Now and again I feel the need to present releases that I have collected on my own which have not been sent to me for review by record companies or artists. In this case, Ry Cooder's Pull Up Some Dust & Sit Down. Cooder opens the release with a classic No Banker's Left Behind. This is a great social commentary done in civil war/county fashion and could just as easily be from one of his early depression era releases. With military drumming and acoustic stringed instruments, it's a treat to the ears. Next up is a Tex Mex El Corrido De Jesse James.This track has the very traditional waltz rhythm with horns and accordion. Superb! Dirty Chateau is a melancholy ballad with a sweet melody and warm harmonies. Cooder plays some characteristic slide work with strings and this track is a bit more polished than I typically expect from the slide master. Humpty Dumpty World has a world beat (island rhythm- reggae). It's really nicely constructed and executed. Another Tex Mex track , Christmas Time This Year, has a real "war reality" message contrasted against the happy traditional music from south of the border (polka)... and whether you like the message or not, it is really well done. Baby Joined The Army is a really experimental type track with almost acapella singing sans environmental sounds created by stringed instruments in a very earthy fashion. Another spectacular track. Lord Tell Me Why is another cool track built around a R&B/gospel styling. It is an incredibly powerful track with mostly vocal and percussion. I Want My Crown is a voodoo Rhythm'd blues track with deep roots. This track is incredibly cool! Ahhh! John Lee Hooker For President! The thought... ok. But this track is off the hook. Hooker is one of my all time favorite blues singers specifically in his early years and this track captures the absolute essence of Hooker. This is the real blues! Dreamer is another sweet Tex Mex track accompanied not only by accordion but also a woodwind instrument. The vocal lead is lush and the percussion is crisp and precise. Cooder's guitar accompaniment is spot on. Really nice! If There's A God is a cool little rocker with Cooder pushing the rhythm along with the Coodercaster. His well known slide work is present here and sparingly applied. Closing this incredible set of recordings is No Hard Feelings. Constructed a lot like an early western track (with spoken lyrics and underplayed instrumentation at the beginning). The vocals on this track aren't gonna qualify Cooder for Star Search but the depth and feeling in the track are real and I have to say, this release ranks in Cooders top 10 releases... and that's good company. If you haven't picked up a release by Cooder in a few years, this is one to buy. It's the best I've heard since Buena Vista and I am a die hard Cooder fan.
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I started a quest to find terrific blues music and incredible musicianship when I was just a little kid. I also have a tremendous appreciation of fine musical instruments and equipment. One of my greatest joys all of my life was sharing my finds with my friends. I'm now publishing my journey. I hope that you come along!
Please email me at Info@Bmansbluesreport.com
I started a quest to find terrific blues music and incredible musicianship when I was just a little kid. I also have a tremendous appreciation of fine musical instruments and equipment. One of my greatest joys all of my life was sharing my finds with my friends. I'm now publishing my journey. I hope that you come along!
Please email me at Info@Bmansbluesreport.com
Showing posts with label Ry Cooder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ry Cooder. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live - Bobby King, Ry Cooder & The Moula Banda Rhythm Aces
photo credit: David Perry |
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Sunday, November 4, 2012
Chain Gang - Ry Cooder, Bobby King
The duo of soul singers Bobby King and Terry Evans first teamed on the Los Angeles club circuit of the early '70s; both also enjoyed prolific session careers, and in 1974 lent their distinctive harmonies to Ry Cooder's Paradise and Lunch, the first in a series of collaborations with the acclaimed guitarist. Sessions with artists including Boz Scaggs, John Fogerty, and Bob Dylan followed and in 1988, King and Evans cut their first headlining effort, Live and Let Live!; Rhythm, Blues, Soul & Grooves followed two years later. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
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Labels:
Bobby King,
Ry Cooder
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Blood Run Cold - Robert Ward & Ry Cooder
Robert Ward (October 15, 1938 – December 25, 2008) was an American blues and soul guitarist. He was known for founding the Ohio Untouchables, the band that later would become the Ohio Players. He played the guitar with a unique tone soaked in vibrato coming from the Magnatone amplifier.
Born Robert Jeryl Ward in Luthersville, Georgia, he moved to Dayton, Ohio in 1960 and formed the Ohio Untouchables. The group released series of singles from LuPine label including "Your Love Is Amazing" which would become one of Ward's signature songs. Ward left the group in 1965.
Then he moved to the Detroit area, actually residing in Toledo, Ohio and released some single under his name in the late 60's. He disappeared from the music scene sometime in the 70's after working as a session player for Motown.
It was in the early 1990s that he came back into the spotlight. He was "rediscovered" by Black Top Records and released his first full-length album Fear No Evil in 1991. He released two more albums in the next four years for the label. In the mid-1990s he did limited touring, including a date in Minneapolis with Curtis Obeta and "The Butanes", and several dates in Michigan including Kalamazoo, Three Rivers and Grand Rapids. After the label folded in the late 1990s, WRKR Kalamazoo blues DJ Marty Spaulding, who Robert had appointed his manager, arranged a recording contract with Delmark Records to release New Role Soul in 2000. In his last years he faced a series of health problems, including two strokes, which prevented him from performing or recording.
He died at his home in Dry Branch, Georgia, about six miles from Macon, on December 25, 2008
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Labels:
Georgia,
Robert Ward,
Ry Cooder
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Delta Time - Hans Theessink and Terry Evans featuring Ry Cooder - New Release Review
I just received the newest release, Delta Time, by Hans Theessink & Terry Evans and it's terrific! This very earthy and warm recording begins with Delta Time, a bouncy blues track written by Theessink with deep thick vocals, acoustic and slide guitar. Blues Stay Away From Me has a real roots (country) feel and beautiful vocal harmonies with Ry Cooder bringing in some distinctive riffs. A great duet on It Hurts Me Too brings freshness to a well traveled track. The instrumentation has been applied like paint on a canvas just a light dab here and there as required. How Come People Act Like That, another cover track, is handled in a fresh light and again the duo with their rich vocals and Ry Cooder adding his flair on guitar makes for a very cool track. The Birds and The Bees, a classic pop track, has been included memorializing Evans contribution to the original track some 50 years ago. Build Myself A Home, a Thessink original, has a distinct gospel feel and is beautifully executed with Piedmont style playing and great vocal harmonies. JB Lenoir's Down In Mississippi is included on this cd and I never really get enough of this track. It was originally well written and is here well executed and embellished. Shelter From The Storm, another Theessink original, is another track that has solid roots and rich vocals. The song is very well written and Cooder again contributes beautifully melodic guitar riffs to compliment the track. I Need Money, another Theessink original has the spring of a Jimmy reed track and the gang does a great job on execution. Evans and Theessink sing and play in tandem for a great bluesy sound. Traditional track Heaven's Airplane has a lot of the characteristics of country, blues and gospel. Pouring Water On A Drowning Man is a terrific track with strong R&B sound. This track is handled with great care and warmth. The vocals are smooth and the guitar is perfect. Jimmy Reed's Honest I Do is up next and again handled with reverence. The vocal harmonies are very cool and refreshing. Theessink original Mississippi wraps the recording. This is a really great track and gives the entire band a chance to stretch out a little. You may be able to tell it's hard for me to articulate how good this recording is. It's really good! I also don't want to pass without mentioning vocal contributions by Arnold McCuller and Willie Greene Jr.
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Monday, August 13, 2012
After Hours - Jimmy McCracklin with Ry Cooder and Wayne Bennett
Jimmy McCracklin (born August 13, 1921, St. Louis, Missouri, United States) is an American pianist, vocalist, and songwriter. His style contains West Coast blues, Jump blues, and R&B. Over a career that has spanned seven decades, he says he has written almost a thousand songs and has recorded hundreds of them. McCracklin has recorded over 30 albums, and owns four gold records.
McCracklin joined the United States Navy in 1938, later settled in Richmond, California, and began playing at the local Club Savoy owned by his sister-in-law Willie Mae "Granny" Johnson. The room-length bar served beer and wine, and Granny Johnson served home-cooked meals of greens, ribs, chicken, and other southern cuisine. A house band composed of Bay Area based musicians alternated with and frequently backed performers such as B. B. King, Charles Brown, and L. C. Robinson. Later in 1963 he would write and record a song "Club Savoy" on his I Just Gotta Know album.
His recorded a debut single for Globe Records, "Miss Mattie Left Me", in 1945, and recorded "Street Loafin' Woman in 1946. McCracklin recorded for a number of labels in Los Angeles and Oakland, prior to joining Modern Records in 1949-1950. He formed a group called Jimmy McCracklin and his Blues Blasters in 1946, with guitarist Lafayette Thomas who remained with group until the early 1960s.
His popularity increased after appearing on the TV pop Dick Clark's American Bandstand in support of his self written single "The Walk" (1957), subsequently released by Checker Records in 1958. It went to No. 5 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 7 on the pop chart, after more than 10 years of McCracklin selling records in the black community on a series of small labels. Jimmy McCracklin Sings, his first solo album, was released in 1962, in the West Coast blues style. In 1962, McCracklin recorded "Just Got to Know" for his own Art-Tone label in Oakland, after the record made No. 2 on the R&B chart. For a brief period in the early 1970s McCracklin ran the Continental Club in San Francisco. He booked blues acts such as T-Bone Walker, Irma Thomas, Big Joe Turner, Big Mama Thornton, and Etta James. In 1967, Otis Redding and Carla Thomas had success with "Tramp", a song credited to McCracklin and Lowell Fulson. Salt-n-Pepa made a hip-hop hit out of the song in 1987. Oakland Blues (1986) was an album arranged and directed by McCracklin, and produced by World Pacific. The California rock-n-roll "roots music" band The Blasters named themselves after McCracklin's backing band The Blues Blasters. Blasters' lead singer Phil Alvin explained the origin of the band's name: "I thought Joe Turner’s backup band on Atlantic records – I had these 78s – I thought they were the Blues Blasters. It ends up it was Jimmy McCracklin's. I just took the 'Blues' off and Joe finally told me, that’s Jimmy McCracklin’s name, but you tell ‘im I gave you permission to steal it."
McCracklin continued to tour and produce new albums in the 1980s and 1990s.[8] Bob Dylan has cited McCracklin as a favorite. He played at the San Francisco Blues Festival in 1973, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1984 and 2007. He was given a Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1990, and the Living Legend and Hall of Fame award at the Bay Area Black Music Awards, in 2007.
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Labels:
JIMMY McCRACKLIN,
Ry Cooder
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Honky Tonk - Ry Cooder with Johnnie Johnson
Johnnie Johnson (July 8, 1924 – April 13, 2005) was an American pianist and blues musician. His work with Chuck Berry led to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He was born Johnnie Clyde Johnson in Fairmont, West Virginia and began playing piano in 1928. He joined the United States Marine Corps during World War II where he was a member of Bobby Troup's all serviceman jazz orchestra, The Barracudas. After his return, he moved to Detroit, Illinois and then Chicago, where he sat in with many notable artists, including Muddy Waters and Little Walter.
He moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 1952 and immediately put together a jazz and blues group, The Sir John Trio with drummer Ebby Hardy and saxophonist, Alvin Bennett. The three scored a regular gig at the Cosmopolitan Club in East St. Louis. On New Year's Eve 1952, Alvin Bennett had a stroke and could not perform. Johnson, searching for a last minute replacement, called a young man named Chuck Berry, the only musician Johnson knew who because of his inexperience, would likely not be playing on New Year's Eve. Although then a limited guitarist, Chuck Berry added vocals and showmanship to the group. As Bennett would not be able to play again because of his stroke, Johnson hired Berry as a permanent member of the trio.
They would remain the Sir John's Trio until Berry took one of their tunes, a reworking of Bob Wills' version of "Ida Red" to Chess Records. The Chess brothers liked the tune and soon the trio were in Chicago recording "Maybellene" and "Wee Wee Hours" – a song Johnson had been playing as an instrumental for years for which Berry quickly penned some lyrics. By the time the trio left Chicago, Berry had been signed as a solo act and Johnson and Hardy became part of Berry's band. Said Johnson, "I figured we could get better jobs with Chuck running the band. He had a car and rubber wheels beat rubber heels any day."
Over the next twenty years, the two collaborated in the arrangements of many of Berry's songs including "School Days", "Carol", and "Nadine". The song "Johnny B. Goode" was reportedly a tribute to Johnson, with the title reflecting Johnson's usual behavior when he was drinking. The pianist on the "Johnny B. Goode" session was Lafayette Leake, one of the two main session pianists for Chess (the other being Otis Spann). Leake also played on "Oh Baby Doll", "Rock & Roll Music", "Reelin' and Rockin'", and "Sweet Little Sixteen".
Berry and Johnson played and toured together until 1973. Although never on his payroll after 1973, Johnson played occasionally with Berry until Johnson's death in 2005.
Johnson was known to have a serious drinking problem. In Chuck Berry's autobiography, Berry tells of how he declared there would be no drinking in the car, while on the road. Johnson and bandmates complied with the request by putting their heads out the window. Johnson denied the story but said he did drink on the road. Johnson quit drinking entirely in 1991, after nearly suffering a stroke on stage with Eric Clapton.
Johnson received little recognition until the Chuck Berry concert documentary, Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll in 1987. That attention helped Johnson, who was supporting himself as a bus driver in St. Louis at the time, return to music. He recorded his first solo album, Blue Hand Johnnie, that same year. He later performed with Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, John Lee Hooker, Bo Diddley and George Thorogood on Thorogood's 1995 live album Live: Let's Work Together. In 1996 and 1997, Johnson toured with Bob Weir's band, Ratdog, playing 67 shows.
In 1999, Johnson's biography was released, Father of Rock and Roll: The Story of Johnnie B. Goode Johnson by 23-year-old Travis Fitzpatrick. The book was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize by Congressman John Conyers, and garnered Johnson more recognition.
In 2000, Johnson was inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.
In late 2004,Johnson recorded his final project, "Johnnie Be Eighty. And Still Bad!" it was recorded in St.Louis, and all the songs were originals (written with the producer, Jeff Alexander), this was a first for Johnson. the project was released the same week he died in April 2005.
In 2005 He played piano on Styx's Big Bang Theory album on the rerecording of Blue Collar Man, entitled Blue Collar Man @ 2120, since it was recorded at the legendary Chess Studios at 2120 S. Michigan Ave in Chicago. Recorded on the 46th anniversary of the recording of Johnnie B. Goode, at that studio
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Labels:
Johnnie Johnson,
Ry Cooder,
West Virginia
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Happy Birthday Ryland Cooder!!
Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is an American guitarist, singer and composer. He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in roots music from the United States, and, more recently, his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.
His solo work has been eclectic, encompassing folk, blues, Tex-Mex, soul, gospel, rock, and much else. He has collaborated with many musicians, including Larry Blackmon, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Randy Newman, Earl Hines, Little Feat, Captain Beefheart, The Chieftains, John Lee Hooker, Pops and Mavis Staples, Flaco Jiménez, Ibrahim Ferrer, Freddy Fender, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Ali Farka Touré. He formed the band Little Village with Nick Lowe, John Hiatt, and Jim Keltner.
Ry Cooder produced the Buena Vista Social Club album (1997), which became a worldwide hit. Wim Wenders directed the documentary film of the same name (1999), which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2000.
He was ranked eighth on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". A 2010 ranking by Gibson placed him at number 32
During the 1960s, Cooder briefly attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Cooder first attracted attention in the 1960s, playing with Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, after previously having worked with Taj Mahal and Ed Cassidy in the Rising Sons. He also played with Randy Newman at this time, including on 12 Songs. Van Dyke Parks worked with Newman and Cooder during the 1960s. Parks arranged Cooder's "One Meatball" according to Parks' 1984 interview by Bob Claster.
Cooder was a session musician on various recording sessions with the The Rolling Stones in 1968 and 1969, and his contributions appear on the albums Let It Bleed (mandolin on "Love in Vain"), and Sticky Fingers, on which he contributed the slide guitar on "Sister Morphine". During this period, Cooder joined with Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman, and longtime Rolling Stones sideman Nicky Hopkins to record Jamming with Edward! Cooder also played slide guitar for the 1970 film soundtrack Performance, which contained Jagger's first solo single, "Memo from Turner". The 1975 compilation album Metamorphosis features an uncredited Cooder contribution on Bill Wyman's "Downtown Suzie."
Ry Cooder also collaborated with Lowell George of Little Feat, playing slide guitar on the original version of "Willin'"
Throughout the 1970s, Cooder released a series of Warner Bros. Records albums that showcased his guitar work. Cooder explored bygone musical genres and found old-time recordings which he then personalized and updated. Thus, on his breakthrough album, Into the Purple Valley, he chose unusual instrumentations and arrangements of blues, gospel, calypso, and country songs (giving a tempo change to the cowboy ballad "Billy the Kid"). The album opened with the song "How Can You Keep on Moving (Unless You Migrate Too)" by Agnes "Sis" Cunningham about the Okies who were not welcomed when they migrated west to escape the Dust Bowl in the 1930s – to which Cooder gave a rousing-yet-satirical march accompaniment. His later 1970s albums (with the exception of Jazz, which explored ragtime/vaudeville) do not fall under a single genre description, but his self-titled first album could be described as blues; Into the Purple Valley, Boomer's Story, and Paradise and Lunch as folk and blues; Chicken Skin Music and Showtime as a mix of Tex-Mex and Hawaiian; Bop Till You Drop as 1950s' R&B; and Borderline and Get Rhythm as rock-based. His 1979 album Bop Till You Drop was the first popular music album to be recorded digitally. It yielded his biggest hit, an R&B cover version of Elvis Presley's 1960s recording "Little Sister". Cooder is credited on Van Morrison's 1979 album, Into the Music, for slide guitar on the song "Full Force Gale". He also played guitar on Judy Collins' 1970 concert tour, and is featured on Living, the 1971 live album recorded during that tour.
Cooder has worked as a studio musician and has also scored many film soundtracks including Wim Wenders film Paris, Texas (1984). Cooder based this soundtrack and title song "Paris, Texas" on Blind Willie Johnson's "Dark Was the Night (Cold Was the Ground)", which he described as "The most soulful, transcendent piece in all American music." Musician Dave Grohl has declared Cooder's score for Paris, Texas is one of his favorite albums.
"Dark Was the Night (Cold Was the Ground)" was also the basis for Cooder's song "Powis Square" for the movie Performance. His other film work includes Walter Hill's The Long Riders (1980), Southern Comfort (1981), Brewster's Millions (1985), Johnny Handsome, Last Man Standing (1996), Hill's Trespass (1992) and Mike Nichols' Primary Colors (1998). Cooder dubbed all slide guitar parts in the 1986 film Crossroads, a take on blues legend Robert Johnson. In 1988, Cooder produced the album by his longtime backing vocalists Bobby King and Terry Evans on Rounder Records titled Live and Let Live. He contributed his slide guitar work to every track. He also plays extensively on their 1990 self-produced Rounder release Rhythm, Blues, Soul & Grooves. Cooder's music also appeared on two episodes of the television program "Tales From the Crypt" – "The Man Who Was Death" and "The Thing From the Grave"
Also in 1988 he produced and featured in the Les Blank directed concert documentary film Ry Cooder & The Moula Banda Rhythm Aces: Let's Have a Ball where he plays in collaboration with a selection of musicians famous in their various musical fields.[ The following year, he played a janitor in the Jim Henson series The Ghost of Faffner Hall, in the episode "Music Is More Than Technique"
In the early 1990s Cooder collaborated on two world music "crossover" albums, which blended the traditional American musical genres that Cooder has championed throughout his career with the contemporary improvised music of India and Africa. For A Meeting by the River (1993), which also featured his son Joachim on percussion, he teamed with Hindustani classical musician V.M. Bhatt, a virtuoso of the Mohan Veena, a modified 20-string archtop guitar of Bhatt's own invention. In 1995 he teamed with African multi-instrumentalist Ali Farka Toure on the album Talking Timbuktu, which he also produced; the album also featured longtime Cooder collaborator Jim Keltner on drums, veteran blues guitarist Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, jazz bassist John Patitucci and African percussionists and musicians including Hamma Sankare and Oumar Toure. Both albums won the Grammy Award for 'Best World Music Album' in 1994 and 1995 respectively. Cooder also worked with Tuvan throat singers for the score to the 1993 film Geronimo: An American Legend.
In 1995 he performed in The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True, a musical performance of the popular story at the Lincoln Center in New York to benefit the Children's Defense Fund. The performance was originally broadcast on Turner Network Television (TNT), and was issued on CD and video in 1996.
In the late 1990s Cooder played a significant role in the increased appreciation of traditional Cuban music, due to his collaboration as producer of the Buena Vista Social Club (1997) recording, which became a worldwide hit and revived the careers of some of the greatest surviving exponents of 20th century Cuban music. Wim Wenders, who had previously directed 1984's Paris Texas, directed a documentary film of the musicians involved, Buena Vista Social Club (1999), which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2000
Cooder's 2005 album Chávez Ravine was touted by his record label as being "a post-World War II-era American narrative of 'cool cats', radios, UFO sightings, J. Edgar Hoover, red scares, and baseball"— the record is a tribute to the long-gone Los Angeles Latino enclave known as Chávez Ravine. Using real and imagined historical characters, Cooder and friends created an album that recollects various aspects of the poor but vibrant hillside Chicano community which no longer exists. Cooder says, "Here is some music for a place you don’t know, up a road you don’t go. Chávez Ravine, where the sidewalk ends."Drawing from the various musical strains of Los Angeles, including conjunto, R&B, Latin pop, and jazz, Cooder and friends conjure the ghosts of Chávez Ravine and Los Angeles at mid-century. On this fifteen-track album, sung in Spanish and English, Cooder is joined by East L.A. legends like Chicano music patriarch Lalo Guerrero, Pachuco boogie king Don Tosti, Thee Midniters front man Little Willie G, and Ersi Arvizu, of The Sisters and El Chicano.
Cooder's next record was released in 2007. Entitled My Name Is Buddy, it tells the story of Buddy Red Cat, who travels and sees the world in the company of his like-minded friends, Lefty Mouse and Rev. Tom Toad. The entire recording is a parable of the working class progressivism of the first half of the American twentieth century, and even has a song featuring executed unionist Joe Hill. My Name Is Buddy was accompanied by a booklet featuring a story and illustration (by Vincent Valdez) for each track, providing additional context to Buddy's adventures.
Cooder produced and performed on an album for Mavis Staples entitled We'll Never Turn Back, which was released on April 24, 2007. The concept album focused on Gospel songs of the civil rights movement and also included two new original songs by Cooder.
Ry Cooder's album I, Flathead was released on June 24, 2008. It is the completion of his California trilogy. Based on the drag racing culture of the early 1960s, the album is set on the desert salt flats in southern California. The disc was also released as a deluxe edition with stories written by Cooder to accompany the music.
In late 2009, Cooder toured Japan, New Zealand and Australia with Nick Lowe, performing some of Lowe's songs and a selection of Cooder's own material, mainly from the 1970s. Joaquim Cooder (Ry's son) provided percussion, and Juliette Commagere and Alex Lilly contributed backing vocals.
The song "Diaraby", which Cooder recorded with Ali Farka Touré, is used as the theme to The World's Geo Quiz. The World is a radio show distributed by Public Radio International.
In 2009, Cooder performed in The People Speak, a documentary feature film that uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday Americans, based on historian Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States. Cooder performed with Bob Dylan and Van Dyke Parks on the documentary broadcast on December 13, 2009 on the History Channel. They played "Do Re Mi" and reportedly a couple of other Guthrie songs that were excluded from the final edit. He also traveled with the band Los Tigres del Norte and recorded the 2010 album San Patricio with the Chieftains, Lila Downs, Liam Neeson, Linda Ronstadt, Van Dyke Parks, Los Cenzontles, and Los Tigres.
In June 2010, responding to the passage of Arizona SB 1070, he released the single "Quicksand", which tells the story of Mexicans attempting to emigrate to Arizona through the desert. Cooder's critically acclaimed new album Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down, released on August 30, 2011, contains politically charged songs such as "No Banker Left Behind" which was inspired by a Robert Scheer column.
In 2011, he published a collection of short stories called Los Angeles Stories, written about people living in Los Angeles in the 40s and 50s. With story titles such as "La vida es un sueño" and "Kill me, por favor", the book has a Hispanic theme and deals partially with Latinos living in Los Angeles during this time.
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Labels:
California,
Ry Cooder
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Goye Kur - Ali Farka Touré with Ry Cooder
Ali Ibrahim “Farka” Touré (October 31, 1939 – March 7, 2006) was a Malian singer and guitarist, and one of the African continent’s most internationally renowned musicians. His music is widely regarded as representing a point of intersection of traditional Malian music and its North American cousin, the blues. The belief that the latter is historically derived from the former is reflected in Martin Scorsese’s often quoted characterization of Touré’s tradition as constituting "the DNA of the blues". Touré was ranked number 76 on Rolling Stone’s list of “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”
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Labels:
Ali Farka Touré,
Mali,
Rolling Stone Magazine,
Ry Cooder
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Goin' To Brownsville - Ry Cooder
Ryland "Ry" Peter Cooder (born 15 March 1947) is a US guitarist, singer and composer.
He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in blues-rock, roots music from his native North America, and, more recently, for his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.
Cooder's solo work has been an eclectic mix, taking in dust bowl folk, blues, Tex-Mex, soul, gospel, rock, and much else. He has collaborated with many important musicians, including The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Earl Hines, Little Feat, Captain Beefheart, The Chieftains, John Lee Hooker, Pops, Mavis Staples, Gabby Pahinui, Flaco Jiménez, Ibrahim Ferrer (Buena Vista Social Club), Freddy Fender and Ali Farka Touré. He formed the Little Village supergroup with Nick Lowe, John Hiatt, and Jim Keltner.
Cooder was ranked 8th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." A 2010 ranking by Gibson placed him at #32.
Labels:
Ry Cooder
Thursday, June 16, 2011
How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live - Ry Cooder & The Moula Banda Rhythm Aces
Ryland "Ry" Peter Cooder (born 15 March 1947) is a US guitarist, singer and composer.
He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in blues-rock, roots music from his native North America, and, more recently, for his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.
Cooder's solo work has been an eclectic mix, taking in dust bowl folk, blues, Tex-Mex, soul, gospel, rock, and much else. He has collaborated with many important musicians, including The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Earl Hines, Little Feat, Captain Beefheart, The Chieftains, John Lee Hooker, Pops, Mavis Staples, Gabby Pahinui, Flaco Jiménez, Ibrahim Ferrer (Buena Vista Social Club), Freddy Fender and Ali Farka Touré. He formed the Little Village supergroup with Nick Lowe, John Hiatt, and Jim Keltner.
Cooder was ranked 8th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." A 2010 ranking by Gibson placed him at #32.
Labels:
Ry Cooder
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Hobo Blues - John Lee Hooker - Ry Cooder
First let me say (if yuo already haven't figured it out) am not at all into super matchups and 15 great guitars and every celebrity all playing at once. In fact, I hate it! This is a real nice opportunity to see John Lee playing in his own pure form without someone stepping all over him. I love the work of Ry Cooder and he just stays out of JLH's way and lets him perform.
Labels:
John Lee Hooker,
Ry Cooder
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Down In Mississippi - Ry Cooder & The Moula Banda Rhythm Aces
Ry Cooder And The Moula Banda Rhythm Aces (1988)
Ry Cooder And The Moula Banda Rhythm Aces is a feature-length concert film, shot in 16 mm with three cameras in Santa Cruz, Ca. at the Catalyst in 1987 or '88, featuring musicians gathered for a brief tour at the time, including Flaco Jimenez, Jim keltner and Van Dyke Parks. It was made for broadcast in Europe and Asia, but for reasons unknown to the film maker, Mr. Cooder prefers that the film not be shown in North America.
Labels:
Ry Cooder
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Lipstick Sunset
John Hyatt has the blues... and Ry Cooder can really play a beautiful slide.
Little Village was an American/British rock band, formed in 1992 by Ry Cooder (guitar, vocal), John Hiatt (guitar, piano, vocal), Nick Lowe (bass, vocal) and Jim Keltner (drums). This group of musicians had previously worked together as a unit - albeit not under the Little Village name - recording the John Hiatt solo album, Bring The Family in 1987.
Upon reconvening in 1992, the group's name was initially (and jokingly) announced as Hiatus. It was soon changed to Little Village, in reference to the foul-mouthed in-studio diatribe by Sonny Boy Williamson II, on a Chess reissue album titled, Bummer Road. Little Village recorded their first and last album in mid 1992. The self-titled record featured a set of songs composed by all four group members. The songs were largely sung by Hiatt, although Lowe took lead on two songs and Cooder one.
Little Village met with lukewarm reviews and general commercial indifference. Nevertheless, the album was nominated in 1993 for a Grammy Award as Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or a Group. The album peaked at #23 in the UK Albums Chart.[2] The release of the album was followed by a number of concerts in the U.S. and Europe. Nevertheless, the group disbanded in late 1992.
Little Village was an American/British rock band, formed in 1992 by Ry Cooder (guitar, vocal), John Hiatt (guitar, piano, vocal), Nick Lowe (bass, vocal) and Jim Keltner (drums). This group of musicians had previously worked together as a unit - albeit not under the Little Village name - recording the John Hiatt solo album, Bring The Family in 1987.
Upon reconvening in 1992, the group's name was initially (and jokingly) announced as Hiatus. It was soon changed to Little Village, in reference to the foul-mouthed in-studio diatribe by Sonny Boy Williamson II, on a Chess reissue album titled, Bummer Road. Little Village recorded their first and last album in mid 1992. The self-titled record featured a set of songs composed by all four group members. The songs were largely sung by Hiatt, although Lowe took lead on two songs and Cooder one.
Little Village met with lukewarm reviews and general commercial indifference. Nevertheless, the album was nominated in 1993 for a Grammy Award as Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or a Group. The album peaked at #23 in the UK Albums Chart.[2] The release of the album was followed by a number of concerts in the U.S. and Europe. Nevertheless, the group disbanded in late 1992.
Labels:
England,
International,
Jim Keltner,
John Hiatt,
Little Village,
NIck Lowe,
Ry Cooder
Saturday, May 14, 2011
One Meat Ball - Ry Cooder
Ryland "Ry" Peter Cooder (born 15 March 1947) is a US guitarist, singer and composer. This song is from another must have cd. I think Ry has put together an amazing body of work. If you haven't listened to his first few recordings and you love guitar... here's your intro.
He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in blues-rock, roots music from his native North America, and, more recently, for his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.
Cooder's solo work has been an eclectic mix, taking in dust bowl folk, blues, Tex-Mex, soul, gospel, rock, and much else. He has collaborated with many important musicians, including The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Earl Hines, Little Feat, Captain Beefheart, The Chieftains, John Lee Hooker, Pops, Mavis Staples, Gabby Pahinui, Flaco Jiménez, Ibrahim Ferrer (Buena Vista Social Club), Freddy Fender and Ali Farka Touré. He formed the Little Village supergroup with Nick Lowe, John Hiatt, and Jim Keltner.
Cooder was ranked 8th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." A 2010 ranking by Gibson placed him at #32.One of the all time great guitar players and musicologists playing a traditional blues song. Enjoy
He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in blues-rock, roots music from his native North America, and, more recently, for his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.
Cooder's solo work has been an eclectic mix, taking in dust bowl folk, blues, Tex-Mex, soul, gospel, rock, and much else. He has collaborated with many important musicians, including The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Earl Hines, Little Feat, Captain Beefheart, The Chieftains, John Lee Hooker, Pops, Mavis Staples, Gabby Pahinui, Flaco Jiménez, Ibrahim Ferrer (Buena Vista Social Club), Freddy Fender and Ali Farka Touré. He formed the Little Village supergroup with Nick Lowe, John Hiatt, and Jim Keltner.
Cooder was ranked 8th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." A 2010 ranking by Gibson placed him at #32.One of the all time great guitar players and musicologists playing a traditional blues song. Enjoy
Labels:
Ry Cooder
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Hobo Blues Updated
This is one of the few updated versions of John Lee Hooker that pays respect to his real person. It is performed with Ry Cooder. Must I say more!
Labels:
John Lee Hooker,
Ry Cooder
Friday, April 22, 2011
Vigilante Man
This is one of my favorite guitar players of all time. He knows every piece on music on earth. He makes rare appearances. He is all over the planet from depression era songs and blues to Hawaiian Music and Cuban Music. He is one of the best slide players ever touched a guitar.
Enjoy
Labels:
Ry Cooder
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