Ill Health to Keep Flaco Jiménez from Ry Cooder, Nick Lowe European Tour
It is with great regret that Flaco Jiménez has had to pull out of Ry Cooder and Nick Lowe’s forthcoming European tour on doctor's orders. Due to physical limitations and severe pain caused by herniated discs in his lower back, he is unable to travel or perform for the foreseeable future. He is currently undergoing treatment in San Antonio, Texas.
A multi-Grammy Award-winning accordion player, Flaco Jiménez began his celebrated recording career in the 1950s. Since then he has released many acclaimed albums and worked with the likes of Dr. John, Bob Dylan, and David Lindley. Jiménez has also been featured on several Ry Cooder albums, including the most recent, the 2008 Nonesuch release I, Flathead, as well as Chávez Ravine, Get Rhythm, and Chicken Skin Music, among others.
Ry Cooder and Nick Lowe’s 19-date tour of Europe, with Joachim Cooder on drums and vocalist Juliette Commagere, begins on June 11 at Dublin's Olympia Theatre and continues through July 10. For more information, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.
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This news redefines disappointing. How unfortunate for the fabulous Flaco Jimenez that Ry Cooder has flatly refused to promote any of his magnificent recent albums Chavez Ravine, My Name Is Buddy or I, Flathead with concert tours. Save for Ry Cooder's known personal disdain for touring, no appropriate reason exists to deny his incredible musicians from performing his excellent songs from his sublime albums. Fans of his recent works have prayed that he would reconsider... and the European tour with Nick Lowe seemed like a welcome sign that he was. Playing behind Ersi Arvizu for some select dates and the San Francisco Great American Music Hall performance with Nick Lowe seemed to reinvigorate Ry's interest to play live again.
Nonetheless, no one knows why no American dates have been added to the They Drive By Night tour. No one knows why his book Los Angeles Stories is not available to fans, save for those lucky enough to see him in Europe. No one knows why seems to dislike his American fan base as he clearly seems to.
At this juncture, I don't even care anymore. I just pray that Flaco Jimenez returns to optimal health soon. Flaco Jimenez, like Ry Cooder himself, is a national icon. His work deserves to be heard.
Please keep him in your hearts for a quick recovery. For more Flaco, look for Los Super Seven discs and his own solo recordings.
so dissapointed no flaco on the ry cooder european tour , one show already cancelled in dublin . but ticket price were crazy and now no flaco playing whats going on hope he gets better soon and will play dublin some day
Nobody, but nobody,could inspire me more in going to see him than Mr. Cooder.
And alongside an artist of the ilk of Mr. Jimenez,! Wah, I am getting cramp just trying to sit still! (recovering as I am, touch wood, from herniated disc problems)
But, once again, fate has dealt a dodgy hand and I will be going to the Lyceum, with my dearest love/nurse, and realising an enormous ambition to finally see the man who has helped keeping me rolling through all these decades, but, without Flaco Jimenez.
So sorry to hear the news, and I do hope that you are soon feeling a lot better. Don't forget the regular medicine and regular gentle exercise. I will be getting mine on the evening of the 6th July, and will be thinking of you.
Love, Best Wishes, Buena suerte!
Paul & Anu xx
ps: Haste luego.
pps Of course I am looking forward to seeing Juliette, Joachim & Nick too.
@ Rene: quite spiced pricing, and hope Flaco fully recovers. But as I got since long a two hundred dollar ticket (todays FXrate) for the Amsterdam gig coming Wednesday, I expect Ry to lay down some incredible extra improvising...
Peace.
I was at the concert in Belfast on 14 June. Had been looking forward to it for six months. Have many Cooder albums and adore his music. Was I disappointed!! What a poor sound mix/balance. The intro vocalist Juliette, who has a great voice, was almost inaudible when at the keyboard - drowned out by the drums (in particular) and guitars. Hoped for better with the Ry/Nick main set, but no. The whole thing was over-amped, frequently distorted, the lyrics often inaudible. Was the sound man asleep? I think Ry and Nick would have been appalled if they'd known what their great music sounded like out in the auditorium. Too bad. Hope that later shows get better so that audiences elsewhere get the real Cooder/Lowe sound.
Does anybody knows if there is gonna be a substitute for Flaco on the tour?
Saw the concert at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane 5/7. EXCELLENT! 5th time I have seen Ry Cooder now and different every time. Vigilante Man has amazing guitar work. UNBELIEVABLE as ever
Saw the show in Barcelona. Absolutely fantastic. Unforgettable. (Did miss Flaco, but you can't have everything.) Full house despite competition from U2 tour opening same night across town.
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