Ry Cooder Live

Ry Cooder has had a remarkable career that has spanned nearly 50 years. The renaissance that he has had releasing five stellar solo albums from 2005-2012 is extraordinary for the music and the socio-political songwriting, especially since he had not released a solo record since 1987.

Cooder has also not released a live record in 36 years and for this recording he has returned to the Great American Music Hall once again to capture his band on tape. This is a raucous and uplifting record that has a 7 piece band joined by the 10 piece horn section of La Banda Juvenil to flesh out the live sound of these mostly old time Cooder classics and covers.

“Crazy ‘Bout An Automobile” with Cooder dishing out his tasteful slide licks is astonishing alone just for that playing. Add the horn section along with the backing vocals of his long time cohort Terry Evans and the 63 year old Arnold McCuller and this is live magic that has the audience hooting and hollering.

Ry dedicates “Lord Tell Me Why” to all the “white men in the audience” and this fairly recent track from 2011 is a funky gospel groove. Long-time musical companion and accordion god Flaco Jimenez  fills out the Tex Mex intro to Woody Guthrie’s “Do Re Mi” and you can imagine most of the audience is on their feet shaking what god gave them.

The beauty of this concert is captured in a raw sort of ambience where the clarity of the instruments is on exhibition along with a wonderful ambience from the stage and the adoring fans.

Covers like “Wooly Bully”, a wonderful Tex-Mex version of Leadbelly’s “Goodnight Irene”, and the stunning “Dark End Of The Street” are all done tastefully and with a life that most live bands don’t even come close to displaying. This joyful gathering of friends and fans make for a delightful visit with a  musical legend.

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