I play drums and percussion, and write music. Lately I've been playing with Good for Cows, Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog, Secret Chiefs 3, Tim Berne's Los Totopos, the Mary Halvorson Trio and Quintet, Ben Goldberg Quintet, Xiu Xiu, and Terry Riley as well as my solo drums/vibraphone/electronics project Congs for Brums and my quartet These Arches (with Mary Halvorson, Tony Malaby and Andrea Parkins). I study Haitian Vodou drumming with John Amira, Daniel Brevil and Markus Schwartz.
A select discography includes: Ches Smith's Congs for Brums: NOISE TO MEN, CONGS FOR BRUMS; Ches Smith and These Arches: FINALLY OUT OF MY HANDS; Good for Cows: AUDUMLA, BEBOP FANTASY, LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO; Mary Halvorson Trio: DRAGON'S HEAD; Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant: SISTER PHANTOM OWL FISH; Secret Chiefs 3: SATELLITE SUPERSONIC VOL 1, LE MANI DESTRE RECISE DEGLI ULTIMI UOMINI, BOOK OF HORIZONS; John Zorn/Secret Chiefs 3: XAPHAN, Book of Angels, Vol. 9; Ben Goldberg Quintet: THE DOOR, THE HAT, THE CHAIR, THE FACT; Todd Sickafoose: BLOOD ORANGE; Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog: PARTY INTELLECTUALS; Xiu Xiu: WOMEN AS LOVERS, DEAR GOD I HATE MYSELF; Theory of Ruin: COUNTER-CULTURE NOSEBLEED, FRONT LINE POSTERCHILD.
