10126 - ROBBEN FORD AND THE FORD BLUES BAND - A TRIBUTE TO PAUL BUTTERFIELD (2001)

THE FORD BLUES BAND
''A TRIBUTE TO PAUL BUTTERFIELD''
2001
53:57

1 Screamin' (Michael Bloomfield) 04:02
2 One More Heartache (Warren ''Pete'' Moore, Warren Moore, Smokey Robinson, Robert Rogers, Marvin Tarplin, Ronaldo White) 04:19
3 Last Hope's Gone (Paul Butterfield) 06:15
4 Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (Sonny Boy Williamson II & I) 03:04
5 No Amount Of Loving (Paul Butterfield) 03:40
6 Mary Mary 03:16
7 Work Song (Nat Adderley, Oscar Brown Jr.) 06:07
8 In My Own Dream (Paul Butterfield) 06:19
9 Buddy's Advice (Howard ''Buzz'' Feiten) 03:26
10 All These Blues (Traditional) 03:25
11 Tollin' Bells (Willie Dixon) 04:59
12 Everthing's Gonna Be Alright (Walter Jacobs, Bill LaBounty, Steve MWariner, Bobby Womack) 05:01

Patrick Ford - Drums
Andy Just - Harp, Vocal On 4, 12
Mark Ford - Harp, Vocal On 2, 5, 8
Volker Strifler - Guitar (Right Channel), Vocal On 9, 11, Backing Vocals
Dewayne Pate - Bass Guitar
Robben Ford - Guitar (Left Channel), Vocal On 3, 6, 10
Additional Musicians:
Gabriel Ford - Keyboards On 11
Mic Gillette - Trumpet, Trombone
John Lee Sanders - Saxophones, Flute, Backing Vocals
John R. Burr - Keyboards
Mark Naftalin - Keyboards On 4
Patrick Ford - Backing Vocals
Garth Webber - Backing Vocals


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BIOGRAPHY/AMG
Dan Forte
After leaving Ukiah, CA, and moving south to San Francisco to form the Charles Ford Band (named for their father) in the late '60s with harmonica player Gary Smith, brothers Pat (drums) and Robben (guitar) were enlisted by Charlie Musselwhite and were pivotal members of one of the best aggregations the harpist ever led. Leaving Musselwhite after recording Arhoolie's Takin' My Time, they recruited bassist Stan Poplin and younger brother Mark, then age 17, on harmonica and played under the name the Real Charles Ford Band. Heavily influenced by the original Butterfield Blues Band and the Chess catalog, the quartet was famous for their live jazz explorations -- often jamming for 30 minutes or more on a John Coltrane and George Benson tune -- and hear-a pin-drop dynamics (with Mark abandoning mike and amp to play acoustically into the room or Robben turning the volume all the way off on his fat-body Gibson L-5). Muddy Waters sat in with and praised the young band, and Chess Records even came courting, but the brothers split on New Year's Eve, 1971, recording their sole LP posthumously, as it were. Robben went on to major cult status via session work and sporadic solo releases, and after lengthy hiatuses Mark and Pat continue to gig around the Bay Area and Europe. Pat founded his own Blue Rock'it label, on which albums like The Ford Blues Band, Hot Shots and 1999 were released. The band's influence in Northern California is still enormous, particularly among guitar players who continue to ape licks Robben forgot two decades ago.


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BIOGRAPHY/WIKIPEDIA

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WEBSITE (ROBBEN FORD)


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TO THE TOP

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9015 - ROBBEN FORD - INTO THE SUN (2015)

ROBBEN FORD
''INTO THE SUN''
MARCH 31 2015
42:08

1 Rose of Sharon (Robben Ford) 03:09
2 Day of the Planets (Robben Ford) 03:27
3 Howlin' at the Moon (Robben Ford, Kyle Swan) 03:45
4 Rainbow Cover (Robben Ford) 03:10
5 Justified (Robben Ford, Kyle Swan) (with Keb' Mo' & Robert Randolph) 04:04
6 Breath of Me (Robben Ford) (with ZZ Ward) 04:50
7 High Heels and Throwing Things (Robben Ford) (with Warren Haynes) 03:20
8 Cause of War (Robben Ford, Kyle Swan) 03:33
9 So Long 4 U (Gabe Ford) (with Sonny Landreth) 05:09
10 Same Train (Kyle Swan) 03:54
11 Stone Cold Heaven (Robben Ford, Pete Wasner) (with Tyler Bryant) 03:44

Brian Allen/Bass Guitar (Electric), Bass (Upright)
Tyler Bryant/Featured Artist, Guitar (Electric)
Jim Cox/Organ, Piano
Kim Flemming/Vocals (Background)
Robben Ford/Guitar, Piano, Vocals
Warren Haynes/Electric Slide Guitar, Featured Artist
Keb' Mo'/Featured Artist, Vocals
Sonny Landreth/Electric Slide Guitar, Featured Artist
Wes Little/Drums, Percussion
Herman Matthews/Drums
Gale Mayes/Vocals (Background)
Toss Panos/Drums
David Piltch/Bass Guitar
Robert Randolph/Featured Artist, Lap Steel Guitar
Kyle Swan/Harmonica, Vocals (Background)
ZZ Ward/Featured Artist, Vocals

REVIEW/AMG
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Continuing his latter-day renaissance, Robben Ford widens his palette on Into the Sun. The very title suggests this 2015 album is bright and open, and it is. There's a nice, relaxed groove to this record as Ford plays as much Southern-fried soul and funky jazz as he does blues. All of these sounds intersect at Ford's sweet spot. He's a sly, versatile guitarist who can dip into a variety of styles without seeming like a dilettante, and on Into the Sun, that includes the lazy acoustic opener "Rose of Sharon," which finds its counterpart on "Justified," a backporch blues duet with Keb' Mo'. Other guests are here -- ZZ Ward shines on "Breath of Me," Warren Haynes spars on "High Heels and Throwing Things," Sonny Landreth shows up for "So Long 4 U" - a sign of Ford's generosity. Then again, this wide array of players fit neatly into Ford's soulful style, which is unified by its love of rhythm & blues - meaning both the groove and the long, yet unflashy, solos -- and open-hearted vibe.
3 1/2 Of 5

BIOGRAPHY/AMG

WEBSITE

TO THE TOP

8337 - ROBBEN FORD - A DAY IN NASHVILLE (2014)

ROBBEN FORD
''A DAY IN NASHVILLE''
FEBRUARY 3 2014
43:48

1 Green Grass, Rainwater 04:04
2 Midnight Comes Too Soon 04:55
3 Ain't Drinkin' Beer No More 05:19
4 Top Down Blues 05:10
5 Different People 04:10
6 Cut You Loose 06:08
7 Poor Kelly Blues 04:07
8 Thump and Bump 06:10
9 Just Another Country Road 03:42

Brian Allen/Bass
Robben Ford/Guitar, Vocals
Audley Freed/Guitar
Barry Green/Trombone
Wes Little/Drums
Ricky Peterson/Organ

REVIEW
by Thom Jurek (AMG)
NOLA-inflected R&B adorned Robben Ford's Bringing It Back Home in 2013, a collection of covers played by an all-star ensemble and highlighted by the guitar slinger's additional skills as a fine interpretive singer and arranger. When Ford began writing tunes for his follow-up he decided to lay them down in a way seldom employed these days: by recording the entire album in a single day. Ford convened a choice band -- guitarist Audley Freed, keyboardist Ricky Peterson, bassist Brian Allen, drummer Wes Little, and trombonist Barry Green -- at the storied Sound Kitchen Studio in Nashville, and set about recording a live record in a controlled environment. He wrote seven of the nine tunes here, and they walk the line between wonderfully contoured numbers that showcase his singing skills and contemporary and soul-inflected blues. The contribution from Green adds another dimension to the band's sound. Yes, it is polished, but both production and mix are empathic; despite the overdubs, the group's live energy comes through. Opener "Green Grass Rainwater" is shuffling, Southern R&B with excellent guitar fills and vamps, spare, layered, punchy trombone, and swirling B-3. It also features one of Ford's best vocals here. "Ain't Drinking Beer No More," with its swinging combination of B-3 and 'bone, is a high point. "Midnight Comes Too Soon" is a more conventional, contemporary blues, with Ford's guitar in trademark minor-key sting. "Top Down Blues" is a funky instrumental, with Allen's bass leading the charge. The twinned guitars and trombone add strut and swagger before Ford solos. There are two choice covers here: the burning "Cut You Loose" (first recorded by James Cotton) provides canny interplay between the guitarists and Peterson, Little's driving drum in the back, and Allen's rolling bassline. "Poor Kelly Blues," written by Maceo Merriweather, is done Chicago style. Slippery chord voicings by Freed support Ford's taut fills as the rest of the band rave up in the turnarounds. At first, "Thump and Bump," an instrumental jazz tune, seems an odd choice; it isn't, because it's a solid band showcase that reveals what they are capable of. "Just Another Country Road" is a jazzy R&B number that perfectly bookends the opener, featuring the entire band swinging hard. It's got an excellent chart and fills by Green, and it's the only place on the set that Ford really cuts loose. A Day in Nashville isn't raw, but it is immediate and soulful. It is the sound class musicians make when they simply get down to doing what they do best: playing together.

BIOGRAPHY
by Dan Forte
After leaving Ukiah, CA, and moving south to San Francisco to form the Charles Ford Band (named for their father) in the late '60s with harmonica player Gary Smith, brothers Pat (drums) and Robben (guitar) were enlisted by Charlie Musselwhite and were pivotal members of one of the best aggregations the harpist ever led. Leaving Musselwhite after recording Arhoolie's Takin' My Time, they recruited bassist Stan Poplin and younger brother Mark, then age 17, on harmonica and played under the name the Real Charles Ford Band. Heavily influenced by the original Butterfield Blues Band and the Chess catalog, the quartet was famous for their live jazz explorations -- often jamming for 30 minutes or more on a John Coltrane and George Benson tune -- and hear-a pin-drop dynamics (with Mark abandoning mike and amp to play acoustically into the room or Robben turning the volume all the way off on his fat-body Gibson L-5). Muddy Waters sat in with and praised the young band, and Chess Records even came courting, but the brothers split on New Year's Eve, 1971, recording their sole LP posthumously, as it were. Robben went on to major cult status via session work and sporadic solo releases, and after lengthy hiatuses Mark and Pat continue to gig around the Bay Area and Europe. Pat founded his own Blue Rock'it label, on which albums like The Ford Blues Band, Hot Shots and 1999 were released. The band's influence in Northern California is still enormous, particularly among guitar players who continue to ape licks Robben forgot two decades ago.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

8336 - THE FORD BLUES BAND WITH ROBBEN FORD & CHRIS CAIN - THE BUTTERFIELD/BLOOMFIELD CONCERT (2006)

THE FORD BLUES BAND WITH ROBBEN FORD & CHRIS CAIN
''THE BUTTERFIELD/BLOOMFIELD CONCERT''
OCTOBER 24 2006
49:25

1 Killing Floor 03:34
2 East / West Redux 08:52
3 Groovin' Is Easy 03:37
4 I Got A Mind To Give Up Living 07:27
5 Lovin' Cup 05:08
6 Peter's Trip 05:48
7 Good Morning Little Shoolgirl 04:36
8 Blues For MB 10:20

Chris Cain/Guitar
Patrick Ford/Drums
Robben Ford/Guitar, Vocals
Andy Just/Harp
Tony "Macaroni" Lufrano/Keyboards
Dewayne Pate/Bass
Volker Strifler/Guitar

REVIEW
by Hal Horowitz (AMG)
Even though the Ford Blues Band has never had a problem putting across mediocre material, songwriting is not one of the outfit's strong points. With successful studio albums covering both Michael Bloomfield and his old boss Paul Butterfield already in Ford Blues Band's catalog, the group plays to its strengths with a live recording, cherrypicking the best songs from both and adding the raw energy that live concerts typically generate. The result is a crackling disc that is not surprisingly a showcase for guitarists Robben Ford, Chris Cain and Volker Strifler as well as harmonica ace Andy Just. Despite liner notes that frustratingly don't specify which of the three guitarists plays lead on the tracks -- it only states which side of the speakers the musician is relegated to, which can be confusing -- or the dates of the recordings, this is a rollicking performance as the Ford Blues Band charges through the songs with passion and energy. Out of the eight tracks, only six pertain directly to the titular stars, with "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" (aping a version by Butterfield) and a ten minute, slow blues workout "Blues for MB" a bit on the generic side. The performances of these are hot, but it does detract slightly from the concept and there were plenty of other tunes more directly associated with the musicians that could have been chosen. Regardless, there are too few bands that even attempt to perform Butterfield's classic "East West" instrumental (here titled "East/West Redux") so even if, at only nine minutes, this is on the short side (the original ran 13), it's a thrilling reminder of the groundbreaking aspects of Butterfield and Bloomfield in their prime. The group raids the Electric Flag catalog for its Bloomfield covers of "Killing Floor" and "Groovin' Is Easy" and adds a small horn section to replicate the originals. Their version of Bloomfield's obscure "Peter's Trip" also prominently employs sax and trumpet for a sort of Blood, Sweat & Tears approach. It is the most unusual and least bluesy selection here. Robben Ford's vocals throughout are serviceable at best, but it's his guitar that really sizzles, especially on the seven-minute version of "I Got a Mind to Give Up Living." While none of this will make fans forget the originals, it's a consistently enjoyable and well-recorded effort and the band's hearts were obviously in it. Hopefully this will inspire some new listeners to check out the sources.

BIOGRAPHY
by Dan Forte
After leaving Ukiah, CA, and moving south to San Francisco to form the Charles Ford Band (named for their father) in the late '60s with harmonica player Gary Smith, brothers Pat (drums) and Robben (guitar) were enlisted by Charlie Musselwhite and were pivotal members of one of the best aggregations the harpist ever led. Leaving Musselwhite after recording Arhoolie's Takin' My Time, they recruited bassist Stan Poplin and younger brother Mark, then age 17, on harmonica and played under the name the Real Charles Ford Band. Heavily influenced by the original Butterfield Blues Band and the Chess catalog, the quartet was famous for their live jazz explorations -- often jamming for 30 minutes or more on a John Coltrane and George Benson tune -- and hear-a pin-drop dynamics (with Mark abandoning mike and amp to play acoustically into the room or Robben turning the volume all the way off on his fat-body Gibson L-5). Muddy Waters sat in with and praised the young band, and Chess Records even came courting, but the brothers split on New Year's Eve, 1971, recording their sole LP posthumously, as it were. Robben went on to major cult status via session work and sporadic solo releases, and after lengthy hiatuses Mark and Pat continue to gig around the Bay Area and Europe. Pat founded his own Blue Rock'it label, on which albums like The Ford Blues Band, Hot Shots and 1999 were released. The band's influence in Northern California is still enormous, particularly among guitar players who continue to ape licks Robben forgot two decades ago.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

8335 - THE FORD BLUES BAND WITH ROBBEN FORD & CHRIS CAIN - IN MEMORY OF MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD (2002) (REPOST)

THE FORD BLUES BAND WITH ROBBEN FORD & CHRIS CAIN
''IN MEMORY OF MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD''
OCTOBER 15, 2002
55:02

1/Interview/:18
2/Killing My Love/Gravenite/4:35
3/The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)/Simon/5:43
4/Stop/Ragovoy, Shuman, Waters/3:21
5/Next Time You See Me/Forest, Harvey, Tucker/2:41
6/Interview/:17
7/I Got a Mind to Give up Living/Traditional/5:18
8/Interview/:11
9/Groovin' Is Easy/Polte/3:33
10/Peter's Trip/Bloomfield/2:06
11/The Ones I Loved Are Gone/Bloomfield/3:11
12/It's About Time/Davis, Gravenites/6:20
13/Jimi the Fox/Bloomfield, Goldberg/3:33
14/Mary Ann/Bruce, Charles, Cooper/5:04
15/Interview/:23
16/Blues With a Feeling/Little Walter/3:47
17/Interview/:23
18/Blues for MB/Ford, Strifler/4:18
Interview Segments Between Bloomfield And Dan McClosky

John Burr / Keyboards (Includes Harpsichord And Strings)
Chris Cain / Guitar (Left Side) On Tracks 2, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 13, 16, Vocal On Tracks 2, 11
Brad Catania / Trumpet On Track 12
Regina Espinoza / Vocals (Bckgr)
Dejuana Logwood / Vocals (Bckgr)
Patrick Ford / Drums
Robben Ford / Both Guitar (Left Side), Vocal On Tracks 3, 7, 12, 14
Mic Gillette / Trombone, Trumpet
Andy Just / Harmonica, Vocal On Track 16
Tony Lufrano / Organ On Tracks 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18 And Piano On Track 7
Dewayne Pate / Bass
John Lee Sanders / Saxophone, Vocal On Track 9
Volker Strifler / Guitar (Right Side), Vocal On Track 5

REVIEW
by Hal Horowitz
Following their 2001 tribute to Paul Butterfield (credited to Robben Ford & the Ford Blues Band), the Ford Blues Band pick 13 tracks they feel best-represent the harmonica bandleader's illustrious -- but short-lived -- guitarist, Mike Bloomfield. Interspersed with five fascinating but brief interview snippets of Bloomfield chatting about his first employer and playing blues in general, the band, with help from brother Robben Ford, guitarist Chris Cain, and a sparingly utilized horn section, judiciously choose many obscure selections from the guitarist's diverse projects. "Jimi the Fox" comes from the little-known Two Jews Blues, "Peter's Trip" was a tune included on the B-movie soundtrack to The Trip, and "Next Time You See Me" as well as "The Ones I Loved Are Gone" were originally found on Bloomfield's seldom-heard and generally disappointing solo album, It's Not Killing Me. This band not only resurrects these forgotten gems, they bring them alive with sizzling authority. Ford burns on a version of East-West's "I Got a Mind to Give up Living," guest harmonica player Andy Just sounds scarily like Butterfield on a supercharged "Blues With a Feeling," and the horn-infused cover of the Electric Flag's "Groovin' Is Easy," featuring female backing vocals, nearly outdoes the original. Guitarists Cain and Ford do a terrific job re-creating Bloomfield's terse style without aping it and these reinterpretations never seem rote. The recording quality is crisp but not slick, the performances are scintillating, production by drummer Patrick Ford is lean, and the arrangements bring out the best in these tunes. Except for shoddy graphics that look like they were thrown together overnight, this is an inspired project that will hopefully expose Bloomfield's music to another generation.

BIOGRAPHY
by Dan Forte
After leaving Ukiah, CA, and moving south to San Francisco to form the Charles Ford Band (named for their father) in the late '60s with harmonica player Gary Smith, brothers Pat (drums) and Robben (guitar) were enlisted by Charlie Musselwhite and were pivotal members of one of the best aggregations the harpist ever led. Leaving Musselwhite after recording Arhoolie's Takin' My Time, they recruited bassist Stan Poplin and younger brother Mark, then age 17, on harmonica and played under the name the Real Charles Ford Band. Heavily influenced by the original Butterfield Blues Band and the Chess catalog, the quartet was famous for their live jazz explorations -- often jamming for 30 minutes or more on a John Coltrane and George Benson tune -- and hear-a pin-drop dynamics (with Mark abandoning mike and amp to play acoustically into the room or Robben turning the volume all the way off on his fat-body Gibson L-5). Muddy Waters sat in with and praised the young band, and Chess Records even came courting, but the brothers split on New Year's Eve, 1971, recording their sole LP posthumously, as it were. Robben went on to major cult status via session work and sporadic solo releases, and after lengthy hiatuses Mark and Pat continue to gig around the Bay Area and Europe. Pat founded his own Blue Rock'it label, on which albums like The Ford Blues Band, Hot Shots and 1999 were released. The band's influence in Northern California is still enormous, particularly among guitar players who continue to ape licks Robben forgot two decades ago.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

8334 - VINNIE COLAIUTA, ROBBEN FORD, JIMMY HASLIP - JING CHI (2002)

VINNIE COLAIUTA, ROBBEN FORD, JIMMY HASLIP
''JING CHI''
FEBRUARY 12 2002
68:04

1 The Hong Kong Incident (Robben Ford, Jimmy Haslip) 08:03
2 Stan Key (Vinnie Colaiuta, Robben Ford, Jimmy Haslip) 05:22
3 Tengoku (Robben Ford, Jimmy Haslip) 09:44
4 Crazy House (Vinnie Colaiuta, Robben Ford, Jimmy Haslip) 04:57
5 Going Nowhere (Robben Ford) 06:13
6 Go Figure (Vinnie Colaiuta, Robben Ford, Jimmy Haslip) 07:21
7 Man in the Ring (Vinnie Colaiuta, Robben Ford, Jimmy Haslip) 08:43
8 In My Dream (Jimmy Haslip) 05:26
9 Train Song (Robben Ford, Jimmy Haslip) 07:49
10 Aurora (Vinnie Colaiuta) 04:21

Brian Auger/Guest Artist, Organ
Vinnie Colaiuta/Drums, Programming
Robben Ford/Guitar, Vocals
Jimmy Haslip/Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
Dan Morris/Guest Artist, Tabla
Steve Tavaglione/EWI, Guest Artist, Keyboards, Programming, Synthesizer Programming

REVIEW
by Jonathan Widran (AMG)
No, this isn't a sister project to Wang Chung, it's actually a blistering and very trippy jazz fusion blast by three old vets who've been shedding over the years in Robben Ford's band. The cover of the disc features psychedelic art and the trio's names -- drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, guitarist Ford, and bassist Jimmy Haslip -- in alphabetical order so that listeners don't mistake any one of them for the leader. It's just an intense ensemble disc that draws from feisty blues-rock (dig the blistering free-for-all opener, "The Hong Kong Incident") to cooler atmospheric experiments (the seductive, laid-back "Stan Key.") There are a lot of influences from '60s rock, cult music, Miles Davis' Bitches Brew, down-home funky Delta blues, and a little James Brown kickin' soul as well. The wah-wah-driven, floating atmospheres of "Tengoku" lets listeners know that while these cats can blow heavy, they're happy at times just to kick back and get deep into nostalgia. Ford's balance of intense playing and strong melodicism is effective in keeping people who like good songwriting in the loop at times when it would be just as easy to just jam and forget about any structure. He also adds a decent vocal to "Going Nowhere," which is anchored in Haslip's hypnotic lines. Less effective is Haslip's robotic attempt to be like Sting on the vocal part of the all-atmospheric "In My Dream." That tune is the only real drawback to a very inventive disc of so many moods and such powerful playing.

MORE REVIEW
“According to ancient Chinese herbalism there are three basic energies known as the The Three Treasurers or “Jing Chi”. When the basic energies are used in abundance they generate a feeling of well being. The title choosen for this CD seems all too appropriate. Here, Colaiuta, Ford and Haslip combine their energies and produce one of the finest releases this year. The CD can best be described as fusion, although regular jazz fans and guitarist should also find plenty to like about the disc. The CD opens with the rhythmic “Up the Line” which could easily be mistaken for a track off Eric Johnson’s Alien Love Child project and rarely slows down the tempo. There are only two vocal tracks here, the first “Going Nowhere” features Robben Ford on vocals and the second, “In My Dream” features the vocals of bass and keyboardist, Jimmy Haslip. As you might expect, Robben Ford plays his telecaster like a man possessed while Vinnie Colaiuta’s drums and Jimmy Haslip’s bass fill the background air like a sonic boom. This is great stuff!”
Amazon review by deepbluereview.

8333 - ROBBEN FORD AND THE FORD BLUES BAND - A TRIBUTE TO PAUL BUTTERFIELD (2001)

ROBBEN FORD AND THE FORD BLUES TRIBUTE
''A TRIBUTE TO PAUL BUTTERFIELD''
JULY 31 2001
53:46

1 Screamin' (Michael Bloomfield) 04:00
2 One More Heartache (Warren ''Pete'' Moore, Smokey Robinson, Robert Rogers, Marvin Tarplin, Ronald White) 04:19
3 Last Hopes Gone (Paul Butterfield) 06:14
4 Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (Sonny Boy Williamson II, Sony Boy Williamson I) 03:02
5 No Amount Of Loving (Paul Butterfield) 03:39
6 Mary Mary (?) 03:15
7 Work Song (Nat Adderley, Oscar Brown, Jr.) 06:06
8 In My Own Dream (Paul Butterfield) 06:18
9 Buddy's Advice (Howard ''Buzz'' Feiten) 03:25
10 All These Blues (Public Domain) 03:24
11 Tollin' Bells (Willie Dixon) 04:58
12 Everthing's Gonna Be Alright (Walter Jacobs, Bill LaBounty, Steve Wariner, Bobby Womack) 04:59

Robben Ford (vocals, guitar);
Volker Strifler (vocals, guitar);
Mark Ford, Andy Just (vocals, harmonica);
Dewayne Pate (bass);
Patrick Ford (drums, background vocals)
Additional personnel includes:
John Lee Sanders (flute, saxophone, background vocals);
Mic Gillette (trumpet, trombone);
Gabriel Ford, John R. Burr (keyboards);
Garth Webber (background vocals)
By CDUniverse

BIOGRAPHY
by Dan Forte
After leaving Ukiah, CA, and moving south to San Francisco to form the Charles Ford Band (named for their father) in the late '60s with harmonica player Gary Smith, brothers Pat (drums) and Robben (guitar) were enlisted by Charlie Musselwhite and were pivotal members of one of the best aggregations the harpist ever led. Leaving Musselwhite after recording Arhoolie's Takin' My Time, they recruited bassist Stan Poplin and younger brother Mark, then age 17, on harmonica and played under the name the Real Charles Ford Band. Heavily influenced by the original Butterfield Blues Band and the Chess catalog, the quartet was famous for their live jazz explorations -- often jamming for 30 minutes or more on a John Coltrane and George Benson tune -- and hear-a pin-drop dynamics (with Mark abandoning mike and amp to play acoustically into the room or Robben turning the volume all the way off on his fat-body Gibson L-5). Muddy Waters sat in with and praised the young band, and Chess Records even came courting, but the brothers split on New Year's Eve, 1971, recording their sole LP posthumously, as it were. Robben went on to major cult status via session work and sporadic solo releases, and after lengthy hiatuses Mark and Pat continue to gig around the Bay Area and Europe. Pat founded his own Blue Rock'it label, on which albums like The Ford Blues Band, Hot Shots and 1999 were released. The band's influence in Northern California is still enormous, particularly among guitar players who continue to ape licks Robben forgot two decades ago.

5495 - MICHAEL LANDAU, ROBBEN FORD, JIMMY HASLIP, GARY NOVAK - Renegade Creation (2010)

MICHAEL LANDAU, ROBBEN FORD, JIMMY HASLIP, GARY NOVAK
''RENEGADE CREATION''
2010
51:05

1 - What's Up/4:40
2 - Soft In Black Jeans/4:03
3 - Destiny Over Me/5:35
4 - God And Rock 'N Roll/3:36
5 - The Darkness/6:07
6 - Renegade Destruction/3:19
7 - Peace Intro/1:57
8 - Peace/4:39
9 - Who Do You Think You Are/6:37
10 - Where The Wind Blows/4:03
11 - Brothers/6:03

Michael Landau/Guitars, Lead Vocals On 1, 3, 6, 10
Robben Ford/Guitars, Lead Vocals On 2, 4, 5, 9
Jimmy Haslip/Bass Guitars
Gary Novak/Drums, Bass Guitar On 11
Dustin Boyer/Backing Vocals, Vocal On Bridge On 3
DoWnLoAd

4885 - LARRY CARLTON ROBBEN FORD - Unplugged (2013)

LARRY CARLTON ROBBEN FORD
''UNPLUGGED''
FEBRUARY 19 2013
57:40

1/NM Blues 08
Larry Carton / Robben Ford/7:32
2/That Road
Robben Ford/8:55
3/Monty
Robben Ford/7:09
4/Cold Gold
Larry Carton/7:04
5/Hand in Hand with the Blues
Robben Ford / Jill Freeman/4:58
6/Amen AC
Larry Carton/6:33
7/I Put a Spell On You /6:24
8/Rio Samba
Larry Carlton/9:05

Larry Carton /Guitar
Fifi Chayeb /Bass
Robben Ford /Guitar, Vocals
Claude Salmieri /Drums

First ever acoustic performance recorded with Robben Ford!

The New Morning club in Paris presents the incredible – and long awaited – pairing of two guitar giants for their first Unplugged show. Imagine: Larry Carlton and Special Guest Robben Ford, two legendary guitarists… one stage unplugged… a guitar lover’s dream! This unique pairing of two all-time great guitar legends delivers an unforgettable evening of dueling guitar solos and an uncompromising evening of The Blues performed the way it was meant to be.

Nineteen-time GRAMMY NOMINEE, four-time GRAMMY WINNER and all-time guitar great, Larry Carlton established himself from his first recording, A Little Help From My Friends. His studio credits include musicians and groups like Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, Sammy Davis Jr., Herb Alpert, Quincy Jones, Bobby Bland, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and literally dozens of others. He went on to perform with the Crusaders and then with the multi platinum jazz super group Fourplay. With more than 30 albums to his credit and having performed on over 100 albums that have gone Gold or Platinum, Larry Carlton has set a standard for artistry that spans three decades.

Joining forces with Larry in Paris is Robben Ford who at 18 he was playing with the likes of Charlie Musselwhite, Jimmy Witherspoon, the L.A. Express with Tom Scott, George Harrison, and Joni Mitchell. He was a founding member of the Yellowjackets, then went on to tour with Miles Davis, Sadao Watanabe, and Little Feat. In 1992 he returned to his roots: the blues – a genre he masters in most exquisite grand style.
DoWnLoAd

4096 - ROBBEN FORD - Anthology: The Early Years, Disc Two (2001)

ROBBEN FORD
''ANTHOLOGY: THE EARLY YEARS, DISC TWO''
MARCH 6 2001
142:34

DISC ONE
1/Sweet Sixteen
Joe Josea / B.B. King/12:34
2/You Drive a Hard Bargain
Robben Ford/5:44
3/Raining in My Heart
Boudleaux Bryant / Felice Bryant/10:32
4/Blue and Lonesome/8:27
5/Red Rooster
Willie Dixon / Big Mama Thornton/4:26
6/Eighty-One
Ron Carter / Miles Davis/8:09
7/Miss Miss
Robben Ford/8:59
8/Sunrise
Robben Ford/11:29

DISC TWO
1/Oh Gee/6:33
2/You Don't Know What Love Is
Gene DePaul / Don Raye/8:51
3/Everyday I Have the Blues
Peter Chatman/5:28
4/It's My Own Fault
John Lee Hooker/10:29
5/Ladies' Choice
Robben Ford/6:33
6/Hawk's Theme
Robben Ford/6:25
7/S-K Blues
Sonny King/3:45
8/Low Ride
Robben Ford/2:29
9/Softly Rolling
Robben Ford/7:30
10/Stella and Frenchie
Robben Ford/8:05
11/Goin' Down Slow/6:06

Jim Baum /Drums
Robben Ford /Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Sax (Tenor), Vocals
Paul Nagle /Keyboards
Stanley Poplin /Bass
Jimmy Witherspoon /Guest Artist, Vocals

REVIEW
by Alex Henderson
Robben Ford has always been a very eclectic musician; therefore, the people who get the most out of his recordings tend to have eclectic tastes themselves. If you're the sort of broad-minded listener who holds blues, rock, and jazz in equally high regard, Anthology: The Early Years is a musical feast. This two-CD set, which Avenue Jazz provided in 2001, looks back on recordings that the singer/guitarist/saxman made from 1972-1976 (when he was in his early to mid-20s). Even then, Ford was difficult to categorize -- those who insist on pigeonholing musicians wondered if he was really a blues-rock singer or a jazz instrumentalist at heart. And, truth be told, he wore both hats equally well. Anyone who loves down-and-dirty blues-rock cannot help but applaud his gutsy versions of Willie Dixon's "Little Red Rooster" and B.B. King's "Sweet Sixteen." But Ford is equally convincing as a jazz instrumentalist on "Softly Rolling," "Miss Miss," and Miles Davis' "Eighty One." Many of the instrumentals are shining examples of 1970s fusion, but Ford favors more of a post-bop approach on the standard "You Don't Know What Love Is" (which is one of the tunes that finds him on tenor sax and is very John Coltrane-minded). Anthology: The Early Years isn't the last word on Ford in the 1970s, but Avenue Jazz' picks are generally excellent -- and it is certainly among the places to go if you're exploring his early output for the first time.

BIOGRAPHY
by Scott Yanow
Robben Ford has had a diverse career. He taught himself guitar when he was 13 and considered his first influence to be Mike Bloomfield. At 18 he moved to San Francisco to form the Charles Ford Band (named after his father, who was also a guitarist) and was soon hired to play with Charlie Musselwhite for nine months. In 1971, the Charles Ford Blues Band was re-formed and recorded for Arhoolie in early 1972. Ford played with Jimmy Witherspoon (1972-1973), the L.A. Express with Tom Scott (1974), George Harrison, and Joni Mitchell. In 1977 he was a founding member of the Yellowjackets, which he stayed with until 1983, simultaneously having a solo career and working as a session guitarist. In 1986, Ford toured with Miles Davis and had two separate periods (1985 and 1987) with Sadao Watanabe, but he really seemed to find himself in 1992 when he returned to his roots: the blues. Ford formed a new group, the Blue Line, and subsequently recorded a couple of blues-rock dates for Stretch that are among the finest of his career. In 1999, he released Sunrise on Rhino and Supernatural on Blue Thumb. Ford signed to the Concord Jazz label in 2002 and released Blue Moon that same year, followed by Keep on Running in 2003 and Truth in 2007. That same year, he was a billed special guest on Larry Carlton's Live in Tokyo. He followed this with the predominantly live Soul on Ten in 2009. In 2013, Ford began his label association with Provogue, and issued the studio album Bringing It Back Home, comprised mostly of blues and R&B covers played by an all-star band.

DoWnLoAd

4095 - ROBBEN FORD - Anthology: The Early Years, Disc One (2001)

ROBBEN FORD
''ANTHOLOGY: THE EARLY YEARS, DISC ONE''
MARCH 6 2001
142:34

DISC ONE
1/Sweet Sixteen
Joe Josea / B.B. King/12:34
2/You Drive a Hard Bargain
Robben Ford/5:44
3/Raining in My Heart
Boudleaux Bryant / Felice Bryant/10:32
4/Blue and Lonesome/8:27
5/Red Rooster
Willie Dixon / Big Mama Thornton/4:26
6/Eighty-One
Ron Carter / Miles Davis/8:09
7/Miss Miss
Robben Ford/8:59
8/Sunrise
Robben Ford/11:29

DISC TWO
1/Oh Gee/6:33
2/You Don't Know What Love Is
Gene DePaul / Don Raye/8:51
3/Everyday I Have the Blues
Peter Chatman/5:28
4/It's My Own Fault
John Lee Hooker/10:29
5/Ladies' Choice
Robben Ford/6:33
6/Hawk's Theme
Robben Ford/6:25
7/S-K Blues
Sonny King/3:45
8/Low Ride
Robben Ford/2:29
9/Softly Rolling
Robben Ford/7:30
10/Stella and Frenchie
Robben Ford/8:05
11/Goin' Down Slow/6:06

Jim Baum /Drums
Robben Ford /Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Sax (Tenor), Vocals
Paul Nagle /Keyboards
Stanley Poplin /Bass
Jimmy Witherspoon /Guest Artist, Vocals

REVIEW
by Alex Henderson
Robben Ford has always been a very eclectic musician; therefore, the people who get the most out of his recordings tend to have eclectic tastes themselves. If you're the sort of broad-minded listener who holds blues, rock, and jazz in equally high regard, Anthology: The Early Years is a musical feast. This two-CD set, which Avenue Jazz provided in 2001, looks back on recordings that the singer/guitarist/saxman made from 1972-1976 (when he was in his early to mid-20s). Even then, Ford was difficult to categorize -- those who insist on pigeonholing musicians wondered if he was really a blues-rock singer or a jazz instrumentalist at heart. And, truth be told, he wore both hats equally well. Anyone who loves down-and-dirty blues-rock cannot help but applaud his gutsy versions of Willie Dixon's "Little Red Rooster" and B.B. King's "Sweet Sixteen." But Ford is equally convincing as a jazz instrumentalist on "Softly Rolling," "Miss Miss," and Miles Davis' "Eighty One." Many of the instrumentals are shining examples of 1970s fusion, but Ford favors more of a post-bop approach on the standard "You Don't Know What Love Is" (which is one of the tunes that finds him on tenor sax and is very John Coltrane-minded). Anthology: The Early Years isn't the last word on Ford in the 1970s, but Avenue Jazz' picks are generally excellent -- and it is certainly among the places to go if you're exploring his early output for the first time.

BIOGRAPHY
by Scott Yanow
Robben Ford has had a diverse career. He taught himself guitar when he was 13 and considered his first influence to be Mike Bloomfield. At 18 he moved to San Francisco to form the Charles Ford Band (named after his father, who was also a guitarist) and was soon hired to play with Charlie Musselwhite for nine months. In 1971, the Charles Ford Blues Band was re-formed and recorded for Arhoolie in early 1972. Ford played with Jimmy Witherspoon (1972-1973), the L.A. Express with Tom Scott (1974), George Harrison, and Joni Mitchell. In 1977 he was a founding member of the Yellowjackets, which he stayed with until 1983, simultaneously having a solo career and working as a session guitarist. In 1986, Ford toured with Miles Davis and had two separate periods (1985 and 1987) with Sadao Watanabe, but he really seemed to find himself in 1992 when he returned to his roots: the blues. Ford formed a new group, the Blue Line, and subsequently recorded a couple of blues-rock dates for Stretch that are among the finest of his career. In 1999, he released Sunrise on Rhino and Supernatural on Blue Thumb. Ford signed to the Concord Jazz label in 2002 and released Blue Moon that same year, followed by Keep on Running in 2003 and Truth in 2007. That same year, he was a billed special guest on Larry Carlton's Live in Tokyo. He followed this with the predominantly live Soul on Ten in 2009. In 2013, Ford began his label association with Provogue, and issued the studio album Bringing It Back Home, comprised mostly of blues and R&B covers played by an all-star band.

DoWnLoAd

4044 - ROBBEN FORD - Bringing It Back Home (2013)

ROBBEN FORD
''BRINGING IT BACK HOME''
FEBRUARY 19 2013
48:46

1/Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky
Allen Toussaint/4:55
2/Birds Nest Bound
Big Joe Williams/5:51
3/Fair Child
Allen Toussaint/4:24
4/Oh, Virginia
Robben Ford/4:18
5/Slick Capers Blues
Charlie Doyle/3:50
6/On That Morning
Traditional/7:14
7/Traveler's Waltz
Anne Kerry Ford / Michael McDonald/3:34
8/Most Likely You Can Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine
Bob Dylan/4:57
9/Trick Bag
Earl King/4:06
10/Fool's Paradise
David Avid / Johnny Fuller / Bob Geddins/5:37

Stephen Baxter /Trombone
Robben Ford /Arranger, Guitar, Producer, Vocals
Larry Goldings /Organ
Harvey Mason, Sr. /Drums
David Piltch /Bass

REVIEW
By Thom Jurek
Robben Ford's last studio effort, 2007's Truth, received a Grammy nomination for best contemporary blues album. Where that recording focused on his workmanlike songwriting skills and his prodigious guitar technique, Bringing It All Back Home highlights other aspects of his musical persona. This is Ford putting on offer his considerable skills as a bandleader and song interpreter. There's not a lot of superpicker athleticism on display here, and there doesn't need to be. Backed a smoking band that includes organist Larry Goldings, drummer Harvey Mason, bassist David Pilch, and trombonist Stephen Baxter, Ford makes it look easy. On this series of mainly cover tunes, his modern blues is infused with his love of New Orleans' R&B throughout. This is especially true on the slippery, punchy, readings of Allen Toussaint's "Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky" and "Fair Child" -- two of the first three tunes here -- that are simultaneously polished and greasy. One of the three guitar burners here is "Trick Bag," by NOLA guitar hero Earl King. It showcases the locked-in interplay between Pilch and Baxter as they ride atop Mason's funky butt breakbeats. Even Bob Dylan's "Most Likely You Go Your Way and I’ll Go Mine" gets a second-line backbeat treatment. Another guitar highlight, albeit a gorgeously relaxed one, is an instrumental update of the traditional "On That Morning," wherein Ford expertly channels his inner Wes Montgomery. On "Slick Capers Blues," by little known pre-war bluesman Charlie "Little Buddy" Doyle, he and Goldings trade knotty lines in updating the tune for the new century. A great surprise here is how fine a singer Ford has become. His voice is as much an instrument on this set as his guitar is. Whether it's on the aforementioned cuts, his version of wife Ann Kerry Ford's and Michael McDonald's jazzy "Traveler’s Waltz," or his Mose Allison-by-way-of-Ben Sidran reading of "Fool's Paradise," his vocals are expressive and relaxed; he displays sophisticated, savvy, seemingly effortless phrasing. The grain of his voice on the lone original, "Oh, Virginia," establishes a seamless connection between Southern soul, New Orleans rhythm & blues, and country music -- and may be the finest song he's written. There is a precedent for Bringing It All Back Home: Lowell George's classic, Thanks, I’ll Eat It Here. That album was misunderstood upon release because it downplayed the artist's slide guitar and songwriting chops to focus on his consummate skill as a singer. Ford has done something similar, yet offers his fans enough of his instrumental talent to balance the equation.

BIOGRAPHY
by Scott Yanow
Robben Ford has had a diverse career. He taught himself guitar when he was 13 and considered his first influence to be Mike Bloomfield. At 18 he moved to San Francisco to form the Charles Ford Band (named after his father, who was also a guitarist) and was soon hired to play with Charlie Musselwhite for nine months. In 1971, the Charles Ford Blues Band was re-formed and recorded for Arhoolie in early 1972. Ford played with Jimmy Witherspoon (1972-1973), the L.A. Express with Tom Scott (1974), George Harrison, and Joni Mitchell. In 1977 he was a founding member of the Yellowjackets, which he stayed with until 1983, simultaneously having a solo career and working as a session guitarist. In 1986, Ford toured with Miles Davis and had two separate periods (1985 and 1987) with Sadao Watanabe, but he really seemed to find himself in 1992 when he returned to his roots: the blues. Ford formed a new group, the Blue Line, and subsequently recorded a couple of blues-rock dates for Stretch that are among the finest of his career. In 1999, he released Sunrise on Rhino and Supernatural on Blue Thumb. Ford signed to the Concord Jazz label in 2002 and released Blue Moon that same year, followed by Keep on Running in 2003 and Truth in 2007. That same year, he was a billed special guest on Larry Carlton's Live in Tokyo. He followed this with the predominantly live Soul on Ten in 2009. In 2013, Ford began his label association with Provogue, and issued the studio album Bringing It Back Home, comprised mostly of blues and R&B covers played by an all-star band.

DoWnLoAd

3935 - JIMMY WITHERSPOON & ROBBEN FORD - Live Jimmy Witherspoon & Robben Ford (1976)

JIMMY WITHERSPOON & ROBBEN FORD
''LIVE JIMMY WITHERSPOON & ROBBEN FORD''
LIVE AT THE ASH GROVE 1976
1976
43:15

1. Low Down Dirty Shame/2:06
2. Goin' Down Slow/6:42
3. Kansas City/3:16
4. Past Forty Blues/6:37
5. Times Are Getting Tough/2:21
6. Outskirts Of Town/2:32
7. S-K Blues/3:42
8. Around The Clock/6:37
9. Walkin' By Myself/2:55
10. No Rollin' Blues/6:27

Jim Baum /Drums
Robben Ford /Guitar, Vocals
Paul Nagle /Keyboards
Stanley Poplin /Bass
Jimmy Whitherspoon /Vocals

BIOGRAPHY
by Bob Porter
One of the great blues singers of the post-World War II period, Jimmy Witherspoon was also versatile enough to fit comfortably into the jazz world. Witherspoon was born on August 8, 1920, in Gurdon, AR. As a child, he sang in a church choir, and made his debut recordings with Jay McShann for Philo and Mercury in 1945 and 1946. His own first recordings, using McShann's band, resulted in a number one R&B hit in 1949 with "Ain't Nobody's Business, Pts. 1 & 2" on Supreme Records. Live performances of "No Rollin' Blues" and "Big Fine Girl" provided 'Spoon with two more hits in 1950.
The mid-'50s were a lean time, with his style of shouting blues temporarily out of fashion; singles were tried for Federal, Chess, Atco, Vee Jay, and others, with little success. Jimmy Witherspoon at the Monterey Jazz Festival (HiFi Jazz) from 1959 lifted him back into the limelight. Partnerships with Ben Webster or Groove Holmes were recorded, and he toured Europe in 1961 with Buck Clayton, performing overseas many more times in the decades to follow; some memorable music resulted, but Witherspoon's best 1960s album is Evening Blues (Prestige), which features T-Bone Walker on guitar and Clifford Scott on saxophone. As the '70s began, Witherspoon decided to take a short break from live performances, settled in Los Angeles, took a job as a disc jockey, and continued making records. In 1971 Witherspoon teamed up with former Animals vocalist Eric Burdon for the album Guilty. Unfortunately it sold poorly. By 1973 his short retirement from live performances was over. Witherspoon was ready to get back on the road and assembled an amazing band featuring a young Robben Ford on lead guitar. Those live shows had received positive reviews, rejuvenating Witherspoon's move toward a definite rock/soul sound. He traveled to London in 1974 to record Love Is a Five Letter Word with British blues producer Mike Vernon. Vernon had produced critically acclaimed British blues albums by John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac, and Ten Years After. By the early '80s, Witherspoon was diagnosed with throat cancer. Although he remained active and was a popular concert attraction, the effect of the disease on his vocals was obvious. Witherspoon passed away on September 18, 1997, at the age of 77.

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0928 - JIMMY WITHERSPOON & ROBBEN FORD - Live At The Ash Grove 1976 (2011)

JIMMY WITHERSPOON & ROBBEN FORD
''LIVE''
MAY 2011
RECORDED AT THE ASH GROVE, 1976
AVENUE RECORDS
43:15
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Low Down Dirty Shame/2:06
Goin' Down Slow/6:42
Kansas City/3:16
Past Forty Blues/6:37
Times Are Getting Tough/2:21
Outskirts Of Town/2:32
S-K Blues/3:42
Around The Clock/6:37
Walkin' By Myself/2:55
No Rollin' Blues/6:27