Marc Ribot, with dreams of performing Whole Lotta Love, lugged around twenty distinct fuzzboxes, preparing for a metal session. However, to his surprise, he discovered that it was a recording of folk music he was to participate in, alongside Robert Plant.
Veteran guitarist Marc Ribot, encompassing a storied career, has carved out a distinct niche in the music industry. His foray began transcribing jazz solos, moving on to record novelty albums for children's characters such as Barbie and Strawberry Shortcake.
In the 1980s, his brief stint with the eclectic Lounge Lizards, who he joined after relocating to New York, opened doors to his music career. This intersection ultimately led to a lengthy association with singer-songwriter Tom Waits. Lounge Lizards' bandleader John Lurie, in his memoir, observed, "Marc is a musical genius. So many ideas are coming out of that guy that it is actually often a problem."
A chance opportunity with T Bone Burnett brought Ribot to a session for Robert Plant and Alison Krauss's 2007 album Raising Sand. In an interview with The Guardian, he admitted to being "totally intimidated" by the gig, so much so that he arrived slightly over-prepared.
His junior high rock band was named Love Gun, and he confessed that his lifelong dream was to play "Whole Lotta Love". He took 20 different fuzzboxes with him, hoping to play some metal. However, Raising Sand turned out to be a folk record, leaving Ribot a bit taken aback. Yet, his versatility proved crucial as his skills were well-suited for the undertaking.
In the studio, Ribot found himself "like Dr Strangelove when he can't stop doing the Nazi salute, my foot twitching towards the fuzzbox." But he was "so carried away by [Alison's] voice and the story she was singing that [he] straight-up forgot to play. That had never happened to [him] before."
Previously, Ribot had discussed his work on Raising Sand with our website, recounting the gear he used and speaking about composing parts that captured the music's spirit.
After more than three decades of solo work and collaborations, Ribot released his first vocal album, Map of a Blue City, in 2025. This record is a deeply personal reflection of his lifelong influences, spanning blues, bossa nova, rhythm and blues, and free jazz. It is a testament to his ongoing evolution as an artist daring to explore new facets of his musical identity.
Marc Ribot's junior high rock band was named Love Gun, with a lifelong dream to play "Whole Lotta Love" on his electric guitar. During a studio session for Robert Plant and Alison Krauss's 2007 album Raising Sand, he found himself eager to use his collection of 20 fuzzboxes for a metal sound, but the album turned out to be a folk record instead. Despite this, his versatility as an acoustic and electric guitarist proved crucial for the project, leading him to forget to play at one point, as he was so captivated by Alison's voice and the music's story.
In addition to his instrumental works, Marc Ribot also revealed his vocal talents with his first album, Map of a Blue City, released in 2025. The record showcases his lifelong musical influences, spanning a wide range of genres, including blues, bossa nova, rhythm and blues, and free jazz, demonstrating his ongoing evolution as an entertainer and artist.
In his collaboration with T Bone Burnett on Raising Sand, Ribot's skills were showcased not just as a gifted guitarist, but also as an individual who could adapt to various music styles, a trait that has contributed to his success and enduring career in the music industry.
