Joachim Cooder- TUNKJOY, STEUBEN

JOACHIM COODER
Saturday, August 15, 7pm | TunkJoy Bakery | 61 Rogers Point Rd. | Steuben, Maine 

“I’m always hearing some sort of defunct cosmic ice cream truck in my head – that’s the sound I’m after with my mbiras and tank drums and other tuned percussion."

JOACHIM COODER is an American percussionist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist known for his innovative blend of world music, Americana, and folk traditions. Born in Santa Monica, California, he grew up immersed in a deeply creative household, picking up drums at age five and going on to tour and record alongside his father, guitarist and producer Ry Cooder.

Those early years placed Joachim on stages and in studios with Johnny Cash, Ali Farka Touré, V.M. Bhatt, Steve Earle, John Lee Hooker, Dr. John, Nick Lowe, and — most notably — the Buena Vista Social Club. Over the years, he has maintained a close working relationship with his father while building a reputation as a lyrical drummer and an adventurous solo voice.

The spark for his own songwriting came when his wife and long-time collaborator Juliette Commagere became pregnant. Wintering in Nashville, Cooder found himself rising each morning to play his electric mbira through a small amp and singing into the quiet. Those sessions became Fuchsia Machu Picchu — songs about longing, love, plants, and the inner lives of inanimate objects.

Over That Road I'm Bound

On his Nonesuch debut, Cooder draws on the plain-spoken songs of country-music progenitor Uncle Dave Macon as a jumping-off point for an album that feels less like scholarly excavation than compellingly soulful reverie. Family anchors the project — Cooder enlisted relatives to join him as he explored tunes his father had once played for him, songs he now sings to his own young children. Banjo melodies are reworked for his electric mbira, a variation on the African thumb piano, and the novel arrangements owe as much to ambient and world music as to country. It is an unexpected — and utterly original — act of reimagination.

"When I started the project, I didn't know much of the derivation of Uncle Dave's songs. But I realized he was a collector of the music and songs he heard around him — repurposing and reinterpreting them for a new audience. And that was what I was doing with these songs without realizing it. We were doing a similar thing in a way."

Advanced ticket prices until August 3, 9am. Tickets at the door of capacity allows. Questions? Call 207-374-5454.

 Consider joining Joachim Cooder for his other Bagaduce Music engagements:

• Friday, August 14 at Camden Opera House, 7pm

• Sunday, August 16 at Emlen Hall, Bay School in Blue Hill,  7p 

Thank you to our sponsor First National Bank!

This event is brought to you by Bagaduce Music, a 501 C-3, working in community to help Maine’s musical coastline sing! From Blue Hill to Belfast, Freeport to Steuben -- offering classes, ensembles, concerts, dances, and musical experiences in folk, bluegrass, jazz, community singing, and more.