Avant-garde means never having to say you're sorry.
I claimed identity as Jewish musicians for political reasons, because most of us were touring in Germany and, at this time, twelve years ago, there was a strong resurgence of Nazism in the places we were touring and part of that was on the music scene.
Good is the director who lets you do what you have to do.
I'm not a really good classical guitarist by any means, but what I learned from this is a way of working very slowly on solo pieces and I enjoyed working on these pieces of John's. They were not written for solo guitar but a lot of them were easy to adapt.
Influence, people think about it as someone you like but influence is also what you're revolted by. In fact, often it's what you're running away from.
Jazz is a music of great achievements but speed and chops serve a different function in jazz.
Modern instruments were designed to throw sound all in one direction.
I am on the side of pluralistic societies, and I will do whatever I can - by the best means available and any means necessary - to protect spaces that encourage open communication between people.
I hate nostalgia, I want nothing to do with it.
Marc Ribot is an American guitarist and composer.
