Ry Cooder at Cadogan Hall, London

KKJale

Wow. One of those where you feel lucky to have been there.

Kept expectations low in case Mr Cooder was on shaky form but it was phenomenal. Two hours, solo and with band (in a nice old Christian Science hall with about 800 people, never been there before). Ace band… son Joachim on drums, the HamilTones from North Carolina on three-part gospel harmonies and backup guitar, a stonking baritone/tenor sax player. 

Ry had a rack of stuff including a little blonde '50s Premier semi with flatwounds, a blue Custom Tele with a Bigsby, a late-50s Stratosphere doubleneck, the famous Oahu-pickup sunburst Strat or at least one of them, possibly a 000-18, a semi-acoustic Voss teardrop mandola, and a Jazzmaster (sunburst/anodised, looked pretty recent, sounded great). Amps included a tweed, another that was angled away but looked like a Standel, and some kind of Premier cab. 

Set began with two Blind Willie Johnson songs solo, then in came the band for lots of newies and oldies (Vigilante Man, Little Sister, Jesus On The Mainline)… the slide solo on How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times had me in bits. I was welling up. It was one of the finest things I have ever heard. An encore with I Can't Win properly finished the job off. 

Standing ovations completely deserved. 

Clapton was there apparently. 

rlw

Bastard,

DrBob

rlw said:

Bastard,

Seconded ! Would’ve stood on my grandmothers fingertips for that one

richardhomer

Would have loved to be there - the guy’s an epic guitar player. For ‘pocket’/feel he’s unassailable. One of the true greats of the instrument....

Grangousier

KKJale said:

the slide solo on How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times had me in bits. 

The one on the Whistle Test special from ... 1981? That's about when I saw it anyway ... completely blew me away, and was the way solos should be for a long time. 

You lucky, lucky boy. 

gringopig

.

richardhomer

Grangousier said:

KKJale said:

the slide solo on How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times had me in bits. 

The one on the Whistle Test special from ... 1981? That's about when I saw it anyway ... completely blew me away, and was the way solos should be for a long time. 

You lucky, lucky boy. 

1982 - will never forget that. Just exquisite playing....

KKJale

Grangousier said:

KKJale said:

the slide solo on How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times had me in bits. 

The one on the Whistle Test special from ... 1981? That's about when I saw it anyway ... completely blew me away, and was the way solos should be for a long time. 

You lucky, lucky boy. 

Just looked that OGWT show up... the blue Strat? Golly. Amazing playing. 

Last night it was slower and more churchy and he used the little plunky-sounding Premier semi. Pin-drop stuff. 

jamesoliver1234

I was there at well, in the front row he had a premier amp like link Wray used..Tweed twin Tweed deluxe and a magnatone..the best gig I have ever seen! Incredible..met nick Lowe as well! I also heard Clapton was there.