + Articulated Noise

Shockabilly and Post-Punk Chaos

In the 80s he led the band Shockabilly with Mark Kramer and David Licht, creating a hybrid of destroyed rock, psychedelia, noise, and mutant country.

They made four absolutely unpredictable albums.

R.S. Moore: the enigma, the agitator, the archivist of the absurd. A semi-hidden figure in the British experimental scene.

John Zorn: the New York axis of fragmentation. Frith is a key piece in Naked City, The Art of Memory, and numerous Tzadik formations.

Kramer — the surrealist lo-fi axis. Kramer (Shimmy-Disc) appears as a recurring collaborator of Frith.

Tape textures, collages, acid humor.

Chadbourne is a chaotic satellite orbiting Frith, Zorn, Bailey, and Bennink.

The Ex is raw energy, politics, and limitless experimentation. You've gone from an "Art-Pop" band to one of the most respected and rigorous Anarcho-Punk and Post-Punk bands on the planet! punk/anarco-punk

Formed in 1979, The Ex is a collective that refuses to be labeled. They are the definition of "do it yourself" (DIY).

The original founders (in 1979) were: Terrie Hessels (also known as Terrie Ex) – Guitar

G.W. Sok (Jos Kleij) – Vocals

Geurt van Gisteren – Drums

René de Groot – Bass

From Punk to Ethiopian Jazz, what makes The Ex fascinating is how they've changed over the decades:

Early (1980s) they came with a straightforward, politicized, and noisy punk sound, heavily influenced by the Amsterdam squat scene.

Over time, they incorporated elements of Jazz, Improvised Music, and, most surprisingly, African Music (especially from Ethiopia).

They are famous for playing with musicians from completely different styles, such as jazz saxophonist Getatchew Mekurya and cellist Tom Cora.

If you listen to one of their songs, you'll notice that the percussive guitars sound almost like metallic drums, with angular and dry rhythms.

Hypnotic rhythms: their songs often have a repetitive "groove" that puts you in a trance, somewhat reminiscent of Krautrock.

Independent attitude: they've never worked with major record labels and have managed everything themselves for over 45 years.

Since their discography is gigantic (more than 20 albums!), three paths:

The Rock/Punk Side: Album Scrabbling at the Lock (with Tom Cora). It's visceral and innovative.

The Ethiopian Connection: Album Moa Anbessa (with Getatchew Mekurya). An epic mix of African jazz with the origins of Dutch punk.

The Recent Sound: Album 27 Notes in 10.5 Seconds. Shows the band still sharp and noisy in the 21st century.

For many years, the voice of the band was the iconic G.W. Sok, but he left in 2009.