Chávez Ravine (album) explained

Chávez Ravine
Type:studio
Artist:Ry Cooder
Cover:Ry cooder-chavez ravine.jpg
Released:June 7, 2005
Recorded:Village Recorders, Sound City Studios
Genre:Chicano rock
Tex-Mex
Latin/Contemporary Folk
Latin jazz[1]
Length:70:08
Label:Nonesuch
Producer:Ry Cooder
Prev Title:Get Rhythm
Prev Year:1987
Next Title:My Name Is Buddy
Next Year:2007

Chávez Ravine: A Record by Ry Cooder is the twelfth studio album by Ry Cooder. It is the first concept album and historical album by Ry Cooder which tells the story of Chávez Ravine, a Mexican-American community demolished in the 1950s in order to build public housing. The housing was never built. Ultimately the Brooklyn Dodgers built a stadium on the site as part of their move to Los Angeles.

Chávez Ravine was nominated for "Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album" in 2006.

Track listing

  1. "Poor Man's Shangri-La" (Ry Cooder, William Garcia, Gene Aguilera) - 5:28
  2. "Onda Callejera" (David Hidalgo, William Garcia) - 3:50
    • Little Willie G. - vocal
    • Juliette Commagere, Carla Commagere - vocal chorus
    • Ry Cooder - guitar, laud
    • Joachim Cooder - percussion
    • Mike Elizondo - bass
    • Joe Rotondi - piano
    • Gil Bernal - tenor saxophone
    • Mike Bolger - trumpet
    • Ledward Kaapana - guitar
  3. "Don't Call Me Red" (Ry Cooder) - 4:58 This song is about Frank Wilkinson
    • Ry Cooder - vocal, guitar
    • Juliette and Carla Commagere - vocal chorus
    • Jon Hassell - trumpet
    • Jim Keltner - bongos
    • Joachim Cooder - timbales
    • Mike Elizondo - bass
  4. "Corrido de Boxeo" (Lalo Guerrero) - 3:21
    • Lalo Guerrero - vocal
    • Ry Cooder - bajo sexto, guitar
    • Joachim Cooder - drums
    • Mike Elizondo - bass
    • Joe Rotondi - piano
    • Flaco Jiménez - accordion
  5. "Muy Fifí" (William Garcia, Joachim Cooder, Juliette Commagere) - 4:03
    • Ersi Arvizu - vocal
    • Little Willie G., Jacob Garcia - vocal chorus
    • Ry Cooder - guitar
    • Joachim Cooder - drums, sampling
    • Mike Elizondo - bass
    • Chucho Valdés - piano
  6. "Los Chucos Suaves" (Lalo Guerrero) - 3:08
    • Lalo Guerrero - vocal
    • Ry Cooder - guitar
    • Jim Keltner - drums
    • Mike Elizondo - bass
    • Joe Rotondi - piano
    • Gil Bernal - tenor sax
  7. "Chinito Chinito" (Felguerez/Diaz) - 4:52
    • Juliette Commagere - vocal
    • Carla Commagere - vocal
    • Ry Cooder - guitar
    • Joachim Cooder - drums
    • Jared Smith - bass
    • Mike Bolger - organ, trumpet, valve trombone
    • Joe Rotondi - piano
  8. "3 Cool Cats" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - 2:57
    • Little Willie G. - vocal
    • Rudy Salas, Michael Guerra, Juliette Commagere, Carla Commagere - vocal chorus
    • Ry Cooder - guitar
    • Jim Keltner - drums
    • Joachim Cooder - timbales
    • Jared Smith - bass
    • Joe Rotondi - piano
    • Gil Bernal - tenor sax
    • Mike Bolger - organ
  9. "El U.F.O. Cayó" (Juliette Commagere, Ry Cooder, Joachim Cooder, Jared Smith) - 8:22
    • Juliette Commagere - vocal
    • Don Tosti - vocal
    • Ry Cooder - tres
    • Mike Elizondo - bass
    • Joachim Cooder - Sampling
    • Jared Smith - keyboard
  10. "It's Just Work for Me" (Ry Cooder) - 5:54
    • Ry Cooder - vocal, guitar
    • Joachim Cooder - drums
    • Mike Elizondo - bass
  11. "In My Town" (Ry Cooder) - 5:40
    • Ry Cooder - vocal, guitar
    • Sunny D. Levine - drum programming
    • Jacky Terrasson - piano
  12. "Ejército Militar" (Rita Arvizu) - 3:16
    • Ersi Arvizu - vocal
    • Rosella Arvizu - vocal
    • Ry Cooder - bajo sexto, guitar
    • Joachim Cooder - drums
    • Mike Elizondo - bass
    • Flaco Jiménez - accordion
  13. "Barrio Viejo" (Lalo Guerrero) - 4:42
  14. "3rd Base, Dodger Stadium" (Ry Cooder, William Garcia, Joe Kevany) - 5:45
    • Bla Pahinui - vocal, guitar, ukulele
    • Ry Cooder - guitar
    • Joachim Cooder - drums
    • Mike Elizondo - bass
    • Joe Rotondi - piano
    • Gil Bernal - tenor sax
    • Mike Bolger - trumpet, valve trombone
    • Ledward Kaapana - guitar
  15. "Soy Luz y Sombra" (The Cloud Forest poem; music by William Garcia, Joachim Cooder, Ry Cooder) - 3:15
    • Ersi Arvizu - vocal
    • Little Willie G. - vocal
    • Juliette Commagere - vocal
    • Ry Cooder - guitar
    • Joachim Cooder - drums, sampling
    • Jared Smith - bass
    • David Hidalgo - guitar

Notes and References

  1. http://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/ry-cooder-chavez-ravine Tiny Mix Tapes review
  2. 65.