Chavez Ravine

Amazon.com
Ry Cooder might have been tempted to bill this as the Chavez Ravine Social Club. After generating such popular and critical interest in Cuban music of decades past with the Buena Vista Social Club, Cooder applied a similar approach closer to home, extending his fascination with the Mexican-American culture that flourished in 1940s and '50s Los Angeles. The result is an CD that sounds like it's aspiring to be something far more ambitious: a DVD, a theatrical production, even a time machine. Cooder and a cast of seminal Chicano artists present a song cycle that conjures an era of UFOs, the Red Scare, and political machinations that leveled the Chavez Ravine barrio to lure the Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles. In his celebration of a vibrant community that doesn't know it's on the verge of displacement, Cooder enlists Thee Midnighters vocalist Little Willie G. (whose songwriting collaboration with Los Lobos's David Hidalgo on "Onda Callejara" highlights the album). and Pachuco patriarchs Don Tosti and Lalo Guerrero, with the latter reviving his dancefloor favorite "Los Chucos Suaves." The accordion of Flaco Jimenez adds conjunto flavor to "Barrio Viejo." Throughout the album, Cooder plays a typically tasteful, understatedly virtuosic guitar, assumes a variety of vocal roles--including a cool Chet Baker homage in duet with pianist Jacky Terrason on "In My Town"--and provides the provocative social context. --Don McLeese

More Ry Cooder

Buena Vista Social Club (producer and performer)	Mambo Sinuendo (with Manuel Galbán)	A Meeting by the River (with V.M. Bhatt)
Paradise and Lunch (solo)	Music by Ry Cooder (film music compilation)	Into the Purple Valley (solo)

Product Description
Ry Cooder's Chavez Ravine is-a post-World War II-era American narrative of "cool cats," radios, UFO sightings, J.Edgar Hoover, red scares, and baseball.Using real and imagined historical characters, Cooder and friends creates an album that recollects various aspects of the poor but vibrant hillside Chicano cummunity, which was bulldozed by developed in the interest of "progress."

Chavez Ravine,Ry Cooder,Nonesuch,Album Rock,Americana,Guitar Virtuoso,Latin Jazz,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop

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Chavez Ravine

Average customer rating: Where have I been? Ry Cooder is a musician's musician Ry Cooder Not very listenable not his best

Chavez Ravine Ry Cooder Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music Latin Pop | Latin Music | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Latin Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock Guitarists | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Paradise and Lunch Master of Disaster Mambo Sinuendo My Name Is Buddy Dimanche a Bamako ASIN: B0009353IW Release Date: 2005-06-14

Tracks:

1. Poor Man's Shangri-La
2. Onda Callejera
3. Don't Call Me Red
4. Corrido de Box Eo
5. Muy Fifi
6. Los Chucos Suaves
7. Chinito Chinito
8. 3 Cool Cats
9. El U.F.O. Cayo
10. It's Just Work For Me
11. In My Town
12. Ejercito Militar
13. Barrio Viejo
14. 3rd Base, Doger Stadium
15. Soy Luz Y Sombra

Amazon.com

Ry Cooder might have been tempted to bill this as the Chavez Ravine Social Club. After generating such popular and critical interest in Cuban music of decades past with the Buena Vista Social Club, Cooder applied a similar approach closer to home, extending his fascination with the Mexican-American culture that flourished in 1940s and '50s Los Angeles. The result is an CD that sounds like it's aspiring to be something far more ambitious: a DVD, a theatrical production, even a time machine. Cooder and a cast of seminal Chicano artists present a song cycle that conjures an era of UFOs, the Red Scare, and political machinations that leveled the Chavez Ravine barrio to lure the Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles. In his celebration of a vibrant community that doesn't know it's on the verge of displacement, Cooder enlists Thee Midnighters vocalist Little Willie G. (whose songwriting collaboration with Los Lobos's David Hidalgo on "Onda Callejara" highlights the album). and Pachuco patriarchs Don Tosti and Lalo Guerrero, with the latter reviving his dancefloor favorite "Los Chucos Suaves." The accordion of Flaco Jimenez adds conjunto flavor to "Barrio Viejo." Throughout the album, Cooder plays a typically tasteful, understatedly virtuosic guitar, assumes a variety of vocal roles--including a cool Chet Baker homage in duet with pianist Jacky Terrason on "In My Town"--and provides the provocative social context. --Don McLeese

More Ry Cooder

Buena Vista Social Club (producer and performer)	Mambo Sinuendo (with Manuel Galbán)	A Meeting by the River (with V.M. Bhatt)
Paradise and Lunch (solo)	Music by Ry Cooder (film music compilation)	Into the Purple Valley (solo)

Album Description

Ry Cooder's Chavez Ravine is-a post-World War II-era American narrative of "cool cats," radios, UFO sightings, J.Edgar Hoover, red scares, and baseball.Using real and imagined historical characters, Cooder and friends creates an album that recollects various aspects of the poor but vibrant hillside Chicano cummunity, which was bulldozed by developed in the interest of "progress."

Customer Reviews:

Where have I been?.......2007-04-24

Out of it in Japan, actually. I only learned about this excellent album while reading a review of Mr. Cooder's My Name is Buddy and I'm not even sure why I was reading that, never having been much of a fan. Mistake. Every song on this album is a winner; the beautiful Soy Luz y Sombra even got me choked up in the middle of traffic out on the ugly-as-sin 'hatchi go sen' (that would be Hwy 8). Each song has a quite distinct emotional and musical life while the 'concept' is artistically embellished and embroidered. Mr. Cooder orquestrates a very 'simpatico' ensemble. In addition the music not only entertains but educates as well - a look at midcentury LA before the Dodgers - and improves your spanish (o tu ingles!) as it comes with a nicely done booklet of lyrics and translations, 52 pages worth! One can imagine the good times and love that went into this production; the music certainly reflects that. A keeper. Impressive. Thank you.

Ry Cooder is a musician's musician.......2007-03-19

This is an elegantly produced album the captures an LA sound that deserves the treatment given. Each cut grows on you with every play -- the mark of good music.

Ry Cooder.......2007-03-19

Although the first and second track were my favourite, it is a good album and Would recomend if you want a chill out music.

Not very listenable.......2007-01-06

I'm a longtime Ry Cooder fan but this doesn't rank as even listenable. Can you even hum or remember any of these weird tunes? As a soundtrack to some PBS documentary, maybe this might be acceptable, but for pure listening enjoyment go somewhere else. I bought this, struggled to listen to it once and won't play it again. Go to "Paradise and Lunch" or "Bop Til you Drop" to get vintage Ry Cooder roots music.

not his best.......2006-11-28

I am a Ry Cooder fan, and this is not his best. I was quite dismayed and it is one of the C.D's I never listen to. If you are looking for good Ry Cooder, this is not the one to buy.

Rap Music:

1. Childish Things
2. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
3. Colour the Small One [Import]
4. Dangerous and Moving
5. Details
6. Elton John - Greatest Hits 1970-2002
7. ELV1S 30 #1 Hits [Original recording remastered]
8. Employment
9. Fade into Light [DualDisc]
10. Final Straw

Rap Music

rap music

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Beyond Words, The Sounds of the Kabballah (Kabbalah), Edition II

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Some Assembly Required

Cuban Jazz