Marc Ribot was born in Newark, New Jersey. As a teenager, he played guitar in various garage bands while studying with his mentor, Haitian classical guitarist and composer Frantz Casseus. After moving to New York City in 1978, Ribot was a member of the soul/punk Realtones, and from 1984 to 1989, of John Lurie's Lounge Lizards. Between 1979 and 1985, Ribot also worked as a sidemusician with Brother Jack McDuff, Wilson Pickett, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Chuck Berry, and many others. Ribot's recording credits include Tom Waits, Soloman Burke, John Lurie, Elvis Costello, Marianne Faithful, Arto Lindsay, Caetano Veloso, Laurie Anderson, David Sylvian, Susana Baca, McCoy Tyner, T-Bone Burnett, The Jazz Passengers, The Lounge Lizards, Evan Lurie, Chocolate Genius, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Cibo Mato, Medeski Martin & Wood, James Carter, Vinicio Caposella, Auktyon, Vinicius Cantuaria, Sierra Maestra and many others. Ribot frequently collaborates with producer T Bone Burnett, most recently on Alison Krauss and Robert Plant's grammy award winning Raising Sand and he also regularly works with composer John Zorn. Ribot's own recording projects have included the bands Rootless Cosmopolitans, Shrek and Los Cubanos Postizos. His solo recordings include Marc Ribot Plays The Complete Works of Frantz Casseus, The Book of Heads, Don't Blame Me, Saints and most recently Exercises in Futility. Marc has performed on scores such as Walk The Line, Everything is Illuminated, and The Departed by Scorsese. Marc's talents have also been showcased with a full symphony orchestra. Composer Stewart Wallace wrote a guitar concerto with orchestra specifically for Marc. The piece was premiered by the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington DC in July of 2004 and also appeared at The Cabrillo Festival in Santa Cruz, CA in August of 2005.

Marc is currently touring with two bands, the Albert Ayler tribute project Spiritual Unity, featuring original Ayler bassist Henry Grimes, and Ceramic Dog featuring bassist Shahzad Ismaily an drummer Ches Smith. Ceramic Dog released recently their debut album called Party Intellectuals.