Unsung
Session Heroes:
Rockument's collection of songs featuring Ry Cooder as a session musician, by Tony Bove |
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Cooder is a virtuoso on virtually every string instrument, from Mexican tiple to Middle Eastern saz to Hawaiian "slack key" guitar, but is mostly known for his country-blues-style mandolin, electric and acoustic guitar, and slide guitar. Ry played on tracks by a wide variety of popular artists including the Rolling Stones, Arlo Guthrie, Randy Newman, Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, John Lee Hooker, and the Chieftains. He also was briefly a member of Captain Beefheart and his Magic Ban and Taj Mahal's first band, the Rising Sons. This show focuses on his session work with slide guitar and mandolin, and we've picked songs in which he made a considerable creative contribution that you can readily hear. (We highlight other aspects of Ry Cooder's career in other shows that include his solo albums, his work with the band Little Village, and his many explorations into roots music.) PlaylistYou
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Ry Cooder started out in Los Angeles playing folk music, and in 1966 teamed with Taj Mahal in the Rising Sons before joining Captain Beefheart's Magic Band, then contributing to various albums by Little Feat, Randy Newman, and the Rolling Stones, among many others. The Rising Sons featured Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder in their first band, around 1965-66. The Sons were influential, playing in all the clubs around Los Angeles. Many Southern California bands of the late Sixties trace their influences to the Sons, including Love, the Byrds, and Canned Heat.
Ry Cooder played the role of musical director and slide guitarist with the legendary Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band on the album Safe as Milk. This song demonstrates Ry's inventiveness on slide guitar very early in his career. The Captain had released his only pop single "Diddy Wah Diddy" in early 1966, and was trying to create a fusion representing his blues influences Howlin' Wolf and John Lee Hooker with Native American rhythms and the free jazz of John Coltrane and Charles Mingus. The band included John French on drums, Alex St. Clair Snouffer on guitar, Ry on both guitar and bass on some tracks, Jerry Handley on bass, and the Captain (Don van Vliet) on vocals and harmonica. Captain Beefheart's career was veer fleetingly into the limelight with his sporadic collaborations with Frank Zappa, and remain a solid cult figure through his wildly innovative Magic Band and solo albums.
Ry Cooder's most famous session as a slide guitarist was with the Rolling Stones on this song, in which he played his classic and most well known electric slide guitar riff. Ry's country-blues guitar style also influenced the Stones, most notably with the central riff of "Honky Tonk Woman". Check out the Rolling Stones Web Site for official news of the band.
Ry played with Arlo Guthrie on an inspired version of the Bob Dylan song "Gates of Eden" featuring Byrds guitarist Clarence White, who also picked country-style guitar as a session musician for a lot of artists. The interplay of Cooder and White on this rendition is absolutely sublime. On "Sailor's Bonnett" Ry Cooder plays slide guitar and Arlo plays banjo, with Kevin Burke on fiddle.
Ry backed Randy Newman on several records, and also worked with Randy and legendary producer, arranger, and session hero Jack Nitzsche on the soundtrack for the movie Performance, starring Mick Jagger. That soundtrack included "Gone Dead Train" and "The Hashishin" with Buffy Sainte-Marie on mouth bow and Ry on dulcimer. "Gone Dead
Train" was also performed by Neil Young's backing band, Crazy
Horse, on that group's debut album (buy from
Ry's work with Randy Newman was substantial, including the hit "You Can Leave Your Hat On" and songs like "Mama Told Me Not to Come". Raised in Hollywood (in which his uncles Alfred and Lionel were film scorers), Randy Newman developed his unique songwriting and performing style while touring the college circuit with Harry Nilsson. Peggy Lee, Three Dog Night, and Judy Collins all had hits with Randy Newman songs.
Ry's distinctive guitar gave this song its wicked edge. This song comes from an album of mostly demos made in 1967, before Randy Newman's debut album in 1968 (it was released in 1970). Newman would continue to ply his sardonic wit in songs like "Short People", "Political Science", and "I Love L.A."
From Rita Coolidge's first album, featuring Ry on electric slide guitar. Rita Coolidge was Leon Russell's partner for many years and sang backup and harmony vocals on a wide range of rock albums before launching her solo career in the early 1970s.
Little Feat at this time included Lowell George on guitar (with Ry Cooder taking over on slide guitar for this song) and harmonica, Bill Payne on keyboards, Roy Estrada on bass, and Richie Hayward on drums. The story is that Lowell George, the lead singer, composer, and slide guitar player, had broken his hand or finger and couldn't play for a while, so they brought Ry in for this song and George played harmonica. Little Feat were one of the best "boogie" bands of the Seventies and their live act was superb. The band fell apart when Lowell George died, but then reformed with new members in the late Eighties.
Eric Clapton teamed up with Ry Cooder to produce this album, Money and Cigarettes. Their guitar duels showcase their unique talents and styles. This obscure album contains some of the best rock and roll guitar tunes ever.
John Lee Hooker with Ry on guitar, Johnnie Johnson on piano, Nick Lowe on bass, Jim Keltner on drums (most of Little Village). Check out the Blue Flame Cafe's page on John Lee Hooker.
This is an unusual session in which the legendary Irish folk group the Chieftains host various guest musicians from rock and pop, including Sinead O'Conner, with Ry playing electric guitar, mandolla, and floor slide. The traditional song is a tribute to the men who died in the Easter uprising in Ireland in 1916. Guitar players, check out Ry Cooder's Guitar Chords. Ry Cooder's newest offering in that vein is Mambo Sinuendo Buzzalong with Manuel Galban. The player features three cuts from the album as well as a story written by Ry about how the album came to be and was made.
Another Unsung Session Heroes show: "Nicky Hopkins "
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