Nearly sixty years after they first played together, Ry Cooder and Taj Mahal, longtime friends and collaborators, reunite with an album of music from two Piedmont blues masters who have inspired them all their lives: GET ON BOARD: THE SONGS OF SONNY TERRY & BROWNIE MCGHEE, out April 22 on Nonesuch Records. With Taj Mahal on vocals, harmonica, guitar, and piano and Cooder on vocals, guitar, mandolin, and banjo—joined by Joachim Cooder on drums and bass—the duo recorded eleven songs drawn from recordings and live performances by Terry and McGhee. A video for the track “Hooray Hooray” may be seen here, as well as an interview with Ry Cooder and Taj Mahal about the record. 

Joachim Cooder was joined by his father, Ry Cooder, for a performance streamed from the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles on Saturday. They performed songs from Joachim Cooder's Nonesuch Records debut album, Over That Road I'm Bound. "My hope for tonight's performance is: we do something maybe that we've never done before," he says. "I like to let things take their own course and have each show be a little different. So I would like all my things to work and have everybody see something that they haven't seen somewhere else." You can watch the program, which also includes a set from Amythyst Kiah, here.

Joachim Cooder releases a cover of Steve Earle’s timely “Christmas in Washington” today. Recorded two weeks ago in Los Angeles, the single features Cooder, who produced the track, on vocals, array mbira, and percussion; Rayna Gellert on fiddle; and Juliette Commagere on backing vocals. "Since Steve Earle released ‘Christmas in Washington’ in 1997," says Cooder, "I’ve been listening to it year in and year out. After the election and the last four years we’ve been through, and with Christmas approaching, I thought it was time we all checked back in with Steve. Now more than ever, it seems all a man can do is call out for Woody Guthrie to rise again."

Joachim Cooder was on NPR's World Cafe to talk with contributor Jessie Scott about his new album, Over That Road I'm Bound. Cooder, on electric mbira and vocals, is joined by his father Ry Cooder on guitar for "beautiful, haunting" live duo performances of several songs from the new album. You can hear the session here.

Joachim Cooder has released a video for his album Over That Road I'm Bound featuring an excerpt from the album track "Over That Road I'm Bound to Go" by children's book author Barney Saltzberg. "Barney is one of our favorite children’s book authors and illustrators," Cooder says. "After meeting backstage at a show I was playing in San Francisco we began sending each other books and music. One day he sent me this video. It hit such a perfect tone for the song.” You can watch it here.

Joachim Cooder is the guest on the latest episode of WNYC / New Sounds' Soundcheck, hosted by John Schaefer, to discuss his recently released Nonesuch debut album, Over That Road I'm Bound. Cooder, on electric mbira and vocals, is joined by his father Ry on guitar for special live, duo performances of songs from the new album. Over That Road I'm Bound "is full of inventive arrangements of songs by Uncle Dave Macon, an early 20th century songster," says Schaefer. "One of the most pleasant surprises of a year that has been full of unpleasant surprises." You can hear the conversation and performances here.

On his Nonesuch Records debut album, Over That Road I’m Bound, out today, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joachim Cooder uses the plain-spoken songs of country-music progenitor and banjo player Uncle Dave Macon as a jumping off point, tinkering with the lyrics and reworking melodies for his chosen instrument: an electric mbira. Cooder culled songs from Macon’s vast catalog and recorded them with his band and special guests: Ry Cooder, Rayna Gellert, Juliette Commagere, Sam Gendel, Glenn Patscha, Amir Yaghmai, Dan Gellert, and Vieux Farka Touré. "Warm, uplifting, and quietly spectacular," says Uncut. "A buoyant and joyful long-player," says Mojo. A new video for the album track "Heartaching Blues" may be seen here.

While most of us can't go out to take in great live music, here are some events taking place online to enjoy while staying home this weekend: Sam Amidon performs in concert from Kings Place in London on Saturday; Rhiannon Giddens, Emmylou Harris, and Yola can be see in the free online Hardly Strictly Bluegrass on Saturday; Joachim Cooder concludes his virtual in-store tour via Electric Fetus Instagram Live tonight; and Rob Mazurek performs Friday–Sunday from Marfa for his art show in Florence, Italy.

Joachim Cooder, whose Nonesuch debut album, Over That Road I'm Bound, is out this Friday, will perform a series of virtual in-store performances via Instagram Live of several US independent record stores this week. The sets begin on the Instagram of Music Millennium Records in Portland, OR, tonight, followed by Salzer's Records in Ventura, Grimey's in Nashville, Boo Boo Records in San Luis Obispo, and Electric Fetus in Minneapolis on release day. Details here.

Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joachim Cooder has released "Over That Road I'm Bound to Go," the latest track from his forthcoming Nonesuch debut album, Over That Road I'm Bound, due October 2. You can watch a video here and download the track with pre-orders of the album, along with the previously released tune "Come Along Buddy."

"I started thinking about old-time music, because I was bringing my kids to see my parents, and my dad was playing the banjo in his chair, playing these old songs," Joachim Cooder says in a new video about the making of his upcoming album, Over That Road I'm Bound. "I started playing along with him, and slowed it down a little ... and thought, 'This would make a really great record.'" You can see what else he has to say about the album, including working with his band Ry Cooder, Rayna Gellert, Juliette Commagere, Sam Gendel, and others, here.

On his Nonesuch Records debut, Over That Road I’m Bound, due October 2, 2020, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joachim Cooder uses the plain-spoken songs of country-music progenitor and banjo player Uncle Dave Macon as a jumping off point, playing with the lyrics and reworking melodies for his chosen instrument: an electric mbira. Cooder culled songs from Macon’s vast catalog and recorded them with his band and special guests: Ry Cooder, Rayna Gellert, Juliette Commagere, Sam Gendel, Glenn Patscha, Amir Yaghmai, Dan Gellert, and Vieux Farka Touré. The album track “Come Along Buddy” is available today; a video may be seen here.