Paradise & Lunch
Think of Ry Cooder as a musicologist who makes learning fun. A particularly nifty collection from 1974,Paradise & Lunchis solo Cooder at his best. The song selection is inspired and unpredictable: numbers by Burt Bacharach, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and Bobby Womack commingle with ease. "Tattler" is a rare Ry original that happens to be one of the collection's highlights. Jazz legend Earl Hines guests on the dapper "Ditty Wa Ditty."--Steven Stolder