I rediscovered an album that I thought I had lost. It was a tribute album for Rainer Ptacek, a German born but Tucson based musician. The album 'The Inner Flame - A Tribute to Rainer Ptacek' was released in 1997. Howe Gelb, a former bandmate of Rainer's at the formation of 'Giant Sand' and Robert Plant organised the tribute album to help Rainer pay for the ever increasing medical costs after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and lymphoma a year earlier. The list of willing contributors was exceptionally good. It featured Giant Sand with Howe Gelb, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Emmylou Harris, Evan Dando, Victoria Williams, Mark Olson, Vic Chestnut and Tina Chesnutt, PJ Harvey, John Parish, The Drovers, Madeleine Peyroux, Kris McKay, LK, Jonathan Richman, and Bill Janovitz and also featured Rainer on a lot of the tracks.
His finger picking and slide guitar playing made him a legend with his peers. He was invited to play and record with artists such as ZZ Top and Robert Plant and a lot of his recordings are becoming available again - since most had been out of print and some were originally cassette releases.
Unfortunately Rainer Ptacek died in 1997... after it seemed he had beaten the disease.
His performance on 'Later with Jools Holland' below, is so emotional it is hard to believe it predates the time of his sickness by a few years. Even the lyrics are enough to send shivers down your spine when you know what was to come.
A tragic loss.
Madeleine Peyroux's version of "Life Is Fine" from the tribute album is sensational as well.
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