Chris Corsano

Biography

Chris Corsano, born in 1975 in the USA, began playing drums around age 13, inspired by punk bands like The Minutemen, Bad Brains, and Black Flag, which he discovered at 15 or 16. This early exposure opened his eyes to intense, energetic music, and by 19, he encountered freely improvised music live, solidifying his path. Initially based in western Massachusetts, he moved to the UK in 2005, where he developed his solo drumming style incorporating extended techniques and self-made instruments, such as violin strings stretched across drum heads and modified reed instruments.[1][2][4][5]

Since the late 1990s, Corsano has worked at the intersections of free jazz, avant-rock, noise, and experimental music, blending influences from Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Sun Ra, Archie Shepp, Jimi Hendrix, MC5, and The Stooges. His percussive language features spontaneously composed amalgams, high-energy improvisation with a DIY ethos, and innovations like contact microphones and synthesizers. Notable solo releases include The Young Cricketer (2006), Blood Pressure (2006), Another Dull Dawn (2009), and Cut (2012), all on his Hot Cars Warp Records label. He received the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award in 2017.[1][4][5][8]

Corsano's legacy lies in his collaborations across genres, from jazz icons to rock experimentalists, emphasizing collective improvisation, live performance, and cross-pollination. Now based between upstate NY, New York, and Chicago, he continues to push boundaries with projects like duos and bands, influencing contemporary improvisation through his inventive drumming and multifaceted artistry including instrument-building and video art.[1][2][4][6]

Fun Facts

• Corsano runs his own record label, Hot Cars Warp Records, releasing his solo albums like The Young Cricketer (2006) and Blood Pressure (2006).
• His drum setup includes invented instruments like violin strings across drum heads tuned to match The Stooges' '1970' interval and modified reeds turning drums into resonators.
• During the pandemic, with touring halted, he turned to painting as an alternative creative outlet.
• He refers to his duo with Paul Flaherty semi-humorously as 'The Hated Music,' blending free jazz ecstasy with hardcore punk urgency.

Associated Acts

• From Wolves to Whales - drums (drum set), original (2014–present)
• Dream/Aktion Unit
• Chikamorachi - original
• SYCH - original, percussion
• MALUS
• Cold Bleak Heat - membranophone
• The Braces
• Comida Deluxe
• The Puke Eaters
• Icepick
• The Clandestine Quartet
• Travisano Trio
• Saccata Quartet
• Klatzker-Corsano Duo - drums (drum set)
• Corsano Baiza Watt Trio
• Dimension X
• Jailbreak

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Ornette Coleman - stylistic influence in free jazz/improvisation continuum (Free Jazz album) [late 1990s onward]
• John Coltrane - key influence that rewired his approach (Om album) [formative years]
• Sun Ra - major inspiration in free improvisation (various albums) [formative years]
• The Minutemen - early punk inspiration that opened his eyes to drumming (albums heard at age 15-16) [early 1990s]
• Bad Brains - early punk influence (albums heard at age 15-16) [early 1990s]
• Black Flag - early punk influence (albums heard at age 15-16) [early 1990s]
• MC5 - propulsive influence on stringed-drum setup and energy (Black to Comm) [ongoing]
• The Stooges - propulsive influence on stringed-drum tuning and energy (1970 song) [ongoing]

Key Collaborators

• Paul Flaherty - long-standing high-energy duo partnership, 'The Hated Music' (multiple noise trade-offs and free-jazz albums) [late 1990s onward]
• Joe McPhee - frequent collaborator in contemporary jazz (improvisational recordings) [2000s onward]
• Bill Orcutt - mesmerising voyages in duo (various duo albums) [2010s onward]
• Sir Richard Bishop - trio in Rangda (Rangda albums) [2009 onward]
• Ben Chasny - trio in Rangda (Rangda albums) [2009 onward]
• Michael Flower - duo as Flower-Corsano Duo and Vampire Belt with Bill Nace (duo albums) [2009 onward]
• Björk - drummer for album and world tour (Volta album and tour) [2007]
• Mette Rasmussen - collaborator in jazz improvisation (improvisational recordings) [2010s onward]
• Zoh Amba - collaborator in contemporary jazz (improvisational recordings) [2020s]
• Jim O'Rourke - beyond categorization collaborator (experimental projects) [2000s onward]
• Okkyung Lee - beyond categorization collaborator (improvisational recordings) [2010s onward]
• Bill Nace - in Vampire Belt (Vampire Belt recordings) [2009 onward]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #free-improvisation