# Ches Smith > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ches_Smith > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ches_Smith.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ches_Smith > Source revision: 1349765328 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. Find sources: "Ches Smith" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) American musician Ches Smith Background information Born Gordon McChesney Smith San Diego, California, United States Origin Sacramento, California, United States Genres Jazz rock experimental Occupation Musician Instruments Drums percussion vibraphone Website chessmith.com Musical artist **Ches Smith** is an American musician, whose primary instruments are drums, percussion, and [vibraphone](/source/Vibraphone). He recorded and performed an album of his own solo percussion pieces entitled *Congs for Brums* (2006).[1] In 2010 he released *Noise to Men*.[2] ## Biography Smith was born in [San Diego](/source/San_Diego), California, and raised in [Sacramento](/source/Sacramento%2C_California).[3] After studying philosophy at the [University of Oregon](/source/University_of_Oregon), he moved to the [San Francisco Bay Area](/source/San_Francisco_Bay_Area) in 1995.[3] He studied composition, improvisation and percussion with [Fred Frith](/source/Fred_Frith), [Pauline Oliveros](/source/Pauline_Oliveros), [William Winant](/source/William_Winant) and [Alvin Curran](/source/Alvin_Curran).[3] In 1999, he toured with [Mr. Bungle](/source/Mr._Bungle).[4] ## Discography Ches Smith. This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: Formatting, non-use of wikitable(s), laundry list appearance, unreferenced. Please help improve this section if you can. (July 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) ### As leader/co-leader - 2006 – *Congs for Brums* (Free Porcupine Society) - 2010 – *Noise to Men* (Self Released) & Congs for Brums - 2010 – *Finally Out of My Hands* (Skirl) & These Arches - 2012 – *Psycho Predictions* (Figure Eight Records) & Congs for Brums - 2013 – *Hammered* (Clean Feed) & These Arches - 2014 – *International Hoohah* (ForTune) & These Arches - 2016 – *The Bell* (ECM) Trio w Craig Taborn, Mat Maneri - 2018 – *A Complete and Tonal Disaster* (Self Released) & Congs for Brums - 2021 – *Path of Seven Colors* (Pyroclastic) & We All Break - 2022 – *Interpret It Well* (Pyroclastic) - 2024 – *Laugh Ash* (Pyroclastic) - 2025 – *Clone Row* (Otherly Love Records) ### As sideman **with [Tim Berne](/source/Tim_Berne)** - 2012 – *[Snakeoil](/source/Snakeoil_(album))* (ECM) - 2013 – *[Shadow Man](/source/Shadow_Man_(Tim_Berne_album))* (ECM) - 2015 – *[You've Been Watching Me](/source/You've_Been_Watching_Me)* (ECM) - 2015 – *Spare* (Screwgun) - 2017 – *[Incidentals](/source/Incidentals)* (ECM) - 2020 – *The Fantastic Mrs. 10* (Intakt) - 2020 – *The Deceptive 4 (Live)* (Intakt) - 2022 - *Decay* (Screwgun) **with [Trevor Dunn](/source/Trevor_Dunn)'s [trio-convulsant](/source/Trevor_Dunn's_Trio-Convulsant)** - 2004 – *[Sister Phantom Owl Fish](/source/Sister_Phantom_Owl_Fish)* (Ipecac) **with [Mary Halvorson](/source/Mary_Halvorson)** - 2008 - *Dragon's Head* - 2010 - *Saturn Sings* - 2012 - *Bending Bridges* - 2013 - *Illusionary Sea* - 2013 - *Ghost Loop* - 2016 - *Away With You* **with Moe! Staiano** - 2001 – *The Lateness of Yearly Presentations* **with Moe! Staiano's Moe!kestra!** - 2006 – *An Inescapable Siren Within Earshot Distance Therein and Other Whereabouts* - 2007 – *Two Rooms of Uranium Inside 83 Markers* **with Graham Connah** - 2001 – *The Only Song We Know* **with [Good For Cows](/source/Good_For_Cows)** - 2001 – *Good for Cows* - 2003 – *Cows Less Than or Equal To* - 2004 – *Bebop Fantasy* - 2008 – *10th Concert Anniversary* - 2010 – *Audumla* **with Theory Of Ruin** - 2002 – *Counter–Culture Nosebleed* - 2003 – *Frontline Posterchild* **with Mitch Marcus Quintet** - 2002 – *Entropious* **with [Lou Harrison](/source/Lou_Harrison)** - 2003 – *Drums Along the Pacific* **with [John Zorn](/source/John_Zorn)** - 2003 – *[Voices in the Wilderness](/source/Voices_in_the_Wilderness)* (Tzadik) - 2016 – *The Painted Bird* (Tzadik) - 2018 – *The Urmuz Epigrams* (Tzadik) - 2018 – *In a Convex Mirror* (Tzadik) - 2020 – *Les Maudits* (Tzadik) - 2021 – *Heaven and Earth Magick* (Tzadik) - 2022 – *Incerto* (Tzadik) - 2022 – *Suite For Piano* (Tzadik) **with [Xiu Xiu](/source/Xiu_Xiu)** - 2002 – *[Knife Play](/source/Knife_Play)* with [Greg Saunier](/source/Greg_Saunier) - 2003 – *[A Promise](/source/A_Promise_(Xiu_Xiu_album))* - 2005 – *[La Foret](/source/La_For%C3%AAt_(album))* - 2007 – *[Remixed and Covered](/source/Remixed_%26_Covered)* as [Good for Cows](/source/Good_for_Cows) - 2008 – *[Women as Lovers](/source/Women_as_Lovers_(album))* - 2010 – *[Dear God I Hate Myself](/source/Dear_God%2C_I_Hate_Myself)* - 2012 – *[Always](/source/Always_(Xiu_Xiu_album))* - 2013 – *[Nina](/source/Nina_(Xiu_Xiu_album))* **with [David Torn](/source/David_Torn)** - 2019 – *Sun Of Goldfinger* (ECM) - 2020 – *Sun Of Goldfinger (Congratulations to You)* (Screwgun) - 2022 - *Ozmir* (Screwgun) **with [Secret Chiefs 3](/source/Secret_Chiefs_3)** - 2004 – *[Book of Horizons](/source/Book_of_Horizons)* - 2008 – *[Xaphan: Book of Angels Volume 9](/source/Xaphan%3A_Book_of_Angels_Volume_9)* - 2013 – *[Book of Souls: Folio A](/source/Book_of_Souls%3A_Folio_A)* - 2019 – *[The Book Beri'ah Vol 10—Malkhut](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Book_Beri%27ah_Vol_10%E2%80%94Malkhut&action=edit&redlink=1)* **with [Aaron Novik](/source/Aaron_Novik)** - 2004 – Gubbish: *Notations in Tonations* - 2006 – Kipple: *Flashes of Irrational Happiness* **with Redressers** - 2004 – *To Each According...* **with [Carla Bozulich](/source/Carla_Bozulich)/[Evangelista](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Evangelista_(band)&action=edit&redlink=1)** - 2009 – *Prince of Truth* - 2011 – *In Animal Tongue* - 2014 – *I'm Gonna Stop Killing* **with [Will Bernard Trio](/source/Will_Bernard)** - 2005 – *Directions to My House* **with Fever Pitch** - 2005 – *Just Drums 2 Project* **with Sean Hayes** - 2006 – *Big Black Hole and the Little Baby Star* **with Todd Sickafoose** - 2006 – *Blood Orange* **with [Ben Goldberg](/source/Ben_Goldberg) Quintet** - 2006 – *The Door, the Hat, the Chair, the Fact* **with 7 Year Rabbit Cycle** - 2006 – *Ache Horns* **with [Fred Frith](/source/Fred_Frith), Darren Johnston, Devin Hoff and [Larry Ochs](/source/Larry_Ochs_(musician))** - 2007 – *Reason to Move* **with [Marc Ribot](/source/Marc_Ribot)'s Ceramic Dog** - 2008 – *[Party Intellectuals](/source/Party_Intellectuals)* - 2013 – *[Your Turn](/source/Your_Turn)* - 2018 – *[YRU Still Here?](/source/YRU_Still_Here%3F)* - 2020 - What I Did On My Long 'Vacation' - 2021 - Hope - 2023 - Connection **with [Leonid Fedorov](https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A4%D1%91%D0%B4%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2,_%D0%9B%D0%B5%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B4_%D0%92%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87), [Vladimir Volkov](https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2,_%D0%92%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80_%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87), [John Medeski](/source/John_Medeski), [Marc Ribot](/source/Marc_Ribot)** - 2010 – *[RazinRimILev](https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%B2)* **with [Dave Holland](/source/Dave_Holland_(bassist))** - 2018 – *[Uncharted Territories](/source/Uncharted_Territories)* **with [Moonface](/source/Spencer_Krug)** - 2018 – *This One's for the Dancer & This One's for the Dancer's Bouquet* ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Wetzel, Florence (2006-11-18). ["CD/LP Review: Congs for Brums"](https://www.allaboutjazz.com/congs-for-brums-ches-smith-free-porcupine-society-review-by-florence-wetzel). All About Jazz. Retrieved 2010-09-24. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Congs For Brums Noise to Men"](http://www.chessmith.com/noisetomen.html). *Chessmith.com*. Retrieved 2021-07-15. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_3-2) ["Ches Smith bio"](https://jazzinfo.org/artist/ches-smith). Retrieved 2024-06-25. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-:1_4-0)** ["A series of interviews about Mr. Bungle's 'California' PART 2"](https://web.archive.org/web/20191102202326/https://faithnomorefollowers.com/2019/07/a-series-of-interviews-about-mr-bungles_18.html). *faithnomorefollowers*. July 18, 2019. Archived from [the original](http://www.faithnomorefollowers.com/2019/07/a-series-of-interviews-about-mr-bungles_18.html) on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 2023-05-13. ## External links - [Ches Smith homepage](http://www.chessmith.com/) - [Ches Smith on DAZ.com](https://web.archive.org/web/20070927152754/http://daz.com/artists/Ches%20Smith.html) - [Ches Smith](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p544962) at [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic_(identifier)) - [Picture gallery at downtownmusic.net](http://www.downtownmusic.net/pictures/picturesrhtml/Ches_Smith/default.htm) v t e Xiu Xiu Jamie Stewart Angela Seo David Kendrick Lauren Andrews Jherek Bischoff Yvonne Chen Cory McCulloch Caralee McElroy Sam Mickens Ches Smith Studio albums Knife Play (2002) A Promise (2003) Fabulous Muscles (2004) La Forêt (2005) The Air Force (2006) Women as Lovers (2008) Dear God, I Hate Myself (2010) Always (2012) Angel Guts: Red Classroom (2014) Forget (2017) Girl with Basket of Fruit (2019) Oh No (2021) Ignore Grief (2023) 13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips (2024) Compilation albums Fag Patrol (2003) Xiu Mutha Fuckin' Xiu: Vol. 1 (2026) Live albums Life and Live (2005) Tribute albums Nina (2013) Plays the Music of Twin Peaks (2016) Eraserhead Xiu Xiu (2026) EPs Chapel of the Chimes (2002) Tu mi piaci (2006) Collaborations Ciautistico! Remixed & Covered ¿Spicchiology? Merzxiu Related articles Accordion Solo! Discography The Dead Science Former Ghosts Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND WorldCat National United States Israel Artists MusicBrainz People Deutsche Biographie Other Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ches Smith](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ches_Smith) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ches_Smith?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.