Ry Cooder with his ax

By Charles Layton

Ry Cooder (isn’t that a wonderful name!) has been around a long time. He’s probably best known to the general public for his 1999 movie “The Buena Vista Social Club” and the album of classic Cuban music that went with it, which was an international hit. However, his musical roots are in folky-bluesy American music. He’s widely acknowledged as one of the best guitarists in that genre.

Something of a musicologist, he has collaborated with all kinds of people: Captain Beefheart, Neil Young, the Doobie Brothers, Flaco Jiménez, Van Morrison and on and on. His slide guitar can be heard on the Rolling Stones albums “Let It Bleed” and “Sticky Fingers.” He has also made movie sound tracks. Cooder seems comfortable in many different settings.

This song, “Smack Dab in the Middle,” is from his 1976 album “Chicken Skin Music.” I’ve always liked the song. The first person I ever heard sing it was Joe Williams on a 1957 recording with the Count Basie Orchestra. The Williams-Basie rendition was jazzy and sophisticated. Cooder’s version is more low-down, as befits the lyric’s expression of extravagant young male fantasies. However, it’s also clean and polished. The ensemble singing is lovely.