Tom Cora

Tom Cora

American cellist and composer who worked in the genres of experimental jazz and rock
Date of Birth: 14.09.1953
Country: USA

Content:
  1. Biography of Tom Cora
  2. Early Life and Musical Career
  3. Move to New York and Collaborations
  4. Curlew and Skeleton Crew
  5. Third Person and Other Projects
  6. Legacy and Demise

Biography of Tom Cora

Tom Cora was an American cellist and composer who worked in the genres of experimental jazz and rock. He gained recognition for his improvisational talent and collaborative recordings with musicians such as John Zorn and Butch Morris, as well as bands including "The Ex", "Curlew", "Third Person", and "Skeleton Crew".

Tom Cora

Early Life and Musical Career

Thomas Henry Cora was born on September 14, 1953, in Virginia. His musical journey began as a drummer on a local television show, and by the mid-1970s, he was playing guitar in a jazz band in Washington, D.C. It was during his time as a student at the University of Virginia that Cora started learning to play the cello. He formed his own group, The Moose Skowron Tuned Metal Ensemble, and even began making instruments for them.

Move to New York and Collaborations

In 1979, Cora relocated to New York, where he started working with guitarist Eugene Chadbourne from the band Shockabilly. Cora became acquainted with cellists who performed in bars and music clubs, and he began playing gigs with musicians like Fred Frith, Andrea Centazzo, Butch Morris, Wayne Horvitz, John Zorn, David Moss, Toshinori Kondo, and others.

Curlew and Skeleton Crew

With George Cartwright and Bill Laswell, Cora founded the band Curlew, known for their art-rock style. He remained with the group for ten years and participated in the recording of five albums. In 1982, Tom Cora and Fred Frith formed the duo Skeleton Crew, which gained fame through their energetic live performances. They played multiple instruments simultaneously, with Cora even utilizing a special device to play with his feet. Skeleton Crew toured extensively for five years, performing in Europe, North America, and Japan. The band released two studio albums, "Learn to Talk" (1984) and "The Country of Blinds" (1986), the latter featuring Zena Parkins.

Third Person and Other Projects

Cora also played in an improvisational trio called Third Person, formed in 1990 for live performances. The group consisted of percussionist Samm Bennett and a rotating "third musician" for each show. They released two CDs, "The Bends" (1991) featuring guest musicians Don Byron, George Cartwright, Chris Cochrane, Nick Collins, Catherine Jauniaux, Myra Melford, Zena Parkins, and Mark Ribot, and "Luck Water" (1995) with Katsutoki Umezawa as the "third musician". Additionally, Cora performed with other bands, including Nimal, Momo Rossel, and the post-rock quartet Roof. In 1990, he joined Danish punk group The Ex for two concerts, leading to hundreds of performances and appearances on two of their albums.

Legacy and Demise

Tom Cora passed away at the age of 44 from melanoma, leaving behind his wife Catherine Jauniaux and son Elia Cora. A benefit concert was held a month after his death to support his family, featuring Fred Frith, George Cartwright, Zena Parkins, and other musicians. However, Jauniaux did not receive any money from the album's sales as the record company had changed ownership. John Zorn also compiled the album "Hallelujah, Anyway - Remembering Tom Cora", which includes a selection of Cora's recordings and collaborations, as well as new compositions by Cora.

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