Marc Ribot is a guitar hero – if you love mangled sounds and inventive colours, from squeals and squalls to acoustic improvisation. He can do the Hendrix rock-out thing (in more of a Sonny Sharrock kind of way actually) or play jazz. He can do it all, sideman or out front on his own. He’s played with Tom Waits and John Zorn and Elvis Costello. He’s played with The Lounge Lizards and Marianne Faithfull and Mike Patton. He’s played with dozens of names.

And he’s made some incredible albums on his own or as bandleader – most recently his Trio record, Live at the Village Vanguard is a stunner, and his rock group Ceramic Dog returned with Your Turn. And that’s just two recent albums from the ever-prolific player.

I first heard him with Tom Waits, such a crucial part of that sound – and from there it was to his own album, Rootless Cosmopolitans. An influential record for me; a breakthrough in my listening. This was the record that sent me down the free-jazz/improvisational path and along the way I met many friends and found new players to admire.

Ribot is playing Vector Arena’s Tuning Fork in Auckland, Thursday, August 6.

I would sure love, in a perfect world, to be at that show. Don’t miss out if you can make it. He’s something else!