''Chávez Ravine: A Record by Ry Cooder'' is the twelfth studio album by

Ry Cooder Ryland Peter 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, and h ...

. It is the first

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

and historical album by Ry Cooder which tells the story of Chávez Ravine, a Mexican-American community demolished in the 1950s in order to build public housing. The housing was never built. Ultimately the

Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brook ...

built a stadium on the site as part of their move to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. ''Chávez Ravine'' was nominated for "

Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album was awarded from 1987 to 2011. Until 1991 the award was known as the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Recording. In 2007, this category was renamed Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album. As ...

" in 2006.

Track listing

# "Poor Man's Shangri-La" (Ry Cooder, William Garcia, Gene Aguilera) – 5:28 #* Ry Cooder – vocal, guitar, organ, tres #*

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 perfor ...

– vocal #*

Jim Keltner James Lee Keltner (born April 27, 1942) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. He was characterized by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes as "the leading session drummer in America". Howard Sounes. ''Do ...

– drums #*

Mike Elizondo Michael A. Elizondo Jr. (born October 22, 1972) is an American producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. A protégé of Dr. Dre, Elizondo has worked with 50 Cent, Eminem, Linkin Park, Carrie Underwood, Fiona Apple, Mastodon, Ry Cooder ...

– bass #* Joachim Cooder –

timbales Timbales () or pailas are shallow single-headed drums with metal casing. They are shallower than single-headed tom-toms and usually tuned much higher, especially for their size.Orovio, Helio 1981. ''Diccionario de la música cubana: biográfic ...

# "Onda Callejera" (

David Hidalgo David Kent Hidalgo (born October 6, 1954, in Los Angeles) is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his work with the band Los Lobos. Hidalgo frequently plays musical instruments such as accordion, violin, 6-string banjo, cello, requi ...

, William Garcia) – 3:50 #* Little Willie G. – vocal #* Juliette Commagere, Carla Commagere – vocal chorus #* Ry Cooder – guitar, laud #* Joachim Cooder – percussion #* Mike Elizondo – bass #* Joe Rotondi – piano #*

Gil Bernal Gil Bernal (February 4, 1931–July 17, 2011) was an American singer and session musician. His saxophone can be heard on recordings such as "Searchin'" by The Coasters. In the 1950s he played on Duane Eddy's 1958 album '' Have 'Twangy' Guitar W ...

– tenor saxophone #* Mike Bolger – trumpet #*

Ledward Kaapana Ledward Kaapana (born August 25, 1948) is a Hawaiian musician, best known for playing in the slack key guitar style. In 2011, he received a National Heritage Fellowship, the United States government's highest honor in the folk and traditional a ...

– guitar # "Don't Call Me Red" (Ry Cooder) – 4:58 ''This song is about Frank Wilkinson'' #* Ry Cooder – vocal, guitar #* Juliette and Carla Commagere – vocal chorus #*

Jon Hassell Jon Hassell (March 22, 1937 – June 26, 2021) was an American trumpet player and composer. He was best known for developing the concept of "Fourth World" music, which describes a "unified primitive/futurist sound" combining elements of various w ...

– trumpet #* Jim Keltner – bongos #* Joachim Cooder – timbales #* Mike Elizondo – bass # "Corrido de Boxeo" (Lalo Guerrero) – 3:21 #* Lalo Guerrero – vocal #* Ry Cooder – bajo sexto, guitar #* Joachim Cooder – drums #* Mike Elizondo – bass #* Joe Rotondi – piano #*

Flaco Jiménez Leonardo "Flaco" Jiménez (born March 11, 1939) is an American singer, songwriter and accordionist from San Antonio, Texas. He is known for playing Norteño, Tex Mex and Tejano music. Jiménez has been a solo performer and session musician, as ...

– accordion # "Muy Fifí" (William Garcia, Joachim Cooder, Juliette Commagere) – 4:03 #* Ersi Arvizu – vocal #* Little Willie G., Jacob Garcia – vocal chorus #* Ry Cooder – guitar #* Joachim Cooder – drums, sampling #* Mike Elizondo – bass #* Chucho Valdés – piano # "Los Chucos Suaves" (Lalo Guerrero) – 3:08 #* Lalo Guerrero – vocal #* Ry Cooder – guitar #* Jim Keltner – drums #* Mike Elizondo – bass #* Joe Rotondi – piano #* Gil Bernal – tenor sax # "Chinito Chinito" (Felguerez/Diaz) – 4:52 #* Juliette Commagere – vocal #* Carla Commagere – vocal #* Ry Cooder – guitar #* Joachim Cooder – drums #* Jared Smith – bass #* Mike Bolger – organ, trumpet, valve trombone #* Joe Rotondi – piano # " 3 Cool Cats" (

Jerry Leiber Leiber and Stoller were an American songwriting and record production duo, consisting of lyricist Jerome Leiber (; April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933). As well as many R&B and pop hits, they wr ...

Mike Stoller Leiber and Stoller were an American songwriting and record production duo, consisting of lyricist Jerome Leiber (; April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933). As well as many R&B and pop hits, they wr ...

) – 2:57 #* Little Willie G. – vocal #* Rudy Salas, Michael Guerra, Juliette Commagere, Carla Commagere – vocal chorus #* Ry Cooder – guitar #* Jim Keltner – drums #* Joachim Cooder – timbales #* Jared Smith – bass #* Joe Rotondi – piano #* Gil Bernal – tenor sax #* Mike Bolger – organ # "El U.F.O. Cayó" (Juliette Commagere, Ry Cooder, Joachim Cooder, Jared Smith) – 8:22 #* Juliette Commagere – vocal #* Don Tosti – vocal #* Ry Cooder – tres #* Mike Elizondo – bass #* Joachim Cooder – Sampling #* Jared Smith – keyboard # "It's Just Work for Me" (Ry Cooder) – 5:54 #* Ry Cooder – vocal, guitar #* Joachim Cooder – drums #* Mike Elizondo – bass # "In My Town" (Ry Cooder) – 5:40 #* Ry Cooder – vocal, guitar #* Sunny D. Levine – drum programming #*

Jacky Terrasson Jacky Terrasson (born November 27, 1965) is a French jazz pianist and composer. Background Terrasson's mother is African-American from Georgia, and his father is French. From his parents he heard classical music as a child. He began piano lesson ...

– piano # "Ejército Militar" (Rita Arvizu) – 3:16 #* Ersi Arvizu – vocal #* Rosella Arvizu – vocal #* Ry Cooder – bajo sexto, guitar #* Joachim Cooder – drums #* Mike Elizondo – bass #* Flaco Jiménez – accordion # "Barrio Viejo" (Lalo Guerrero) – 4:42 #* Lalo Guerrero – vocal, guitar #*

– accordion #* Joachim Cooder – drums #* Mike Elizondo – bass #*

– guitar # "3rd Base,

Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a ballpark in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a ...

" (Ry Cooder, William Garcia, Joe Kevany) – 5:45 #* Bla Pahinui – vocal, guitar, ukulele #* Ry Cooder – guitar #* Joachim Cooder – drums #* Mike Elizondo – bass #* Joe Rotondi – piano #* Gil Bernal – tenor sax #* Mike Bolger – trumpet, valve trombone #* Ledward Kaapana – guitar # "Soy Luz y Sombra" (The Cloud Forest poem; music by William Garcia, Joachim Cooder, Ry Cooder) – 3:15 #* Ersi Arvizu – vocal #* Little Willie G. – vocal #* Juliette Commagere – vocal #* Ry Cooder – guitar #* Joachim Cooder – drums, sampling #* Jared Smith – bass #* David Hidalgo – guitar

Charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chavez Ravine (Album) 2005 albums 2000s concept albums Ry Cooder albums Nonesuch Records albums Albums produced by Ry Cooder Albums recorded at Sound City Studios