Robben Ford -- Traditional to Contemp...

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Author Message   Allears Username: Allears Registered: 6-2007 Posted on Tuesday, July 17, 2007 - 8:23 pm:    Credit Bluesmeister: Once again I'm starting a thread that Bluesmeister has suggested and deserves to be the grandaddy of. The thread has been carried over from one that started on the AR-300. When I started making comparisons between the craftsmanship of the 300 and my Robben Ford Ultra, JohnS asked me if I'd seen Robben Ford. As the dicussion splintered, Bluesmeister then suggested starting a thread in the Artist Appreciation Section on 'Sir' Robben Ford: so here we are. Robben Ford, like John Scofield is one of the most protean and revolutionary blues players I've ever heard. Somewhere on this site I quoted Scofield as saying that "Blues is the greatest musical invention of the 20th century" Howcome? (Maximum-Feasible-Raw-Intensity is assumed here). I think because Blues so malleable and it's inherently chromatic. It also defies the traditional definition of a key. Also, the dominat 7th chords move differently than in the Western Classical Tradition (not to mention that it's the ending chord and not a chord that demands resolution). Blues can swing or be straight 8ths, It demands that we truly learn to hear micro-tonally (1/4 and 1/8 tones)-- also outside the Western Classical Tradiion. Blues has many varied forms -- 8, 12, 16, 24, 13, 18, 20 bars(!)-- Ford even does a 17 bar country swing -- see below). Blues lends itself to Rock, Jazz, Bluegrass, Dixieland, Acoustic, Slide, Fingerstyle. Distortion, etc... Blues is so malleable it's incredible. BUT not everybody hears that. Many think Blues is simply a 3 chord idiom with a 5 note scale (I certainly sure did at one time) -- and it's that also...but there's still more for everybody on the block...all sorts of levels as your ears will allow for... And Robben Ford continually reminds us of how elastic Blues really is time and time again on every CD. Whether he's playing a rock shuffle like Talk to Your Daughter, a contemporary chromatic harmonized composition like Mose Allison's "Aint Got Nothin' But the Blues", or a hot smoking piece like "The Brother"; Robben Ford'll take you places in the Blues that you never thought of. You never know what his next CD is going to sound like. I've been studing him for 30 years and he's still always a surprise. In the previous thread Bluesmeister was saying to JimmmyS that he liked the Blue Line better than Talk Your Daughter. Carrying on: TTYD v. The Blue Line. Jimmys, please get both of them!. Which is better? Depends what your listening for: They’re both excellent in many different ways. TTYD is much more hip and a great study from the standpoint of contemporary harmonization, chromaticism lines and counterpoint (Got Nothin' But the Blues, Getaway, Help the Poor, and Revelation). For example, the 1st chord in 'Getaway' is an Eb/E that most players don’t even hear; Mose Allison’s GNBTB has the super-hip contemporary D/Bb/C voicing as a II7 or IV7 chord depending on how you hear it – rare and is Ford at his best from the contemporary chord standpoint, etc. TTYD also has the incredible grooves and drumming of Vinnie Colaiuta to whom I could listen without listening to anything or anyone else on TTYD. On The Blue Line Ford's going down a completely different path. Here he's much more traditional in composition, hamonization, form and feel. Bluesmeister is right also. 'The Brother' smokes and Tom Brechtlein is a top notch drummer as well and provides a 'powerhouse' and smoking funky groove. The Blue Line also has the lovely 'One For Annie (Life Song)'* with some real nice voicings a la Mayfield/Hendrix (Little Wing). A truly gorgeouis composition worth study in itself. Either song is worth the price of the CD. Ford also plays some cool chromatic Lydian Dominant lines on the bVI7 chord (I think it’s an Eb7#11) on Prisoner of Love in G minor. (I’m really stretching my memory here and am waiting to be corrected.) Ford is masterful in both contemporary and traditional approaches to Blues harmonization, composition and soloing. On another album (Mystic Mile?) he even does a 17 bar county swing (‘Misdirected Blues’) with some of the hippest superimposed Be Bop lines you could imagine; and his rhythms are so fluid they’re amazing. Jing Chi, Tiger Walk, Mystic Mile, Talk to Your Daughter, The Blue Line...There's something there for everybody. Credit here goes to Bluesmeister once again. *that song is transcribed in the book 'The Robben Ford Blues Guitar Collection' Published by Hal Leonard HL00690042 http://www.amazon.com/Robben-Ford-BluesGuitarColle ction/dp/0793544548/ref=sr_1_1/104-9902905-9635969 ?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184633282&sr=1-1 Best, Allears   Bluesmeister Username: Bluesmeister Registered: 5-2004 Posted on Wednesday, July 18, 2007 - 1:38 am:    Another incredibly detailed and thoughtfully written essay from Allears. Robben Ford very successfully combines his knowledge and love of Jazz and Blues, and together with his amazing ability to lay down some blistering and, more importantly, very tasteful solos, he's got to be high on the list of contemporary masters of the genre. Of course, my preference for RF&TBL over TTYD is a personal one and should in no way be regarded as definitive. For those of you unfamiliar with his work, you should make the effort to check out his music and his official web site. http://www.robbenford.com/ I'd really like to get hold of the Robben Ford DVD The Blues And Beyond, but I've never seen it on sale in Downunderland. I may just have to get my friend Ms Amazon to post a copy to me. http://www.amazon.com/Blues-Beyond-Robben-Ford/dp/ B00007D5JT   Ibanezfreak1960 Username: Ibanezfreak1960 Registered: 3-2004 Posted on Sunday, September 09, 2007 - 7:56 am:    My 1st experience hearing Robben was when he toured with George Harrison is 1974. My very 1st concert ever. Goerges voice was hoarse but the band was tight. But Robben did a solo for the Beatle tune For You Blue and I was impressed by it to say the least.   Sixvsix Username: Sixvsix Registered: 3-2002 Posted on Sunday, September 09, 2007 - 11:34 pm:    I first became a fan of Robben around 1981 when I heard the first Yellowjackets album. Man.. he smoked the geetar on that recording. He's influenced me a great deal since. I love the way he plays around the corners... so to speak. six   Michaelkaufman Username: Michaelkaufman Registered: 11-2002 Posted on Monday, September 10, 2007 - 9:15 pm:    Speaking of Robben Ford & Gil Parris: Gil sent me an e-mail. He will be playing with Robben next Monday & Tuesday in Manhattan: http://www.smarttix.com/show.aspx?showCode=ROB4 If anyone goes, let me know and we can meet up. mk   Chucke99 Username: Chucke99 Registered: 2-2007 Posted on Sunday, September 23, 2007 - 5:52 pm:    I ran into the following Robben Ford model Fender guitar at the Seattle/Tacoma guitar show this weekend. Thought you'd all like to take a look. The first one is signed by Robben (earlier, he was not there today) and the second is another that the fellow who owned them had on hand. -Chuck

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