Ry Cooder Previews New LP ‘The Prodigal Son’ With ‘Shrinking Man’ Song
Ry Cooder detailed his new album The Prodigal Son, his first LP in six years. It features a mix of Cooder originals and interpretations of songs by Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Roosevelt Graves, the Stanley Brothers and other traditional recordings. According to Cooder, the album’s 11 tracks, set for release May 11th, offer “a deft commentary on our ailing moral state.”
“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 statement. “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.”
Cooder, one of Rolling Stone‘s 100 Greatest Guitarists, also trumpeted the impending arrival of his new album with the rollicking lead track “Shrinking Man,” an original Cooder penned for the LP.
In addition to The Prodigal Son, the guitarist will also embark on his first full tour of North America since 2009 this summer. Check out Cooder’s website for album pre-order and ticket information.
The Prodigal Son Track List
1. “Straight Street”
2. “Shrinking Man”
3. “Gentrification”
4. “Everybody Ought to Treat a Stranger Right”
5. “The Prodigal Son”
6. “Nobody’s Fault But Mine”
7. “You Must Unload”
8. ” I’ll Be Rested When the Roll Is Called”
9. “Harbor of Love”
10. “Jesus and Woody”
11. “In His Care”
Ry Cooder Tour Dates
June 3 & 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, ON @ Massey Hall
June 27 – Ottawa, ON @ Centerpoint
June 29 – Montréal, QE @ Jazz Festival
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