Happy Birthday, Ry Cooder - Slide Guitar Extraordinaire

March 15 is a day to rejoice and revel in the beauty of great music. Why today? Because March 15 is the birthday of one of the greatest slide guitar players the world has known - and one of the musicians who has had a great impact on my personal world.

His name is Ry Cooder. For many, that will prompt the next question: who?

Sure, I will admit, it might come across as just another obscure musical reference. That wouldn't surprise me.

But here's a little-known fact: Cooder was rated the #8 guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. He resides in the top 10 with Jimi Hendrix, Duane Allman, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Robert Johnson, Chuck Berry, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Page, and Keith Richards. That's some impressive company.

Ry Cooder brought slide guitar front and certain in my world. He exposed me to a rich and eclectic mix of musical genres. Perhaps most importantly, he reminded me of the incredible capacity of one note to bring a person to tears, to joy, and all points in between.

I don't really know why I was drawn to slide guitar at such an early time in my development as a guitar player so many years ago. It evolved from my interest in the blues, but became so much more than that. As I buried myself in the work of the greats of the slide guitar world, I found myself with an ever-growing list of amazing players. There was Duane Allman. Johnny Winter. Lowell George. Sonny Landreth. But all roads for me came back to one person: Ry Cooder. He was da man.

I dove headlong into Cooder's musical history and discovered some tremendous musicianship and vibe. It doesn't take long to realize that Cooder's guitar licks are all over the musical map. He was a session musician that recorded on the Rolling Stones' "Let It Bleed" and "Sticky Fingers". His solo work is eclectic to say the least, encompassing folk, blues, soul, gospel, rock, and all points in between. And then there are the movie soundtracks - "The Long Riders" and "Paris, Texas" to name just a couple. It was the haunting and ethereal music of the latter that really caught my attention. And don't forget "Buena Vista Social Club" - which Cooder produced. That's just scratching the surface. His playing is silky, funky, greasy, and dirty - all good words when describing the work of a virtuoso slide guitar player.

I have only had the good fortune to see Ry Cooder play once - with Little Village, at the Austin Opera House, circa 1991 or 1992. But with that said, his music has always been with me through thick and thin. I can remember listening to a compilation of his music on a nightly basis while away completing the MDT Diploma program. I might have been up to my eyeballs in reading and clinical work, but his music would always be a road back to a good place at the end of the day.

My alma mater, Queen's University, presented Cooder with an honorary doctorate in 2000. A worthy recipient, indeed.

Today is Ry Cooder's 66th birthday. Celebrate the music and the musician. Ry, thanks so much for your fine contributions to the musical world and to my own personal life experience. And as David Lindley mentioned to me once many years ago: "Play Now" - in Austin, please, and not a moment too soon!

Photo credits: Dani Canto