Ches Smith

afro-jazzpost-rockavant-garde jazzfree improvisationjazznoise rockafro-cuban jazzexperimental

drums, percussion, vibraphone

Genre-bending percussionist, drummer, and composer based in New York, originally from Sacramento, California. Smith is known for blending avant-garde jazz, experimental music, free improvisation, and noise rock, while maintaining a deep scholarly interest in Haitian Vodou drumming. He has collaborated extensively with artists including John Zorn, Tim Berne, Mary Halvorson, and Marc Ribot, and leads multiple ensembles as a bandleader.