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David Rodriguez 
On
stage in Paradiso, Amsterdam, May 2003, Lucinda Williams
told the audience, of which David was seated amongst: “I feel like
I’m in the presence of genius because my friend David is here. Do you
know him?” Hancock added, “David Rodriguez,
a detour well worth the trouble”. His work is compared with that of Townes
van Zandt and Bob Dylan. “David Rodriguez is
the most engaging voice of our time” said Peg Miller
from Chicago House Theatre in Austin, Texas.
Today,
the judgement of those observers has not changed. David Rodriguez
remains highly praised by the insiders. Ad van Meurs
from the Watchman called David in a recent interview,
“the best still-living singer/songwriter” Lyle Lovett
paid him the highest compliment any songwriter can pay another, by
recording his own version of ‘Ballad Of The Snow Leopard And
The Tanqueray Cowboy‘ for inclusion on his award winning
double CD, Step Inside This House, a tribute to his
fellow Texan songwriters. The song was also included in the soundtrack
of the Disney movie - Mumford.
Further
recent covers of David’s compositions are:
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‘Two Lane Blacktop‘ by Vince Bell
on his CD, ‘Live In Texas’.
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‘Midnight Flight‘ co- written with Jeff
Talmadge on ‘Blissville’.
-
‘Santa Cruz‘ by Jerry Giddens on
his just completed CD.
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A
WINTER MOON - David Rodriguez
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Folkwit
Records (f0016)
CD
Album - £7.99(GBP) + P&P
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Track list:
Kingdom Of Your Heart
Ballad Of The Snow Leopard And The Tanqueray Cowboy
The Friedens Angel
The Ballad Of Wanda Jewel
Hurricane
The Hoeksche Waard
Cuba Libre
Weary Eyes
Santa Cruz
Everything To Me
Constant War
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Recorded live in
Dordrecht, The Netherlands it features amongst others his
daughter Carrie Rodriguez on violin and backing
vocals.
“…a must
have disc.” - Arthur Wood, Folkwax
“…outstanding.”
- John Conquest, 3rd Coast Music
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Besides
his writing and recording, David has always been a live
performer, and loves nothing better than singing his songs to a
live audience, which has taken him from his base in Texas to the
rest of the world. He has even been known to lay down his hat
upon the sidewalk and knock out a few tunes on his accordion.
“A musician never dies of hunger” is his ironic comment.
However, people who know his music, appreciate him best when he
performs his own work.
On
some concerts, he has been accompanied by his daughter, Carrie
Rodriguez on fiddle, of whom he is immensely proud of,
not only as a daughter, but also as a very talented musician and
vocalist in her own right. She is currently flying the Rodriguez
family flag, with highly successful duet albums made with
another songwriting legend, Chip Taylor.
David was born
on 1st January 1952 in Houston, Texas. His father came from a
Mexican immigrant family, and his mother’s older sister was
under contract with Decca records in the 50’s, as the South
American Singer, Eva Garza. When he was two
years old, he was struck down with polio, and since then, he has
walked with a leg brace and walking cane. Because he couldn’t
play in the street like other children, his parents bought him a
guitar. When he was fourteen he played in a rock band, at
fifteen in a folk group, and at nineteen in an avant-garde
ensemble as a pianist in the conservatorium.
As a political
activist, he helped change the destiny of street-poor Mexican
immigrants in Texas. After his legal studies were finished, he
continued as a lawyer for them and his fellow artists and
musicians. The time came when he finally had to make a choice
between being a political figure or making music his life.
Although the latter won the day, his political comments can
still be heard through some of his songs.
In 1992,’93
and ‘94, he was voted in an Austin poll, the best Texas
songwriter by the music magazine, Third Coast Music.
In the United
States, David recorded several CD’s, including the beautiful Forgiveness.
In Holland, where he now resides, he came under the guidance of
Ad van Meurs and recorded the Proud Heart album
in Eindhoven. Recently he completed the recording of a new
album, produced by Dutch singer/songwriter J W Roy,
entitled Lonesome Drover.
David has
always refused to submit himself to any concession of
commercialism. Like a good cognac, David’s work remains for
the connoisseur, something to sample, something to listen to
closely.
A
Winter Moon‘ was released on Folkwit Records in March
2007.
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