Californian guitarist Robben Ford started writing songs as a 17-year-old and earned his begin as a guitarist with brothers Mark (harmonica) and Pat (drums) within the Charles Ford band, which was named after their father, a former beginner nation singer. The band was the primary of various outfits that led Ford to The Blue Line, with whom he recorded a number of albums within the 90s, amongst them Mystic Mile and Handful Of Blues.
Hearken to Handful Of Blues now.
Previous to that, Robben had been the lead participant in Charlie Musselwhite’s group earlier than incomes a status as an completed jazz soloist, particularly for his work with up to date bands comparable to Tom Scott’s LA Categorical (which backed Joni Mitchell within the mid-70s) and the favored Yellowjackets. Within the 80s, he had a six-month stint touring with Miles Davis.
The album
The guts and soul of Ford’s enjoying, nonetheless, is the blues (although, admittedly, he’s certainly one of its funkiest, jazziest practitioners), and his vary is represented within the high quality album Handful Of Blues. The album was recorded together with his trio The Blue Line on the now-defunct Cherokee Studios in Hollywood, and launched on August 31, 1995, when Ford was 44.
The Blue Line was comprised of Ford, bassist Roscoe Beck, and drummer Tom Brechtlein, one other jazz fusion participant who had been a part of Chick Corea’s band. Ford stated that the trio’s creativity got here from a mutual feeling that they have been enjoying with friends, working laborious, and have been all on the identical musical wavelength. “It is hard to find that kind of synchronicity,” he stated.
Handful Of Blues covers quite a lot of types, together with jazz-blues balladry (“Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”), Texas shuffle (“Tired Of Talkin”) and soar blues (“The Miller’s Son”). It opens with the pulsating “Ragged Road,” which was given a promo video to coincide with a West Coast tour the band made in help of Handful Of Blues. This upbeat, rock-influenced music options the kind of clear and exquisitely shaped traces and groove which are related to Ford.
The significance of Daniel Kortchmar
It’s adopted by “Chevrolet,” a music that Taj Mahal recorded within the late 60s. Ford’s model options his brother Mark on harmonica, whereas the rhythm guitar is equipped by producer Daniel Kortchmar, a celebrated guitarist and songwriter who helped outlined the sound of the singer-songwriter increase of the 70s, and had labored with Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Carole King, Neil Younger and David Crosby (amongst others). He additionally produced and wrote songs with Jackson Browne. Throughout the 90s, when Kortchmar was working with Ford, he was additionally the musical foil for ex-Eagle Don Henley.
Kortchmar made Ford’s music accessible to a non-blues viewers, and the guitarist stated, “Danny’s main gift to the record was: he kept us from beating anything to death, and he made sure everything was fresh.”
The place Robben Ford was coming from
That’s very true of the slower “When I Leave Here,” a blues music written by Ford that’s primarily based round his soulful chord-based guitar riff, and on which Ford sings together with his heartfelt and clear vocals. Elsewhere, “The Miller’s Son,” a fiery instrumental, showcases the kind of guitar expertise that attraction to followers of the late Stevie Ray Vaughan. Ford’s blues enjoying is first-rate, and his solos reveal flashes of creativeness and musical virtuosity.
The Blue Line had began enjoying extra jazz-influenced music, however by the point of this album, Ford stated they needed to make “a pure blues and R&B kind of statement.” Ford instructed Billboard in 1995, “The strongest thing in my musical body is all of these blues influences, and I feel that my approach to the blues is very honest, and it’s not just, ‘Let’s do a blues record, what do you say?’ I’ve continually returned to the sources for my inspiration and, at the same time, I’m emulating them. I made it a point to keep it personal.”
In addition to jazz soloists, Ford’s key inspirations embrace Albert Collins, BB King, and Willie Dixon. Ford has recorded a number of Dixon songs down the years, and one other of the highlights here’s a model of Dixon’s traditional Chicago blues “I Just Want to Make Love To You.” Ford’s model is at a relaxed tempo with a nod to BB King within the swooning notes.
“Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” a music written for Nina Simone and lined by quite a few bands, together with The Animals, options Russell Ferrante on piano and Ricky Peterson on organ. However the association focuses on Ford’s guitar and his passionate solo.
An unique quantity, “Think Twice,” exhibits off Ford’s fluid jazz and funk stylings in a composition by bassist Roscoe Beck. Different originals on the 12-song, 55-minute album embrace “When I Leave Here,” “Running Out On Me” and the superb old style blues shuffle monitor “Tired Of Talkin’.”
Ford is among the uncommon, supremely gifted guitarists who, given all that method, nonetheless performs straight from the guts. It’s this fervent high quality that makes Handful Of Blues certainly one of his most private and profitable albums.
Handful Of Blues will be purchased right here.
