Any Robben Ford fans?

[57gold]

Just ripped my CD of Robben's new release called "Bring it back home" and it sounds great.

 

Very musical cat. His playing is some of his most direct and heartfelt; he is a bluesman who studied jazz and incorporates some of its harmony and sophistication into his playing. This album is beautifully/naturally recorded and has an emotional directness that some of his more technically sophisticated and aggressive previous recordings (great stuff for students of guitar, but maybe of less broad appeal) may lack for some.

 

Met Robben at a 5 hour master class. Very cool guy who has played with Miles to George Harrison.

[Rat44]

Robben Ford and The Blue Line is a good album to check out.

Mystic Mile is pretty good too.

Been listening to him for years .

Hard to believe he's not more popular.

[57gold]

Agree...good music by great musicians doesn't equate to popularity, just like high food quality doesn't equate to sales (think McDonald's).

 

Can recommend Robben's rock band Renegade Creation with Michael Landau (another great guitarist), Robben's fantastic live performance with Larry Carlton on "Live in Tokyo" and have Larry's and Robben's joint acoustic CD on order.

[ted_b]

I love his guitar work on Rickie Lee Jones' Pop Pop minimalist jazz classics album (with Charlie Haden, etc). So, where is a good place to start (i.e somewhat minimalist as well?)

[57gold]

Hey ted_b,

 

Love Pop Pop. Told him so as did another guy at the master class. RF seemed surprised, like everyone knows him for his electric blues...told us that the producer called him in to play and handed him a nylon string guitar, not something he plays regularly and some charts, asked him to work out arrangements with the band. His musicality shines on that album.

 

I would get the new one, his simplest and most direct arrangements.

 

Then, if you like that and want to hear what he is "known for", check out others like "Mystic Mile", an electric blues album released in 1993; Chick Corea was the executive producer.