Marc Ribot announces first-ever vocal album, shares “When The World’s On Fire”

‘Map of a Blue City’ was produced by Ben Greenberg (Uniform) and features original studio sessions recorded by the late Hal Wilner. It’s out May 23 via New West.

Mar 26, 2025 - 15:19

Marc Ribot announces first-ever vocal album, shares “When The World’s On Fire”

Marc Ribot is a renowned guitarist who over the last 40+ years has brought his unique style to records by Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Marianne Faithfull, The Lounge Lizards, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, and more. One thing he’s never done though, until now, is make a singer-songwriter vocal album. Map of a Blue City will be out May 23 via New West. The album was produced and mixed by Ben Greenberg (Uniform) featuring original studio sessions recorded by the late Hal Wilner.

It’s been a long time coming, with some songs dating back to the ’90s. “I just had an affection for them, so I never forgot about them,” Marc says about these songs. “I wasn’t working on them constantly, but every once in a while I would take another lunge at finishing them.” In 2014 he recorded with his old friend Hal Willner but the project got shelved, and then Hal died in 2020. In the end the Willner sessions and Marc’s home demos were given a sonic lift from Greenberg. “I didn’t know how I could reconcile the stuff I’d recorded with Willner with the home recordings that I felt were the heart of the record,” Marc says. “Whether I could make everything fit on the same record, but Ben is a total genius. We added some overdubs, but we also took a lot of stuff away, too… Amazingly, it worked!”

The first single from the album is his lovely, atmospheric version of traditional song “When the World’s On Fire.” Marc notes, “The Carter Family recorded this song in 1930. You have to admit they were way ahead of the curve. I added a few lyrics to make it safe for agnostics.” Listen to that below.

Marc will celebrate Map of a Blue City with a NYC release show at Roulette on June 11 with Shahzad Ismaily. He also has lots of other dates, including ones with his band Ceramic Dog and his new quartet Hurry Red Telephone. All are listed below.

marc ribot map of a blue city

Map of a Blue City:
1. Elizabeth
2. For Celia
3. Say My Name
4. Daddy’s Trip to Brazil
5. Map of a Blue City
6. Death of a Narcissist
7. When the World’s on Fire
8. Sometime Jailhouse Blues
9. “Optimism of the Spirit”

MARC RIBOT – 2025 TOUR DATES

Solo Guitar / Improv – May European Tour:
May 9 – La Bisbal, Spain – Teatre Mundial
May 10 – Madrid, Spain – Recoletos Jazz Madrid
May 11 – Koln, Germany – Stadtgarten. Europäisches Zentrum für Jazz und Aktuelle Musik
May 12 – Oberhausen, Germany – Ebertbad
May 14 – Barcelos, Portugal – Theatro Gil Vicente
May 16 – Fribourg, Switzerland – La Spirale
May 17 – London, UK – Cafe Oto
May 18 – London, UK – Cafe Oto
May 20 – Vicenza, Italy – Teatro Comunale Città di Vicenza
May 21 – Budapest, Hungary – House of Music Hungary
May 23 – Plauen, Germany – Malzhaus
May 25 – Bergen, Norway – Sardinen USF Verftet

Marc Ribot: Map of a Blue City:
June 11 – Brooklyn, NY – Roulette (Record Release Show)

With Ceramic Dog:
June 22 – Ottawa, Canada Ottawa Jazz Festival
June 25 – Albany, NY The Egg +Map of a Blue City (opening set)
June 26 – Montreal/CA Montreal Jazz Festival

Marc Ribot Quartet: Hurry Red Telephone
(w/Ava Mendoza, Sebastian Steinberg, Chad Taylor)
July 16 – London, UK – Jazz Cafe

Jazzaldia 60 Festival Residency:
July 25-27 – San Sebastian, Spain – Residency at Jazzaldia 60 Festival

July 25 – Marc Ribot Quartet: Hurry Red Telephone
July 26 – Solo
July 27 – Ceramic Dog