Ry Cooder

Ry Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is a guitarist especially well known for his slide guitar work. He was born in Los Angeles, California.

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He first attracted attention in the 1960s, playing with Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, after

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previously having worked with Taj Mahal in The Rising Sons, and having played with The Seeds.

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Cooder has worked as a studio musician and has also scored many film soundtracks, of which perhaps the best known is that for the 1984 Wim Wenders film Paris, Texas. In recent years, Cooder has played a role in the increased appreciation of traditional Cuban music, due to his collaboration as producer in the Buena Vista Social Club (1997) recording, which was a worldwide hit. Wim Wenders directed a documentary film of the musicians involved, Buena Vista Social Club (1999) which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2000. He worked with Tuvan throat singers for the score to the 1993 film Geronimo: An American Legend.

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Cooder's solo work has been an eclectic mix, taking in dustbowl folk, Tex-Mex, soul, gospel, rock and almost everything else. He has collaborated with many important musicians, including the Rolling Stones, Little Feat, the Chieftains, John Lee Hooker, Gabby Pahinui, and Ali Farka Toure. He formed the Little Village supergroup with Nick Lowe, John Hiatt and Jim Keltner.

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Cooder's 1978 album Bop Till You Drop was the first popular music album to be recorded digitally.

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Cooder is mentioned in one of The Tragically Hip's songs entitled "At the 100th Meridian".

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In recent years, Rolling Stone magazine named Ry Cooder the 8th Greatest Guitarist of All Time in their "100 Greatest Guitarists" list. Immediately behind Cooder in the list were Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards. In the 60's, Cooder notably taught Keith Richards how to play in the "Open-G" tuning; Richards having used the tuning ever since, including on many of the Stones' greatest songs.

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March 15: March 15 is the 74th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (75th in Leap years). There are 291 days remaining....

1947: 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar)....

Guitar: The guitar is a stringed musical instrument. It is generally played with the fingers of the left hand. The right hand plucks the strings with either the fingers or a plectrum, (guitar pick). The sound is produced by vibrating strings, which in turn resonate the body and neck....

Ry Cooder related Images and Photos (experimental)

The Kestrel R.Y.S.