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What Right Said Fred Did Right
9 years ago
Ry Cooder is a celebrated multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, film score composer, and record producer, widely recognized for his innovative approach to traditional music genres and influential collaborations with artists across the globe.
Ry Cooder was a member of Captain Beefheart's Magic Band, notably contributing to their 1967 album Safe as Milk.
Cooder was a session musician with The Rolling Stones in 1968 and 1969, contributing to albums like Let It Bleed and Sticky Fingers, and played on the film soundtrack Performance.
Ry Cooder worked with Gordon Lightfoot, playing bottleneck guitar and mandolin on the album Sit Down Young Stranger (1970) and mandolin on Don Quixote (1972).
Ry Cooder formed the band Little Village in 1992, releasing a self-titled album.
Cooder collaborated with Ali Farka Touré on the album Talking Timbuktu (1994), which he also produced and won a Grammy Award for Best World Music Album.
Ry Cooder produced the Buena Vista Social Club album (1997), which became a worldwide hit and led to an Academy Award-nominated documentary film. He also worked on subsequent Buena Vista-related releases.
Ry Cooder and Taj Mahal originally joined forces in 1965, forming The Rising Sons, and later reunited for the album Get on Board: The Songs of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee (2022).
Ry Cooder collaborated with Hindustani classical musician V.M. Bhatt on A Meeting by the River (1993), which won a Grammy Award for Best World Music Album.
Ron K. is Ry Cooder's agent, responsible for live music and touring. Cooder was previously represented by Dan Weiner (Wasserman).
Nonesuch Records is one of the labels Ry Cooder has released music through, including his album Chávez Ravine (2005) and more recent works.
He toured with Rosanne Cash in 2019, performing a tribute to Johnny Cash titled 'Cooder and Cash on Cash'.
Ry Cooder collaborated with the Irish folk band The Chieftains on the album The Long Black Veil (1995) and San Patricio (2010), chronicling the Irish immigrants' story in the Mexican-American War.
Ry Cooder collaborated with Manuel Galbán on Mambo Sinuendo (2003), which earned a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album.
In late 2009, Cooder toured Japan, New Zealand, and Australia with Nick Lowe, performing songs from Lowe's and Cooder's own material.
The song "Diaraby," which Cooder recorded with Ali Farka Touré, is used as the theme to The World's Geo Quiz, a radio show distributed by Public Radio International.
In 2009, Cooder performed in The People Speak, a documentary feature film based on Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, which was broadcast on the History Channel.
Ryland Peter Cooder was born in Los Angeles, California, on March 15, 1947. He began playing the guitar at the age of three. Early in his career, he attended Reed College briefly in Portland, Oregon, and gained initial recognition playing with Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band, notably on the 1967 album *Safe as Milk*. Cooder also worked with Taj Mahal in The Rising Sons and contributed to albums by Randy Newman. His diverse musical interests led him to apply banjo tunings and the three-finger roll to his guitar playing, reflecting his early exposure to various instruments.
Throughout the 1970s, Cooder released a series of solo albums on Warner Bros. Records, including *Into the Purple Valley* (1972), *Paradise and Lunch* (1974), and *Chicken Skin Music* (1976). These albums showcased his distinctive guitar work and his deep interest in traditional American music, exploring genres such as blues, gospel, calypso, country, and Tex-Mex. His 1979 album *Bop Till You Drop* was notable as the first popular music album recorded digitally, yielding his biggest hit, a cover version of Elvis Presley’s “Little Sister.” During this decade, he also collaborated with artists like the Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, and Gordon Lightfoot, establishing a reputation as a versatile session musician.
Cooder expanded his career in the 1980s and 1990s by composing numerous film soundtracks, with his work on Wim Wenders’ *Paris, Texas* (1984) gaining critical acclaim. This period also marked a turning point with significant international collaborations, such as *A Meeting by the River* (1993) with Indian classical musician V.M. Bhatt and *Talking Timbuktu* (1994) with Malian artist Ali Farka Touré, both of which earned Grammy Awards. His production of *Buena Vista Social Club* (1997) was a global success, revitalizing the careers of Cuban musicians and leading to an Academy Award-nominated documentary film. More recently, Cooder has released concept albums exploring cultural history and sociopolitical themes, including *Chávez Ravine* (2005) and *My Name Is Buddy* (2007), and continued to tour and collaborate internationally.
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