Whether serving as a session musician, solo artist, or soundtrack composer,
Ry Cooder's chameleon-like fretted instrument virtuosity, songwriting, and choices of material encompass an incredibly eclectic range of North American musical styles, including rock & roll, blues, reggae, Tex-Mex, Hawaiian, Dixieland jazz, country, folk, R&B, gospel, and vaudeville. The 16-year-old
Cooder began his career in 1963 in a blues band with
Jackie DeShannon and then formed the short-lived
Rising Sons in 1965 with
Taj Mahal and
Spirit drummer Ed Cassidy.
Cooder met producer Terry Melcher through
the Rising Sons and was invited to perform at several sessions with
Paul Revere & the Raiders.
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Whether serving as a session musician, solo artist, or soundtrack composer,
Ry Cooder's chameleon-like fretted instrument virtuosity, songwriting, and choices of material encompass an incredibly eclectic range of North American musical styles, including rock & roll, blues, reggae, Tex-Mex, Hawaiian, Dixieland jazz, country, folk, R&B, gospel, and vaudeville. The 16-year-old
Cooder began his career in 1963 in a blues band with
Jackie DeShannon and then formed the short-lived
Rising Sons in 1965 with
Taj Mahal and
Spirit drummer Ed Cassidy.
Cooder met producer Terry Melcher through
the Rising Sons and was invited to perform at several sessions with
Paul Revere & the Raiders.
During his subsequent career as a session musician,
Cooder's trademark slide guitar work graced the recordings of such artists as
Captain Beefheart (Safe as Milk),
Randy Newman,
Little Feat,
Van Dyke Parks,
the Rolling Stones (Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers),
Taj Mahal, and
Gordon Lightfoot. He also appeared on the soundtracks of Candy and Performance.
Cooder made his debut as a solo artist in 1970 with a self-titled album featuring songs by
Leadbelly,
Blind Willie Johnson,
Sleepy John Estes, and
Woody Guthrie. The follow-up, Into the Purple Valley, introduced longtime cohorts Jim Keltner on drums and
Jim Dickinson on bass, and it and Boomer's Story largely repeated and refined the syncopated style and mood of the first. In 1974,
Cooder produced what is generally regarded as his best album, Paradise and Lunch, and its follow-up, Chicken Skin Music, showcased a potent blend of Tex-Mex, Hawaiian, gospel, and soul music, and featured contributions from
Flaco Jimenez and
Gabby Pahinui. In 1979, Bop Till You Drop was the first major-label album to be recorded digitally. In the early '80s,
Cooder began to augment his solo output with soundtrack work on such films as Blue Collar, The Long Riders, and The Border; he has gone on to compose music for Southern Comfort, Goin' South, Paris, Texas, Streets of Fire, Alamo Bay, Blue City, Crossroads, Cocktail, Johnny Handsome, Steel Magnolias, and Geronimo. Music by Ry Cooder (1995) compiled two discs' worth of highlights from
Cooder's film work.
In 1992,
Cooder joined Keltner,
John Hiatt, and renowned British tunesmith
Nick Lowe, all of whom had played on
Hiatt's Bring the Family, to form
Little Village, which toured and recorded one album.
Cooder next turned his attention to world music, recording the album A Meeting by the River with Indian musician
V.M. Bhatt.
Cooder's next project, a duet album with renowned African guitarist
Ali Farka Touré titled Talking Timbuktu, won the 1994 Grammy for Best World Music Recording.
His next world crossover would become one of the most popular musical rediscoveries of the 20th century. In 1997
Cooder traveled to Cuba to produce and play with a group of son musicians who had little exposure outside of their homeland. The resulting album, Buena Vista Social Club, was a platinum-selling international success that made stars of Compay Segundo,
Ibrahim Ferrer, and Rubén González and earned
Cooder another Grammy. He continued to work on projects with his
Buena Vista bandmates, including a collaboration with
Manuel Galbán in 2003 titled Mambo Sinuendo. His other work in the 2000s included sessions with
James Taylor,
Aaron Neville,
Warren Zevon, and Spanish diva Luz Casal. In 2005
Cooder released Chavez Ravine, his first solo album since 1987's Get Rhythm. The intriguing My Name Is Buddy followed in 2007. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
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