The Prodigal Son (Fantasy Records)
Ry Cooder
Released May 11, 2018
JAZZ.FM91 20 Best Jazz Albums of the 2010s
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_l9ytHBJbMhYPS8DfBMo0XH6ntJT0j7qdQ
Spotify:
About:
The Prodigal Son, Ry Cooder’s first new solo album in six years, is set for release by Fantasy Records on May 11th, 2018. Recorded in Hollywood, CA, and produced by Ry and his chief collaborator, drummer Joachim Cooder, The Prodigal Son is all America – our spiritual, hopeful voices, our raw cries and our sly provocations, voiced through the songs of the Pilgrim Travelers, The Stanley Brothers, Blind Willie Johnson, and Ry Cooder himself.
The album’s 11 tracks, including three Cooder originals and a carefully selected collection of his favourite spirituals of the last century, share a particular resonance in this time and place, forming an unflinching look at the state of play in modern America. “I do connect the political/economic dimensions with the inner life of people, since people are at risk and oppressed on all sides in our world today,” he stated. “There’s some kind of reverence mood that takes hold when you play and sing these songs. ‘Reverence’ is a word I heard my granddaughter’s nursery school teacher use, a Kashmiri woman. She said, ‘We don’t want to teach religion, but instill reverence.’ I thought that was a good word for the feeling of this music.”
For nearly 50 years, the immense scope and influence of Ry Cooder’s music has been felt as much, or more than heard. Asa master musician, producer, songwriter and sage, the Santa Monica, California native has explored music and culture from across the city, the state, the country and around the world. Framed by his expressive vocals and elegant guitar work, this is music for these times. A deft commentary on our ailing moral state, The Prodigal Son is a fearless dive into the country’s soul, and the man, Ry Cooder.
Track Listing:
1. Straight Street (James W. Alexander and Jesse Whitaker) 4:00
2. Shrinking Man (Ry Cooder) 4:07
3. Gentrification (Ry Cooder / Joachim Cooder) 3:13
4. Everybody Ought to Treat a Stranger Right (Blind Willie Johnson / Traditional) 3:46
5. The Prodigal Son (Traditional) 3:48
6. Nobody’s Fault but Mine (Blind Willie Johnson) 6:07
7. You Must Unload (Blind Alfred Reed) 5:26
8. I’ll Be Rested When the Roll Is Called (Blind Roosevelt Graves) 3:11
9. Harbor of Love (Carter Stanley) 5:46
10. Jesus and Woody (Ry Cooder) 5:57
11. In His Care (William L. Dawson) 3:39
Personnel:
Ry Cooder: vocals, guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, keyboards,
Joachim Cooder: drums, percussion
Arnold McCuller, Bobby King, Terry Evans: vocals
Robert Francis: bass (7)
Aubrey Haynie: violin (7)
Recorded at Sage & Sound Recording Studios, Hollywood, and Wireland Studios, Chatsworth, CA
Produced by Ry Cooder and Joachim Cooder
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Martin Pradler
Recording Assistant: Jon Gray
Cover photo: Frederick Simpson (2)
Package Design: Al Quattrocchi, Jeff Smith
Review:
Ry Cooder is a music scholar who soulfully combines world influences into his pastiche of blues. His is nicknamed “chicken skin” for the way it makes your hair stand up on end when you hear it. With The Prodigal Son, he channels a lifetime of experience and the youthful influence of his co-producer son Joachim to create a cinematic atmosphere around songs both old and new — combining the past and future in the present.
Danny Marks (JAZZ.FM91)
