The musical wisdom of Ry Cooder.

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Here’s a great interview with the guitarist many musicians (and some non-musicians) favour above all others, Ry Cooder. John Hiatt was given his choice of any guitarist for the recording of his Bring The Family album, and he chose Ry (along with Jim Keltner on drums and Nick Lowe on bass). There is much in the interview that could be quoted, my favorite being:

"Most guitar player play too much, ya know? It’s an affliction of guitar players; they’re always playing. People are used to hearing the guy who puts his foot up on the monitor cabinet and blasting away for 84 bars. That’s new, that’s a relatively recent development. Where I’m coming from, what you’re listening for is what’s happening BETWEEN players: What’s the line that the GROUP takes? How does it work, what’s it feel like? What are the chord inversions doing for ya?" What Ry is describing is "ensemble playing", a style employed by the world's best musicians.

For an example of Ry's incredible musicality, give a listen to his playing on "Lipstick Sunset" on the Hiatt album. My all-time favorite guitar solo, when I saw and heard Little Village perform it live, time stood still.