Chris Corsano made a name for himself as an avant-garde drum master equally adept in pop settings, and a master inventor in both genres. With an expressive palette made from various prepared drum techniques, including butter knives and kitchen bowls on the drum heads, and an explosive, sprawling style equally reminiscent of punk and free jazz, Corsano has collaborated with Björk, Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, and Jim O'Rourke while maintaining ongoing partnerships with the likes of saxophonist Paul Flaherty, Vibracathedral Orchestra's Michael Flower, and many others. Working regularly with Flaherty since 1998, and recording with artists like Nels Cline and Wally Shoup, he demonstrated his solo technique with inventive releases such as 2006's The Young Cricketer. His projects since the late 2000s have included Chikamorachi (with Darin Gray), numerous collaborations with free jazz legend Joe McPhee, and duo recordings with guitarist Bill Orcutt, such as 2021's Made Out of Sound. Born and raised in New Jersey, Corsano progressed from classic rock drumming to punk in high school, before discovering improvisation while attending Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. There, in 13 Gauge, along with future Tall Firs guitarist Aaron Mullan, Corsano began to stretch out. Inspired by the vibrant Western Massachusetts improv scene, including a series of shows in the summer of 1996 by the No-Neck Blues Band, Harry Pussy, and Flaherty-Colbourne Quintet, Corsano soon found himself a part of it. His drumming became a source of nearly melodic texture as much as rhythm. Corsano performed with many of the leading lights of the scene, including flagship collective Sunburned Hand of the Man, Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon (relocated from Manhattan to Northampton), and saxophonist Paul Flaherty. He began releasing recordings on his own Hot Cars Warp label, and Flaherty-Corsano Duo's The Hated Music appeared on Moore and Byron Coley's Ecstatic Yod in 2000. Sannyasi (with Flaherty and Greg Kelley) was released in 2002, and Live at Tonic (with Shoup, Flaherty, and Moore) was issued by Leo Records in 2003. Vampire Belt, a noise duo with guitarist Bill Nace, released their debut in 2004, and a set with Nels Cline and Carlos Giffoni was issued by free103point9 as Graduation. Corsano formed Cold Bleak Heat with Flaherty, Kelley, and Matt Heyner, and their debut, It's Magnificent, But It Isn't War, was released by Family Vineyard in 2005. A trip to Japan during the year yielded several albums, including a session with Jim O'Rourke and Darin Gray as Osorezan, as well as work backing the veteran Japanese saxophonist Akira Sakata. Corsano also relocated to the U.K. and developed his solo techniques, releasing a series of adventurous solo recordings, including 2006's The Young Cricketer and Blood Pressure (which featured no drums at all, only a keyboard and a microphone). By 2007, his work had attracted the attention of Icelandic avant-pop star Björk, whom he joined (along with Lightning Bolt drummer Brian Chippendale) on 2007's Volta, as well as subsequent tours, his first experience playing the same drum part every night. Corsano's collaborations and solo projects continued unabated, including stints with psych-folk mainstays Six Organs of Admittance, the prolific New England duo of Matt Valentine and Erika Elder, and mysterious Texas weirdo Jandek. He formed the noise group Death Unit with Giffoni, Trevor Tremaine, and Brian Sullivan, and worked with Michael Flower as Flower-Corsano Duo. Corsano moved back to the United States in 2009, the same year Ultra Eczema released his solo LP Another Dull Dawn. Rangda, his trio with Ben Chasny and Rick Bishop, made their debut in 2010 with the Drag City-issued False Flag. High and Dry, an album by the Chris Corsano Band (otherwise made up of anonymous musicians), appeared the same year, as did two releases by Jailbreak, a duo with Heather Leigh Murray. In 2011, Corsano and Joe McPhee released Under a Double Moon, the first of many collaborations. Corsano's solo album Cut was issued through Hot Cars Warp in 2012. The Raw and the Cooked, with former Harry Pussy guitarist Bill Orcutt, appeared on Palilalia Records in 2013. Flaherty-Corsano Duo returned with the Feeding Tube-issued Low Cost Space Flights in 2014. Throughout the decade, Corsano released collaborations with Okkyung Lee, Evan Parker, Glenn Jones, Ghédalia Tazartès, and countless others. He received the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artist Award in 2017. Several releases with Orcutt appeared in 2018, including the acclaimed full-length Brace Up! The two released Electric Smog, a split with the Dwarfs of East Agouza, in 2019. No Place to Fall, with Rodrigo Amado, was issued by Astral Spirits and Monofonus Press that year, and Corsano released collaborations with artists including Susan Alcorn, Lol Coxhill, and Christine Abdelnour. Corsano's digital album Mezzaluna appeared in 2020. Made Out of Sound, a further set with Orcutt, arrived in 2021. ~ Jesse Jarnow & Paul Simpson, Rovi

Chris Corsano

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