Multi-instrumentalist—and slide guitar master—Ry Cooder has premiered a new song, "Shrinking Man," and you can hear it below. The track is from Cooder's upcoming album, The Prodigal Son, which will be released May 11 via Fantasy Records. It'll be his first new solo release in six years.
The album's 11 tracks, including three Cooder originals and covers of his favorite spirituals from the past 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," Cooder said in a press release. "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."
The album was recorded in Hollywood and produced by Ry and his chief collaborator, drummer Joachim Cooder (who also happens to be Ry's son).
Cooder will be hitting the road in early June, and you can see all his current tour dates—and the track list for the new album—below.
For tickets, pre-order information and much more, visit rycooder.com.
The Prodigal Son Track List: 1. Straight Street (James W. Alexander/Jesse Whitaker) 2. Shrinking Man (Ry Cooder) 3. Gentrification (Ry Cooder/Joachim Cooder) 4. Everybody Ought to Treat a Stranger Right (Traditional; Blind Willie Johnson) 5. The Prodigal Son (Traditional) 6. Nobody's Fault But Mine (Blind Willie Johnson) 7. You Must Unload (Alfred Reed) 8. I'll Be Rested When the Roll is Called (Blind Roosevelt Graves) 9. Harbor of Love (Carter Stanley) 10. Jesus and Woody (Ry Cooder) 11. In His Care (William L. Dawson)
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Ry Cooder on Tour: June 3 - Alexandria, VA - Birchmere June 4 - Alexandria, VA - Birchmere June 6 - Ridgefield, CT - Ridgefield Playhouse June 7 - Boston, MA - Wilbur Theatre June 8 - New York, NY - Town Hall Theatre June 9 - Derry, NH - Tupelo June 26 - Toronto, ONT - Massey Hall June 27 - Ottawa, ONT - Centerpoint June 29 - Montréal, QE - Jazz Festival @ Maisonneuve June 30 - Burlington, VT - Flynn Theater July 1 - Lenox, MA - Tanglewood July 3 - Philadelphia, PA - Mann Center July 14 - Courtenay, BC - Vancouver Island MusicFest July 17 - Portland, OR - Revolution Hall July 20 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall July 21 - Napa, CA - Uptown Theatre
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
