Ches Smith: Clone Row

Ches Smith, the San Diego-born Sacramento-raised drummer who studied philosophy at the University of Oregon before diving headfirst into the Bay Area's experimental music scene, has long been one of modern jazz's most restless spirits. His deep resume includes work with Marc Ribot, Tim Berne, John Zorn, Mary Halvorson and Nels Cline, cementing his reputation as a first-call rhythmic architect for the avant-garde and progressive jazz. Following his acclaimed ten-piece ensemble album Laugh Ash (Pyroclastic, 2024), Smith took a bold turn that would make many bandleaders break into a cold sweat: he dismantled the whole machine and rebuilt it with only four players.

The title might hint at dystopian science fiction, but what Smith has cloned is a sound that blends the comfort of the familiar with a jolt of the unexpected. The quartet's rapport feels telepathic, forged from years of crossing paths in New York's creative music scene. Halvorson and Ellman move between perfect harmonic lockstep and deliberate collision, keeping the music unpredictable yet always engaging.

"Ready Beat" sets the mission statement. Rhythmic complexity never comes at the expense of groove, and Smith's drumming avoids grandstanding in favor of building a flexible, responsive foundation. Flickering synth textures and his nimble vibraphone work weave through the music as the band crafts knotty unison lines that challenge the ear. The interplay between off-centered guitar dialogues and sharp linear phrasing gives the piece restless energy. "Abrade With Me" shows the group's range, shifting from murmured exchanges to full-throttle intensity and jagged punk-infused avant-garde bursts.

"Town Down" is a tight four-minute shot of musical conversation, driven by a skewed rock pulse and shifting tempos. "Heart Breakthrough" leans toward melody without losing bite, shaped by Smith's understated vibraphone and an electro-world percussion groove. The guitarists answer with quicksilver exchanges and surprising tonal twists, giving the track a restless shimmer.

With Clone Row, Smith proves that reducing forces can sharpen the edge. Stripped of orchestral heft, the music zeroes in on what makes his work so compelling—the search for beauty in the unstable space between chaos and structure. It is both focused and fearless, executed by a quartet that plays with the assurance of a long-standing unit rather than a group that first assembled in 2019.

This is not just another strong entry in Smith's catalog. It is a statement of intent from an artist still hungry to redraw the boundaries of progressive jazz. Essential listening for anyone curious about where creative music is headed in 2025, it delivers both the thrill of exploration and the satisfaction of landing somewhere entirely new.

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