Musical Sherpas
When I discover a song or musician, I usually grab hold like a pit bull and hold on like hell till I've exhausted myself and their (musical) literature. What's neat is that I learn SO MUCH in the process.
One example is Ry Cooder. One serendipitous day I read an article about the CD Long Black Veil by the Chieftains. I had no Chieftain albums. I also have virtually no rock and roll, and the Stones were advertised as being on this CD. I bought it and enjoyed it -- still play it each year to celebrate St. Paddy's Day. But the discovery for me was Ry Cooder. On that album he plays what I believe is a traditional tune, Coast of Malabar. But Oh My God how he plays it. He (and the other musicians) do things with slide and slack key (I think these are the instruments, guitar methods) that I've never heard except in country and Hawaiian music. This song, in particular the bridge, is gorgeous.
Well, I kept buying Ry Cooder albums (he's been rather prolific) in an attempt to duplicate what Coast of Malabar did for me. I bought album after album, but found no Coast of Malabar. However, on this journey I discovered a little R & B wasn't so bad (Slide Area), and I would feel cheated if I hadn't been introduced to the incomparable Cuban music on Buena Vista Social Club or its follow up or its movie.
A couple of years ago Ry produced a Latinish album called Mambo Sinuendo. It's very gentle, almost easy listening, and on it I think he almost equals Coast of Malabar. He does a song called Secret Love, which is from the movie Calamity Jane. Doris Day as Calamity Jane sang the song in the movie which I saw at about age 12, about the time Jimmy Brown came over and kissed me on the sidewalk in front of our house on Oakdale Road, my first kiss! Anyway the arrangement is gorgeous, the complex harmony expertly done.
Ry has a new album, Travels with Buddy, about a cat, which is nothing short of brilliant. I haven't climbed into it yet because I've been following another Sherpa (Pape) through miles and miles of mainly German opera lately. But I know Buddy's there and look forward to new discoveries.
Here's a quote from Wikipedia on Ry:
Cooder was ranked number 8 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.
Clicky for Wiki on Ry Cooder
Clicky for Ry Cooder stuff at Amazon
One example is Ry Cooder. One serendipitous day I read an article about the CD Long Black Veil by the Chieftains. I had no Chieftain albums. I also have virtually no rock and roll, and the Stones were advertised as being on this CD. I bought it and enjoyed it -- still play it each year to celebrate St. Paddy's Day. But the discovery for me was Ry Cooder. On that album he plays what I believe is a traditional tune, Coast of Malabar. But Oh My God how he plays it. He (and the other musicians) do things with slide and slack key (I think these are the instruments, guitar methods) that I've never heard except in country and Hawaiian music. This song, in particular the bridge, is gorgeous.
Well, I kept buying Ry Cooder albums (he's been rather prolific) in an attempt to duplicate what Coast of Malabar did for me. I bought album after album, but found no Coast of Malabar. However, on this journey I discovered a little R & B wasn't so bad (Slide Area), and I would feel cheated if I hadn't been introduced to the incomparable Cuban music on Buena Vista Social Club or its follow up or its movie.
A couple of years ago Ry produced a Latinish album called Mambo Sinuendo. It's very gentle, almost easy listening, and on it I think he almost equals Coast of Malabar. He does a song called Secret Love, which is from the movie Calamity Jane. Doris Day as Calamity Jane sang the song in the movie which I saw at about age 12, about the time Jimmy Brown came over and kissed me on the sidewalk in front of our house on Oakdale Road, my first kiss! Anyway the arrangement is gorgeous, the complex harmony expertly done.
Ry has a new album, Travels with Buddy, about a cat, which is nothing short of brilliant. I haven't climbed into it yet because I've been following another Sherpa (Pape) through miles and miles of mainly German opera lately. But I know Buddy's there and look forward to new discoveries.
Here's a quote from Wikipedia on Ry:
Cooder was ranked number 8 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.
Clicky for Wiki on Ry Cooder
Clicky for Ry Cooder stuff at Amazon
posted by Annilow | 6:07 PM
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