Ry Cooder interview and new CD

[DougC]

http://www.truthdig.com/arts_culture/item/exclusive_ry_cooders_no_banker_left_behind_2011052 6/

Ry Cooder does a real nice interview with music on this link. He is as sharp as ever and he talks about writing music and his friendship with John Lee Hooker. And wow, does he do the blues like the departed John Lee Hooker. I've been singing 'No Banker Left Behind' all morning. Thanks Ry - you're the best.

[Dennis Ladd]

Hah! Thanks for the link. Ry Cooder is one of my guitar heroes. This is a great interview and now I need to see if I can preorder that CD on Amazon.

[Ed Goist]

Could someone recommend a few Ry Cooder albums that prominently feature his mandolin playing?
Do any of his records standout for their mandolin content?
He is such a gifted artist, and I could listen to his guitar playing all day, but I'd love to hear a good dose of his great mandolin playing too.

[garyedelman]

Ed- Into the Purple Valley has quite a bit of Cooder's mandolin playing, and if I recall
correctly, so does (I think I don't have the CDs with me as I'm traveling) Lunch in Paradise.
Also, somewhere in the forum there is a great clip of a very young Cooder playing mandolin.
If I dig it up I'll link it back to this thread.

[Chief]

You need to get "The UFO has Landed"- a two CD greatest hits album by Ry that has music from all eras. It has much mandolin- and other great music. Highly recommended.

[jim simpson]

Boomer's Story is also a good early recording featuring mandolin.
I'm a big fan and need to update my cd library as I had most of Ry's early lp recordings.
I tried to handpick keepers from my lp collection when I decided to sell off the collection. I just couldn't deal with moving the collection with me when I moved.

[gda(v)e]

Another worth checking out is Ry's album "Jazz". David Lindley's mandolin is all over it, while Ry plays some mandola.

[garyedelman]

Here's the link I mentioned above. Young Ry Cooder doing Goin to Brownsville.
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?76866-Chords-tab-score-for-Goin-To-Brownsville&highlight=cooder

[Ed Goist]

Thanks for all the great suggestions! I've ordered a few.
Listening right now to 'Into the Purple Valley'. Remarkable.
Cooder has such a rare combination of grit, feel, virtuosity and respect for the music's history.
Gifted, Important and Formidable.

[delsbrother]

Ry Cooder made me want to learn how to play mandolin. Really! I actually came to him late, from his film work. Then of course I had to buy his entire back catalog.. I would say everything up to Jazz is required listening, including all the session stuff. After that, IMO, you have to decide how hard core of a fan you're going to be. I stay with him into the late collaborative work, but I lose him in the Chavez Ravine/Buddy/Flathead concept stuff. I guess I don't have the patience for it anymore.. I'm also somewhat upset that I have never seen a good performance from him live, in person, even though I've made treks to see him several times. Surfing YouTube makes me even more jealous, as there are great live performances on there both before and after I've seen him. Oh well.

[gda(v)e]

@delsbrother - If you don't have it, pick up a copy of "Ry Cooder - Live On Air". It's a recent release of a 1974 live studio recording for radio broadcast. It has been available as a bootleg for a long time but is now out as an unauthorized (but legal) CD. The sound quality is fantastic and it's from the period in Ry's career that you like best (me too). Oh - and he plays mandolin on it!

[Charlie Ayers]

Ry is one of my favorite guitarists. Is he playing an octave mandolin in this clip?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=073900cgqE8&feature=related

Charlie

[Ed Goist]

Great clip!
I believe it is technically an electric Bouzouki (longer scale than OM).
It's very similar to the one played by David Lindley in this clip (maybe the same instrument, but with a different pickguard?)

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