Robben Ford Discussion

Jeff Portferson · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 12:24 pm Post subject: Greetings, at last.

Man, I've been meaning to get around to this for a long time. My name's Dean. Been listening to the master for almost 30 years. By day, I work in the microelectronics industry as a programmer/sysadmin. By night, I have a little band that plays a lot of, guess what, Robben Ford tunes. We have some samples posted on our web site. Check'm out. I'd love to know what you think. http://www.nobodysfoolweb.com

Also, if there's a keyboard player out there living in obscurity somewhere in Suffolk County, Long Island, that can play this stuff, by all means, send a message in a bottle: bluesday@optonline.net

JohnnyZ · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 4:18 pm Post subject:

Dean, welcome. I listened to the songs on your website- really good stuff. I especially like how tight the band sounds. Keep going!

AndyR · Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2006 10:30 am Post subject: Hi-dee HO!!!

Hey Dean !!!

Your samples sound great...I'd LOVE to play keys with you guys!!! Very Happy

I, too, am planning on seeing Larry/Robben on 03/17/06...

...maybe we can kick 'em off the stage and have a REAL jam !!!! Razz

Andy

Jeff Portferson · Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2006 11:38 am Post subject:

Hi Andy

Glad you like our sound. I'm guessing from your photo that you play guitar as well as keys. I also play five-string banjo, although we don't use it currently in the "act." haha

Your profile lists you as located in Baltimore, but since you say you are going to the March 17 show, and that you would "LOVE to play keys" with us, I'm wondering if you are in fact closer to us.

By the way, I read somewhere that Bill Boublitz was originally from Baltimore. I love the stuff he did with the Blue Line band.

Tell me more.

Regards,
Dean

AndyR · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 4:14 am Post subject:

Dean,

Yeah, I do live just outside Baltimore...I'll be taking a road trip to LI for the show, as a 50th birthday present to myself...I think I'll be staying at HoJo's in Commack(?)

My avatar is the late, great Joe Pass (he had way less hair, and WAY more chops than me!) One of Robben's lessons in GP was based on a Joe Pass comping sequence.

BTW, I'll be setting up my Yamaha keyboard next to my PC, so I can jam with your band! Wink

I'll try to shoot you an email soon.

Smile

Andy

JohnnyZ · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 8:39 am Post subject:

AndyR · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 9:41 am Post subject: JP

Hi JZ,

For those not familiar, Joe Pass was a MONSTER player !!! Shocked

The first time I heard him was the mind-blowing musical experience of my then-short life...and yet to this day.

I was fortunate enough to see him perform solo, I sat about 15 ft away in a small club. Unbelievable.

What was really freaky is that Pass never rehearsed for a performance, he always played "off the cuff."

Anybody who plays guitar should check out his work.

Smile

Andy

Daved · Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 9:49 am Post subject:

I, too, wondered if that was Phil (LOL).
But now that you've mentioned it, I do recognize it as Joe. He looks considerably younger in your photo than he does on the cover of one of my fave CDs in my collection... "Roy Clark & Joe Pass Play Hank Williams" (with John Pisano/rhythm guitar, Jim Hughart/bass, Colin Bailry/drums).
Robben asked to borrow it for a listen sometime soon when I mentioned it to him recently.
I highly recommend it to any fans of Joe and/or Roy (In my case, it was Roy whose clean expertise with just about any stringed instrument boggles my mind).
Although being longtime admirers of each other, the two had never met before walking into the studio and whipping out this excellent CD. They sound like they had been a Blue-Jazz duo together most of their lives. Their complimentary interplay is so smooth, pleasing, and interesting.
An instrumental album with 12 songs recorded direct-to-digital over 2 days in Hollywood and released on the Ranwood lable, it was Joe's last recording before he passed away.
_________________
B C-ing U!
( }:-Daved
"This boy's diseased with rhythm!" -Bing Crosby (Road To Rio, '49)

Jeff Portferson · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 7:29 am Post subject: Joe Pass resemblance.

Hi Andy,

Sure, I'm familiar with Joe Pass. I just figured you were going for that Joe Pass "look" in your picture Wink

Dean
_________________
"To be is to do"--Socrates.
"To do is to be"--Jean-Paul Sartre.
"Do be do be do"--Frank Sinatra.

AndyR · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 8:12 am Post subject:

My 40 year-old bro hates me cause he's bald, and I have a full head of hair !!! Razz

In regards to Daved's post, what a coincidence...Roy Clark plays the banjo, and so does Dean !!! Laughing

That Pass/Clark recording must be great. I did know that Pass was a big fan of Danny Gatton, and Gatton was influenced by Roy Clark (don't know if the 2 ever played together, but both Clark and Gatton are/were good ol' Maryland boys.)

Hey Dean, you need to add some Bela Fleck material to the act...Johnny Z can wear his Zorro costume and cover the Futureman parts. Razz

Bela and Futureman:

Andy