Ry Cooder
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Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in
traditional music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...
, and his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries. Cooder's solo work draws upon many genres. He has played with John Lee Hooker, Captain Beefheart,
Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, ...
,
Gordon Lightfoot Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (born November 17, 1938) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music. He is credited with helping to define the folk-pop sound of the 1 ...
,
Ali Farka Touré Ali Ibrahim "Ali Farka" Touré (31 October 1939 – 6 March 2006) was a Malian singer and multi-instrumentalist, and one of the African continent's most internationally renowned musicians. His music blends traditional Malian music and its deriv ...
, Eric Clapton,
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...
, Van Morrison,
Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fu ...
,
Randy Newman Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist known for his Southern-accented singing style, early Americana-influenced songs (often with mordant or satirical lyrics), and vari ...
,
Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...
, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, David Lindley, The Chieftains, The Doobie Brothers, and Carla Olson and The Textones (on record and film). He formed the band
Little Village Little Village was an American/ British rock band, formed in 1991 by Ry Cooder (guitar, vocal), John Hiatt (guitar, piano, vocal), Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A ...
, and produced the album '' Buena Vista Social Club'' (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. Cooder was ranked at No. 8 on ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' magazine's 2003 list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time", while a 2010 list by
Gibson Guitar Corporation Gibson Brands, Inc. (formerly Gibson Guitar Corporation) is an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and professional audio equipment from Kalamazoo, Michigan, and now based in Nashville, Tennessee. The company was form ...
placed him at No. 32. In 2011, he published a collection of short stories called '' Los Angeles Stories''.


Early life

Ryland Peter Cooder was born in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
on March 15, 1947, the son of Emma Casaroli and Bill Cooder. His mother was of Italian descent. He grew up in
Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...
, and graduated from Santa Monica High School in 1964. During the 1960s, he briefly attended Reed College in
Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous ...
. He began playing the guitar when he was three years old. At the age of four, he accidentally stuck a knife in his left eye and has sported a glass eye ever since.Entry for "Ry Cooder", in ''The
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll'', Touchstone (revised, updated edition); November 8, 2001;


Career


1960s

Cooder performed as part of a pickup trio with Bill Monroe and Doc Watson, in which he played
banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
. The trio was not a success; reflecting his early exposure to the instrument, Cooder has applied banjo tunings and the three-finger roll to guitar. Cooder first attracted attention playing with
Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band The Magic Band was the backing band of American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Captain Beefheart between 1967 and 1982. The rotating lineup featured dozens of performers, many of whom became known by nicknames given to them by Beefhe ...
, notably on the 1967 album '' Safe as Milk'', after previously having worked with
Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, ...
and Ed Cassidy in the
Rising Sons Rising Sons was an American, Los Angeles, California-based blues rock and folk music band, which was founded in 1965. Their initial career was short-lived, but the group found retrospective fame for launching the careers of singer Taj Mahal and gu ...
. At a vital "warm-up" performance at the Mt. Tamalpais Festival (1967-06-10/11) shortly before the scheduled Monterey Pop Festival (1967-06-16/18), the band began to play "
Electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as describe ...
" and
Don Van Vliet Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places * County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON *Don (river), a river in European Russia * Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name * Don, Benin, a town in Benin * Don, Dang, a ...
froze, straightened his tie, then walked off the stage and landed on manager Bob Krasnow. He later claimed he had seen a girl in the audience turn into a fish, with bubbles coming from her mouth. This aborted any opportunity of breakthrough success at Monterey, as Cooder immediately decided he could no longer work with Van Vliet, effectively quitting both the event and the band on the spot. Cooder also played with
Randy Newman Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist known for his Southern-accented singing style, early Americana-influenced songs (often with mordant or satirical lyrics), and vari ...
, 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 Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...
in 1968 and 1969, and his contributions appear on the albums '' Let It Bleed'' ( Yank Rachell-style mandolin on "
Love in Vain "Love in Vain" (originally "Love in Vain Blues") is a blues song written by American musician Robert Johnson. Johnson's performancevocal accompanied by his finger-style acoustic guitar playinghas been described as "devastatingly bleak". He rec ...
"), and '' Sticky Fingers'', on which he contributed the slide guitar on "
Sister Morphine "Sister Morphine" is a song written by Marianne Faithfull, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Faithfull released the original version of the song as the B-side to her Decca Records single "Something Better" on 21 February 1969. A different versi ...
". During this period, Cooder joined with
Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...
, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman, and longtime Rolling Stones
sideman A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform live with a solo artist, or with a group in which they are not a regular band member. The term is usually used to describe musicians that play with jazz or rock artists, whether solo ...
Nicky Hopkins Nicholas Christian "Nicky" Hopkins (24 February 1944 – 6 September 1994) was an English pianist and organist. Hopkins performed on many popular and enduring British and American rock music recordings from the 1960s to the 1990s, most notably ...
to record '' Jamming with Edward!''. Cooder also played slide guitar for the 1970 film soundtrack ''
Performance A performance is an act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function. Management science In the work place ...
'', which contained Jagger's first solo single, " Memo from Turner". The 1975
compilation album A compilation album comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several performers. If by one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for rel ...
'' Metamorphosis'' features an uncredited Cooder contribution on Bill Wyman's "Downtown Suzie". Cooder also collaborated with
Lowell George Lowell Thomas George (April 13, 1945 – June 29, 1979) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer, who was the primary guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and founder/leader for the rock band Little Feat. Ear ...
of Little Feat, playing bottleneck guitar on the original version of " Willin'". He also played bottleneck guitar and mandolin on two tracks on the Gordon Lightfoot album ''
Sit Down Young Stranger ''Sit Down Young Stranger'' is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's fifth studio album and his best-selling original album. Shortly after its 1970 release on the Reprise Records label, it was renamed ''If You Could Read My Mind'' when the song of t ...
'' (later re-titled ''If You Could Read My Mind''), recorded in late 1969 and released in early 1970.


1970s

Throughout the 1970s, Cooder released a series of Warner Bros. Records albums that showcased his guitar work, initially on the
Reprise Records Reprise Records is an American record label founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Records, one of its flagship labels. Artists currently signed to Reprise Records include Enya, Michael ...
label, before being reassigned to the main Warners label along with many of Reprise's artists when the company retired the imprint. 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. In 1970 he collaborated with Ron Nagle and performed on his ''Bad Rice'' album released on Warner Brothers. His later 1970s albums (with the exception of ''
Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
'', 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 ''Paradise and Lunch'' is the fourth album by roots rock musician Ry Cooder, released on June 8, 1974 on Reprise Records. The album is composed of cover versions of jazz, blues and roots standards and obscurities recorded at the Warner Brothers ...
'' 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 Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fu ...
album released that was recorded digitally, using the early 3M digital mastering recorder. It yielded his biggest
hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...
, an R&B
cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song relea ...
of
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
'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 Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and musician with a career spanning seven decades. An Academy Award-nominated documentary director and a Grammy Award-winning recording artist, she is known for her ec ...
' 1970 concert tour, and is featured on ''
Living Living or The Living may refer to: Common meanings *Life, a condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms ** Living species, one that is not extinct *Personal life, the course of an individual human's life * H ...
'', the 1971 live album recorded during that tour. He also learned from and performed with Gabby Pahinui and "Atta" Isaacs in Hawaii during the Hawaiian Renaissance of the early 1970s. He is also credited for guitars on several 1971 recordings by Nancy Sinatra that were produced by Andy Wickman and Lenny Waronker – "Is Anybody Goin' To San Antone", "Hook & Ladder", and "Glory Road". Cooder is credited as a mandolin player on Gordon Lightfoot's '' Don Quixote'' album in 1972.


1980s

Cooder has worked as a studio musician and has also scored many
film soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
s including the Wim Wenders film '' Paris, Texas'' (1984). Cooder based this soundtrack and title song "Paris, Texas" on
Blind Willie Johnson Blind Willie Johnson (January 25, 1897 – September 18, 1945) was an American gospel blues singer, guitarist and evangelist. His landmark recordings completed between 1927 and 1930—thirty songs in total—display a combination of powerful "c ...
'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'' one of his favorite albums. In 2018 Cooder told
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC's ...
listeners: “ endersdid a very good job at capturing the ambience out there in the desert, just letting the microphones and the nagra machine roll and get tones and sound from the desert itself, which I discovered was E♭, was in the key of E♭ – that’s the wind, you know, was nice. So we tuned everything to E♭." "Dark Was the Night (Cold Was the Ground)" was also the basis for Cooder's song "Powis Square" for the movie ''
Performance A performance is an act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function. Management science In the work place ...
''. His other film work includes Walter Hill's '' The Long Riders'' (1980), ''
Southern Comfort Southern Comfort (often abbreviated SoCo) is an American, naturally fruit-flavored, whiskey liqueur with fruit and spice accents. The brand was created by bartender Martin Wilkes Heron in New Orleans in 1874, using whiskey as the base spirit. W ...
'' (1981), '' Streets of Fire'' (1984), '' Brewster's Millions'' (1985), '' Johnny Handsome'', '' Last Man Standing'' (1996), Hill's ''
Trespass Trespass is an area of tort law broadly divided into three groups: trespass to the person, trespass to chattels, and trespass to land. Trespass to the person historically involved six separate trespasses: threats, assault, battery, woundi ...
'' (1992) and
Mike Nichols Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian. He was noted for his ability to work across a range of genres and for his aptitude fo ...
' ''
Primary Colors A set of primary colors or primary colours (see spelling differences) consists of colorants or colored lights that can be mixed in varying amounts to produce a gamut of colors. This is the essential method used to create the perception of a b ...
'' (1998). Cooder along with Arlen Roth dubbed all slide and regular blues guitar parts in the 1986 film ''
Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...
'', 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 Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by Ali ...
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". In 1984, Cooder played on two songs on the debut album by Carla Olson & the Textones, ''Midnight Mission'' – "Carla's Number One is to Survive" and the previously unreleased
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
song "Clean Cut Kid". Shortly thereafter he was writing and recording the music for the film ''Blue City'' and asked the band to appear in the film performing. (He took them in the studio and produced "You Can Run" which he also played on.) In 1985, Cooder was a guest artist on the song "Rough Edges" from Kim Carnes' album ''
Barking at Airplanes ''Barking at Airplanes'' is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Kim Carnes, released on May 5, 1985, by EMI America Records. The album spawned two ''Billboard'' Hot 100 hit singles; " Crazy in the Night (Barking at Airplanes)" (N ...
''. Kim named her son Ry as a tribute to Ry Cooder. Also in 1988, Cooder 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 ''The Ghost of Faffner Hall'' is a children's television series from Jim Henson Productions and the British ITV company Tyne Tees Television which aired from August 16, 1989 to November 11, 1989 in the UK, and slightly later in the US. The puppet ...
'', in the episode "Music Is More Than Technique".


1990s

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 Cooder Joachim Herbert Cooder (born August 23, 1978) is a drummer, percussionist, composer, and keyboardist best known for his collaborations with his father, Ry Cooder. Early life Cooder began to play drums at the age of 5, inspired by Jim Keltner. Co ...
on percussion, he teamed with Hindustani classical musician
V.M. Bhatt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, professionally known as V. M. Bhatt (born 27 July 1950), is an Hindustani classical music instrumentalist who plays the Mohan veena (slide guitar). Personal life Bhatt lives in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, with his wife and t ...
, a virtuoso of the Mohan Veena (a modified 20-string archtop guitar of Bhatt's own invention) and Sukhvinder Singh Namdhari also known as Pinky Tabla Player. In 1993 he teamed up with
Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Ma ...
an multi-instrumentalist
Ali Farka Toure ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...
to record the album '' Talking Timbuktu'', which he also produced. The album, released in 1994, 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 The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
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 Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...
in New York to benefit the Children's Defense Fund. The performance was originally broadcast on both TBS and TNT. It was issued on CD and video in 1996. In the late 1990s Cooder played a significant role in the increased appreciation of traditional
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...
n 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 The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
in 2000. The enterprise cost him a $25,000 fine for violating the
United States embargo against Cuba The United States embargo against Cuba prevents American businesses, and businesses organized under U.S. law or majority-owned by American citizens, from conducting trade with Cuban interests. It is the most enduring trade embargo in modern his ...
.


2000s

Cooder's 2005 album ''
Chávez Ravine Chavez Ravine is a shallow L-shaped canyon in Los Angeles, California. It sits in a large promontory of hills north of downtown Los Angeles, next to Major League Baseball's Dodger Stadium. Chavez Ravine was named for Julian Chavez, a Los Angel ...
'' was touted by his
record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the pr ...
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 Chavez Ravine is a shallow L-shaped canyon in Los Angeles, California. It sits in a large promontory of hills north of downtown Los Angeles, next to Major League Baseball's Dodger Stadium. Chavez Ravine was named for Julian Chavez, a Los Angel ...
. 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 Pachucos are male members of a counterculture associated with zoot suit fashion, jazz and swing music, a distinct dialect known as '' caló'', and self-empowerment in rejecting assimilation into Anglo-American society that emerged in El Pas ...
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 ''My Name Is Buddy: Another Record by Ry Cooder'' is the thirteenth studio album by Ry Cooder. It is the second social-political concept album by Ry Cooder. Cooder has described it as the second in a trilogy that began with '' Chávez Ravine'' an ...
'', 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 Mavis Staples (born July 10, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer, actress, and civil rights activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family's band The Staple Singers (she is the last surviving member of that band). Duri ...
entitled '' We'll Never Turn Back'', which was released on April 24, 2007. The concept album focused on
Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...
songs of the
civil rights movement The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement throughout the Unite ...
and also included two new original songs by Cooder. Cooder's album ''
I, Flathead ''I, Flathead: The Songs of Kash Buk and the Klowns'' is the fourteenth studio album by Ry Cooder. It is the final concept album by Ry Cooder. It is the third in his "California trilogy", which began with '' Chávez Ravine'' (2005) and '' My Nam ...
'' 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 Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in power pop and new wave,Juliette Commagere Juliette Commagere is a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter who was formerly the lead singer and keytar player of the band Hello Stranger. In 2008 she began a solo career with the release of ''Queens Die Proudly''. Commagere has also performed ...
and Alex Lilly contributed backing vocals. The song "Diaraby", which Cooder recorded with
Ali Farka Touré Ali Ibrahim "Ali Farka" Touré (31 October 1939 – 6 March 2006) was a Malian singer and multi-instrumentalist, and one of the African continent's most internationally renowned musicians. His music blends traditional Malian music and its deriv ...
, is used as the theme to ''
The World In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
's'' Geo Quiz. ''The World'' is a radio show distributed by
Public Radio International Public Radio International (PRI) was an American public radio organization. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, PRI provided programming to over 850 public radio stations in the United States. PRI was one of the main providers of programmi ...
. 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 '' A People's History of the United States'' is a 1980 nonfiction book by American historian and political scientist Howard Zinn. In the book, Zinn presented what he considered to be a different side of history from the more traditional "fund ...
''. 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 William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed 7th on '' Th ...
,
Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...
, Van Dyke Parks, Los Cenzontles, and Los Tigres.


2010s

In June 2010, responding to the passage of
Arizona SB 1070 The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act (introduced as Arizona Senate Bill 1070 and commonly referred to as Arizona SB 1070) is a 2010 legislative Act in the U.S. state of Arizona that was the broadest and strictest a ...
, 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 ''Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down'' is the fourteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ry Cooder. It was released by Nonesuch Records on August 30, 2011, and written and produced by Cooder, who recorded its songs ...
'', 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 1940s and 1950s. The book's characters are mostly talented or skilled, clever or hardworking people living in humble circumstances. With story titles such as "La vida es un sueño" and "Kill me, por favor", the collection's stories often have a Hispanic theme, and the book deals partially with Latinos living in Los Angeles during this time. An '' American Songwriter'' article in 2012 suggested that Cooder's recent string of solo albums have often taken on an allegorical, sociopolitical bent. Music journalist Evan Schlansky said that "Cooder's latest effort, ''
Election Special ''Election Special'' is the 15th studio album by American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ry Cooder. It was released on August 16, 2012, by Perro Verde and Nonesuch Records. Cooder recorded and produced the album mostly at Drive-By S ...
'' (released August 21, 2012, on Nonesuch/Perro Verde) doesn't mince words. It's designed to send a message to the 'deacons in the High Church of the Next Dollar'". The album was composed in support of the Democratic Party and President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
in the 2012 election. On September 10, 2013, Cooder released ''
Live in San Francisco Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music *Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of albums ...
'', featuring the Corridos Famosos band, including
Joachim Cooder Joachim Herbert Cooder (born August 23, 1978) is a drummer, percussionist, composer, and keyboardist best known for his collaborations with his father, Ry Cooder. Early life Cooder began to play drums at the age of 5, inspired by Jim Keltner. Co ...
on drums; Robert Francis on bass; vocalists Terry Evans, Arnold McCuller, and
Juliette Commagere Juliette Commagere is a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter who was formerly the lead singer and keytar player of the band Hello Stranger. In 2008 she began a solo career with the release of ''Queens Die Proudly''. Commagere has also performed ...
; Flaco Jiménez on accordion; and the Mexican brass band La Banda Juvenil. The album was recorded during a two-night run at
Great American Music Hall The Great American Music Hall is a concert hall in San Francisco, California. It is located on O'Farrell Street in the Tenderloin neighborhood on the same block as the Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre. It is known for its decorative balconie ...
in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...
, August 31 and September 1, 2011. It is Cooder's first official live recording since ''Show Time'' in 1977 (which had also been recorded at Great American Music Hall). In 2015, Cooder toured with Ricky Skaggs, Sharon White and other members of
The Whites The Whites is an American country music vocal group from Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It consists of sisters Sharon White and Cheryl White, and their father, Buck White. Sharon on guitar, Cheryl on bass and Buck on Mandolin. Formed in 1972 ...
with their “Music for The Good People” show. The tour continued through into 2016. On May 11, 2018, Cooder released his first solo album in six years entitled '' The Prodigal Son''. The subsequent tour featured opening performances by his son, Joachim, who also accompanied Cooder on drums. In 2019 He toured with Rosanne Cash on a brief tour asa tribute to Johnny Cash called "Cooder and Cash on Cash." https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/rosanne-cash-ry-cooder-johnny-cash-tribute-tour-809387/


2020s

On April 22, 2022, Cooder and Taj Mahal released "Get On Board: The Songs of Sonny Terry & Brownie Mcghee".


Awards

* 1988
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
(Best Recording for Children) – ''Pecos Bill'', producer (
Rabbit Ears Productions Rabbit Ears Productions is a production company best known for producing three television series that feature individual episodes adapting popular pieces of children's literature. Rabbit Ears episodes have been released on home video, broadcast o ...
) * 1993 Grammy Award (Best World Music Album) – '' A Meeting by the River'' (with Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt) * 1994 Grammy Award (Best World Music Album) – '' Talking Timbuktu with
Ali Farka Toure ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...
'' * 1997 Grammy Award (Best Tropical Latin Performance) – '' Buena Vista Social Club'' * 2003 Grammy Award (Best Pop Instrumental Album) – ''
Mambo Sinuendo ''Mambo Sinuendo'' is a studio album released by Cuban performer Manuel Galbán and producer Ry Cooder. The album was the first number-one album in the ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums chart for Galbán and the second for Cooder (after ''Buena Vi ...
'' with Manuel Galbán * 2003 Grammy Award (Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album) – ''Buenos Hermanos'', producer ( Ibrahim Ferrer, artist) * 2000 –
Honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...
from Queen's University, Canada * 2001 – Honorary doctorate from the California Institute of the Arts * 2017 – BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards – Lifetime Achievement Award * 2018 – Montreal International Jazz Festival – Spirit Award


Discography


Solo albums

* '' Ry Cooder'' (December 1970) * '' Into the Purple Valley'' (February 1972) * '' Boomer's Story'' (November 1972) * ''
Paradise and Lunch ''Paradise and Lunch'' is the fourth album by roots rock musician Ry Cooder, released on June 8, 1974 on Reprise Records. The album is composed of cover versions of jazz, blues and roots standards and obscurities recorded at the Warner Brothers ...
'' (May 1974) * '' Chicken Skin Music'' (October 1976) * '' Show Time'' (January 1977) * ''
Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
'' (June 1978) * '' Bop till You Drop'' (August 1979) * '' Borderline'' (October 1980) * '' The Slide Area'' (April 1982) * '' Get Rhythm'' (November 1987) * ''
Chávez Ravine Chavez Ravine is a shallow L-shaped canyon in Los Angeles, California. It sits in a large promontory of hills north of downtown Los Angeles, next to Major League Baseball's Dodger Stadium. Chavez Ravine was named for Julian Chavez, a Los Angel ...
'' (May 2005) * ''
My Name Is Buddy ''My Name Is Buddy: Another Record by Ry Cooder'' is the thirteenth studio album by Ry Cooder. It is the second social-political concept album by Ry Cooder. Cooder has described it as the second in a trilogy that began with '' Chávez Ravine'' an ...
'' (March 2007) * ''
I, Flathead ''I, Flathead: The Songs of Kash Buk and the Klowns'' is the fourteenth studio album by Ry Cooder. It is the final concept album by Ry Cooder. It is the third in his "California trilogy", which began with '' Chávez Ravine'' (2005) and '' My Nam ...
'' (June 2008) * ''
Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down ''Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down'' is the fourteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ry Cooder. It was released by Nonesuch Records on August 30, 2011, and written and produced by Cooder, who recorded its songs ...
'' (August 2011) * ''
Election Special ''Election Special'' is the 15th studio album by American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ry Cooder. It was released on August 16, 2012, by Perro Verde and Nonesuch Records. Cooder recorded and produced the album mostly at Drive-By S ...
'' (August 2012) * '' The Prodigal Son'' (May 2018)


Compilations

* ''Why Don't You Try Me Tonight'' (1986) * ''River Rescue – The Very Best of Ry Cooder'' (1994) * '' Music by Ry Cooder'' (1995) (two-disc set of film music) * ''The Ry Cooder Anthology: The UFO Has Landed'' (October 2008)


Singles

* "He'll Have to Go" / "The Bourgeouis Blues" (1977; Reprise Records) * "Little Sister" / "Down In Hollywood" (1979; Warner Records) * "Crazy 'Bout an Automobile (Every Woman I Know)" Recorded live, October 25, 1980, at Victoria Apollo, London / "If Walls Could Talk" Recorded live, February 26, 1981, at Old Waldorf, San Francisco, California / "The Very Thing That Makes You Rich (Makes Me Poor)" Recorded live, February 26, 1981, at Old Waldorf, San Francisco, California / "Look at Granny Run Run" Recorded live, February 26, 1981, at Old Waldorf, San Francisco, California (1981; Warner Records) * "Gypsy Woman"/ "Alimony" (1982; Nonesuch Records) * "Get Rhythm"/ "Get Your Lies Straight" / "Down in Hollywood" (1988) * "Come Down" / "Get Rhythm" / "Little Sister" (1994) * "Quicksand" (June 2010)


Collaborations

* ''Tanyet'' (1967) (with The Ceyleib People) *'' Jamming with Edward!'' (''Let It Bleed sessions'', 1969, with
Nicky Hopkins Nicholas Christian "Nicky" Hopkins (24 February 1944 – 6 September 1994) was an English pianist and organist. Hopkins performed on many popular and enduring British and American rock music recordings from the 1960s to the 1990s, most notably ...
,
Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...
, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts) (1972) * ''Ry Cooder and the Moula Banda Rhythm Aces: Let's Have a Ball'' (1988) * ''Rising Sons featuring Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder'' with
Rising Sons Rising Sons was an American, Los Angeles, California-based blues rock and folk music band, which was founded in 1965. Their initial career was short-lived, but the group found retrospective fame for launching the careers of singer Taj Mahal and gu ...
(recorded 1965/66, released 1992) * ''
Little Village Little Village was an American/ British rock band, formed in 1991 by Ry Cooder (guitar, vocal), John Hiatt (guitar, piano, vocal), Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A ...
'' (1992) * '' A Meeting by the River'' (1993) (with Vishwa Mohan Bhatt) * '' Talking Timbuktu'' (1994) (with
Ali Farka Touré Ali Ibrahim "Ali Farka" Touré (31 October 1939 – 6 March 2006) was a Malian singer and multi-instrumentalist, and one of the African continent's most internationally renowned musicians. His music blends traditional Malian music and its deriv ...
) * ''Ry Cooder/Lindley Family: Live At The Vienna Opera House'' (1995) with
Joachim Cooder Joachim Herbert Cooder (born August 23, 1978) is a drummer, percussionist, composer, and keyboardist best known for his collaborations with his father, Ry Cooder. Early life Cooder began to play drums at the age of 5, inspired by Jim Keltner. Co ...
, David Lindley and Rosanne Lindley * ''
The Long Black Veil "Long Black Veil" is a 1959 country ballad, written by Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkin and originally recorded by Lefty Frizzell. It is told from the point of view of a man falsely accused of murder and executed. He refuses to provide an alib ...
'' (1995) (with The Chieftains) * '' Buena Vista Social Club'' (September 1997) * '' Buena Vista Social Club Presents Ibrahim Ferrer'' (1999) (with Ibrahim Ferrer) * ''Hollow Bamboo'' with Jon Hassell and
Ronu Majumdar Ronu Majumdar is an Indian flautist in the Hindustani classical music tradition. Awards, nominations, and music collaborations In 1981, Ronu Majumdar won the first prize at the All India Radio competition, and the President's Gold Medal. He h ...
(
bansuri A bansuri is an ancient side blown flute originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is an aerophone produced from bamboo and metal like material used in Hindustani classical music. It is referred to as ''nadi'' and ''tunava'' in the ''Ri ...
) (2000) * ''
Mambo Sinuendo ''Mambo Sinuendo'' is a studio album released by Cuban performer Manuel Galbán and producer Ry Cooder. The album was the first number-one album in the ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums chart for Galbán and the second for Cooder (after ''Buena Vi ...
'' (January 2003) (with Manuel Galbán) * ''Buenos Hermanos'' (2003) (with Ibrahim Ferrer) * ''Mi Sueño'' (2007) (with Ibrahim Ferrer, production of 'Melodía del río' only) * '' Buena Vista Social Club at Carnegie Hall'' (2008) (with Buena Vista Social Club) * '' San Patricio'' (March 2010) (with The Chieftains) * ''
Live in San Francisco Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music *Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of albums ...
'' (September 2013) (with Corridos Famosos) * '' Lost and Found'' (March 2015) (with Buena Vista Social Club, production of 'Macusa' and 'Lágrimas Negras' only) * ''Get On Board'' (May 2022) (with
Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, ...
)


Soundtracks

* ''
Performance A performance is an act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function. Management science In the work place ...
'' (1970, three of 13 tracks) * '' The Long Riders'' (June 1980) * ''
Southern Comfort Southern Comfort (often abbreviated SoCo) is an American, naturally fruit-flavored, whiskey liqueur with fruit and spice accents. The brand was created by bartender Martin Wilkes Heron in New Orleans in 1874, using whiskey as the base spirit. W ...
'' (1981) * '' The Border'' (1982) * '' Streets of Fire'' (1984) * '' Paris, Texas'' (February 1985) * '' Alamo Bay'' (August 1985) * '' Blue City'' (July 1986) * ''
Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...
'' (July 1986) * ''
Cocktail A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, cocktails are either a combination of spirits, or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as tonic water, fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. Cocktails vary widely acr ...
'' (1988, one track: "
All Shook Up "All Shook Up" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley, published by Elvis Presley Music, and composed by Otis Blackwell. The single topped the U.S. ''Billboard'' Top 100 on April 13, 1957, staying there for eight weeks. It also topped the ''Bil ...
") * '' Johnny Handsome'' (October 1989) * ''
Trespass Trespass is an area of tort law broadly divided into three groups: trespass to the person, trespass to chattels, and trespass to land. Trespass to the person historically involved six separate trespasses: threats, assault, battery, woundi ...
'' (January 1993) * '' Geronimo: An American Legend'' (1993) * '' Last Man Standing'' (1996) * '' The End of Violence'' (1997) * ''
Primary Colors A set of primary colors or primary colours (see spelling differences) consists of colorants or colored lights that can be mixed in varying amounts to produce a gamut of colors. This is the essential method used to create the perception of a b ...
'' (1998) * ''
My Blueberry Nights ''My Blueberry Nights'' is a 2007 romantic drama film directed by Wong Kar-wai, his first feature in English. The screenplay by Wong and Lawrence Block is based on a Chinese-language short film written and directed by Wong. ''My Blueberry Nights' ...
'' (2007)


As guest musician

* '' Safe as Milk'' (1967) with Captain Beefheart * ''
Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, ...
'' (1968) with
Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, ...
* ''Gentle Soul'' (1968) with The Gentle Soul * ''
Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fu ...
'' (1968) with
Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fu ...
* ''
Head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals ...
'' (1968) with The Monkees * ''
Permanent Damage ''Permanent Damage'' is the fifth and final album by The Icicle Works. The album was released in 1990. Critical reception '' The Quietus'' called the album a collection of "more straightforward classic rock songs ... an unimaginative set." ''The ...
'' (1969) with The GTOs * ''Hard 'N' Heavy (With Marshmallow)'' (1969) Paul Revere & the Raiders * ''Border Town'' (1969) with Fusion * '' Longbranch Pennywhistle'' (1969) with Longbranch Pennywhistle * '' Let It Bleed'' (1969) with
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...
* " Something Better /
Sister Morphine "Sister Morphine" is a song written by Marianne Faithfull, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Faithfull released the original version of the song as the B-side to her Decca Records single "Something Better" on 21 February 1969. A different versi ...
" (1969) with Marianne Faithfull * ''
Running Down the Road ''Running Down the Road'' is the second studio album by American folk singer Arlo Guthrie. Guthrie's version of the traditional folk tune "Stealin'" was featured in the film ''Two-Lane Blacktop''. The cover shows the artist upon a Triumph TR6 Tr ...
'' (1969) with Arlo Guthrie * '' 12 Songs'' (1970) with
Randy Newman Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist known for his Southern-accented singing style, early Americana-influenced songs (often with mordant or satirical lyrics), and vari ...
* '' The Candlestickmaker'' (1970) with Ron Elliott * '' Washington County'' (1970) with Arlo Guthrie * ''
Stained Glass Morning ''Stained Glass Morning'' is the second and last album by Scott McKenzie, released in 1970. It is notable for the work of "sterling backup players, including Ry Cooder, Rusty Young (of Poco), and Barry McGuire." The album did not chart on the ...
'' (1970) with
Scott McKenzie Scott McKenzie (born Philip Wallach Blondheim III; January 10, 1939 – August 18, 2012) was an American singer and songwriter who recorded the 1967 hit single and generational anthem "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)". ...
* ''
Sit Down Young Stranger ''Sit Down Young Stranger'' is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's fifth studio album and his best-selling original album. Shortly after its 1970 release on the Reprise Records label, it was renamed ''If You Could Read My Mind'' when the song of t ...
'' (1970) with
Gordon Lightfoot Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (born November 17, 1938) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music. He is credited with helping to define the folk-pop sound of the 1 ...
* ''
Crazy Horse Crazy Horse ( lkt, Tȟašúŋke Witkó, italic=no, , ; 1840 – September 5, 1877) was a Lakota war leader of the Oglala band in the 19th century. He took up arms against the United States federal government to fight against encroachment by w ...
'' (1971) with ''
Crazy Horse (band) Crazy Horse is an American rock band best known for their association with Neil Young. Beginning in 1968 and continuing to the present day, they have been co-credited on a number of Young's albums, with 12 studio albums and numerous live albums ...
'' – slide guitar on "
I Don't Want to Talk About It "I Don't Want to Talk About It" is a song written by American guitarist Danny Whitten. It was first recorded by American rock band Crazy Horse and issued as the final track on side one of their 1971 eponymous album. It was Whitten's signature t ...
", "Dirty, Dirty" and "Crow Jane Lady" * ''Stories'' (1971) with David Blue * '' Sticky Fingers'' (1971) with
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...
* '' Little Feat'' (1971) with Little Feat * '' She Used to Wanna Be a Ballerina'' (1971) with
Buffy Sainte-Marie Buffy Sainte-Marie, (born Beverly Sainte-Marie, February 20, 1941) is an Indigenous Canadian-American (Piapot Cree Nation) singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. While working in these ar ...
* ''
Living Living or The Living may refer to: Common meanings *Life, a condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms ** Living species, one that is not extinct *Personal life, the course of an individual human's life * H ...
'' (1971) with
Judy Collins Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and musician with a career spanning seven decades. An Academy Award-nominated documentary director and a Grammy Award-winning recording artist, she is known for her ec ...
* '' Rita Coolidge'' (1971) with Rita Coolidge * ''Petaluma'' (1972) with Norman Greenbaum * ''Salty'' (1972) with Alex Richman * '' Sail Away'' (1972) with Randy Newman * ''
Stories We Could Tell ''Stories We Could Tell'' is a country rock album by The Everly Brothers, released in 1972. It was reissued as '' Stories We Could Tell:The RCA Years'' by BMG in 2003 and included additional tracks, all stemming from the successor album ''Pass th ...
'' (1972) with The Everly Brothers * '' Don Quixote'' (1972) with Gordon Lightfoot * '' Hobo's Lullaby'' (1972) with Arlo Guthrie * ''Rod Taylor'' (1973) with Rod Taylor * ''
Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys ''Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys'' is a 1973 album by the American singer-songwriter Arlo Guthrie. Track listing All tracks composed by Arlo Guthrie; except where indicated # "Farrell O'Gara" (Traditional) – 2:49 # " Gypsy Davy" (Traditional, Wo ...
'' (1973) with Arlo Guthrie * '' Maria Muldaur'' (1973) with Maria Muldaur * '' Good Old Boys'' (1974) with Randy Newman * '' Arlo Guthrie'' (1974) with Arlo Guthrie * '' Stampede'' (1975) with the Doobie Brothers – slide guitar on "Rainy Day Crossroad Blues" * ''
Little Criminals ''Little Criminals'' is a 1977 album by Randy Newman. Like most of Newman's work, the album eschews traditional pop-music themes ("I'll Be Home" is the only love song on the album) in favor of musical story-telling, often featuring quirky chara ...
'' (1977) with Randy Newman * '' Blue Collar'' (1978) with Captain Beefheart and
Jack Nitzsche Bernard Alfred "Jack" Nitzsche ( '; April 22, 1937 – August 25, 2000) was an American musician, arranger, songwriter, composer, and record producer. He first came to prominence in the early 1960s as the right-hand-man of producer Phil Spe ...
(soundtrack) * '' Into the Music'' (1979) with Van Morrison * '' No Nukes: The Muse Concerts for a Non-Nuclear Future'' (1979) * ''
Money and Cigarettes ''Money and Cigarettes'' is the eighth solo studio album by Eric Clapton, recorded after his first rehabilitation from alcoholism. Produced by Clapton and Tom Dowd with, apart from Albert Lee, a new backing band of veteran session musicians i ...
'' (1983) with Eric Clapton * ''Midnight Mission'' (1984) Carla Olson & The Textones (featured on two songs) * '' Bring the Family'' (1987) with John Hiatt * '' Trio'' (1987) with
Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album ...
,
Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...
and
Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, includin ...
* ''Live and Let Live'' (1988) with Bobby King & Terry Evans * '' Mr. Lucky'' (1991) with John Lee Hooker * ''
Warm Your Heart ''Warm Your Heart'' is a 1991 album released by American R&B/soul singer Aaron Neville. It features the singles " Everybody Plays the Fool", "Somewhere, Somebody" and " Close Your Eyes". The "Close Your Eyes" single also featured album produce ...
'' (1991) Aaron Neville * ''Peace to the Neighborhood'' (1992) Pops Staples * ''Father Father'' (1994) Pops Staples * ''King Cake Party'' (1994) with The Zydeco Party Band * ''
The Tractors The Tractors were an American country rock band composed of a loosely associated group of musicians headed by guitarist Steve Ripley. The original lineup consisted of Steve Ripley (lead vocals, guitar), Ron Getman (guitar, Dobro, mandolin, tenor ...
'' (1994) with
The Tractors The Tractors were an American country rock band composed of a loosely associated group of musicians headed by guitarist Steve Ripley. The original lineup consisted of Steve Ripley (lead vocals, guitar), Ron Getman (guitar, Dobro, mandolin, tenor ...
* ''
A Toda Cuba le Gusta ''A Toda Cuba le Gusta'' is the first studio album by the Afro-Cuban All Stars, produced by Cuban bandleader and musician Juan de Marcos González and Nick Gold, and released on April 9, 1997 on World Circuit Records. This album was the first ...
'' (1997) with the
Afro-Cuban All Stars Afro-Cuban All Stars is a Cuban band led by Juan de Marcos González (formerly tres player for Sierra Maestra). Their music is a mix of all the styles of Cuban music, including bolero, chachachá, salsa, son montuno, timba, guajira, danzón, r ...
* ''
Good Dog, Happy Man ''Good Dog, Happy Man'' is the 11th album by Bill Frisell to be released on the Elektra Nonesuch label. It was released in 1999 and features performances by Frisell, steel guitarist Greg Leisz, keyboardist Wayne Horvitz, bassist Viktor Krauss and ...
'' (1999) with Bill Frisell * ''Sublime Ilusión'' (1999) with Eliades Ochoa * ''
Chanchullo "Chanchullo" (; literally: "scam", "racket", "hustle") is a danzón-mambo composed by Cuban bassist Israel "Cachao" López. It was first released as a single in 1957 by Arcaño y sus Maravillas. It was the third single released on Cuban independ ...
'' (2000) with Rubén González * '' October Road'' (2002) with
James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-sell ...
(slide guitar on the title track) * '' The Wind'' (2003) with
Warren Zevon Warren William Zevon (; January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer, songwriter, and musician. Zevon's most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", " Lawyers, Guns and Money", and " Roland the Headless Th ...
(slide guitar on two tracks: "Dirty Life and Times" and "Prison Grove") * '' Enjoy Every Sandwich: The Songs of Warren Zevon'' (2004) with David Lindley (on "Monkey Wash, Donkey Rinse") *''Delta Time'' (2012) with Hans Theessink & Terry Evans *''Fuchsia Machu Picchu'' (2018) with
Joachim Cooder Joachim Herbert Cooder (born August 23, 1978) is a drummer, percussionist, composer, and keyboardist best known for his collaborations with his father, Ry Cooder. Early life Cooder began to play drums at the age of 5, inspired by Jim Keltner. Co ...


Films

* ''Ry Cooder and the Moula Banda Rhythm Aces: at The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, California; March 25, 1987'' (1987), Director: Les Blank, Producer: Ry Cooder, Flower Films and Warner Brothers. Records.


Written works

* '' Los Angeles Stories'', City Lights Bookstore, City Lights Publishers (2011)


References


External links

*
Ry Cooder (Nonesuch Records)

''Los Angeles Stories'' Book Description

Ry Cooder
at discogs.com
Ry Cooder
at 45cat.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Cooder, Ry 1947 births Living people 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male singers 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American male singers American film score composers American male film score composers American blues guitarists American blues mandolinists American blues singers American folk guitarists American male guitarists American rock guitarists American rock singers American mandolinists American multi-instrumentalists American people of Italian descent American people with disabilities American session musicians Buena Vista Social Club Captain Beefheart Contemporary blues musicians Fingerstyle guitarists Georges Delerue Award winners Grammy Award winners Guitarists from Los Angeles Lead guitarists The Magic Band members Nonesuch Records artists Reed College alumni Reprise Records artists Slide guitarists Warner Records artists