Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 886 Location: SF Bay Area
Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 11:04 am Post subject: Robben at Kuumbwa
Saw the first northern CA show last night at Kuumbwa, second set. Robben continues to inspire. The night was loose, Robben kept mentioning that is was their first gig. Someone had knocked the power cord for his rig out and he was dead at the beginning of the set. After that, they played Chevrolet and then Robben exchanged the Tele for the Carlton goldtop to start Indianola. But something was amis as he was clashing with the bass player (Andrew Ford, who was obviously rushing into the gig without much preparation as he was reading much of the night and looked uncomfortable on several songs). Robben checked with Andrew which key he was playing in, then mentioned to the audience that the song was actually written in two different keys. He must have thought that Andrew was remembering some earlier tour where they played it in a different key. Upshot was that the LP was out of tune. He gave it back to Daved and played the song on the Tele. Daved handed the LP back for the solo but it was still off. The tuner must have gotten into a weird mode, I know I hate those half step flat switches they have nowdays for the SRVaughnabees. Finally, Daved figured out what was off and Robben switched between the Carlton goldtop and the Tele all night. There were more guitars back there, possibly the new Baker, but Robben really seemed happy with the two. In fact, I saw him do something unique on Oasis, he used the neck pickup and rolled the tone back (unless that is really a rotary tap switch). He played the head with his thumb and fingerstyle and it sounded awesome.
Greg Mathison was really having a blast. I've not heard as much out single line stuff from him before. You could tell that he and Robben were inspiring each other. Even to their comps behind each other. Two masters of comping harmony, enjoying each other. Andrew was definitely into supporting. His ears were open wide to everything Robben and Greg were doing and he was finding harmony and lines to hold up the bottom end. A consumate pro. Gary Novack had definitely done his homework and had all the parts and dynamics down. Even though he played with Chick, he strikes me as a rock drummer with time straight down the middle. He doesn't have the loose limbed swing of Tom or Vinnie, which I personally prefer. Just a matter of taste. It certainly didn't affect Robben. I've seen him uncomfortable with drummers, you can hear it in his phrasing. Last night stuff just poured out of him. Definitely one of those classic "Robben" nights. _________________ There are no such things as wrong notes, there's only the look on your face.
My Stuff: www.stevekirbymusic.com
Joined: 09 Feb 2005 Posts: 197 Location: San Jose Ca.
Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 1:22 pm Post subject:
Saw the first set. Incredible! All the times i've seen Robben play, i've never seen him that animated, loose and aggressive all at the same time. He was taking loads of chances, playing loads of killer lines and chords, and was just really into the set. Maybe he had a Red Bull before tthe show. Mike's seen the guy a bunch more times than I have so i'd like to get his impressions. The Dumble was kicking ass too BTW.
Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 908 Location: Tampa Bay, FL
Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 10:54 am Post subject: kumbaya
Thanks for the review Aeolian! I've never heard Oasis live. Was it similar to the recording on Tiger Walk, or a different tempo? You mentioned Chevrolet and Indianola; what other songs are they playing? _________________ Travelling by train of thought
Joined: 19 Feb 2004 Posts: 103 Location: Upper left coast
Posted: Sun May 28, 2006 2:19 pm Post subject: Great review
Aeo, thanks for the great review. Saw Chris Cain last night with Dewayne Pate and Tyler Eng, and it's put me in the mood for the Robben Ford show here next month, just a couple weeks away. I may have to take a road trip to Jacksonville to see Robben and Larry play together. It's shaping up to be a great summer concert season up here.
Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 886 Location: SF Bay Area
Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 12:29 pm Post subject:
So, Daved, are we ever going to learn the story behind the wayward tuner?
Could be a valuable lesson. Anything that can trip up a pro would definitely be something to watch out for with the rest of us. For instance, this weekend I set up as quickly as I could, then sat down to get my free dinner (Sly McFly's on Cannery Row, good food). I finished with enough time that I decided to just check things again before we went on. My Boss TU2 floor pedal isn't really obvious if you are tuning to a particular note or if it is the sharp or flat of that note. As it turned out, I quietly strummed a chord and found my G string tuned to G#. Now I know to check the tuning by ear and against either the bass or keyboard player before starting up. _________________ There are no such things as wrong notes, there's only the look on your face.
My Stuff: www.stevekirbymusic.com
Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 886 Location: SF Bay Area
Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 12:51 pm Post subject: Re: kumbaya
[quote="roadwarriorfortheblues"] I've never heard Oasis live. Was it similar to the recording on Tiger Walk, or a different tempo? quote]
RW, Oasis was pretty similar to the recording. The best I've heard that song was when Red's buddy Myron was playing bass at Yoshi's. Myron had that thumpy bass line way late and underneath the song. It just gave it this really deep muscular groove. As Myron calls it, taking it to the basement. Andrew played it a bit lighter leaving Robben to establish the feel. And boy did Robben phrase it sweetly.
My personal opinion is that he plays any of the songs from that album far better live than what came out on the recording. I think letting them develop over time and getting into the tune helps him. For instance, he's played Help The Poor for years, recently really changing up the rhythm. This night he played it more conventionally, but still brought freshness and fire to the song. It's like an old broken in pair of shoes or something. There's no thought about how they feel or if they are comfortable, you just put them on and take off running. No thought for the shoes, just what you are doing in them. Same thing with Robben's songs. They just get better over time, as he gets so used to them, that his playing is freed of the song and it just pours out of him.
On the gear side, Oasis is one of the few instances where Robben used a Stratocaster. I saw him play it on his Strat a couple of times live and it was really cool and fit the feel of the song. The amazing thing was that at Kuumbwa, he was using the '57 Les Paul Standard that Larry Carlton gave him (what an amazing gift, Larry must really respect and admire Robben's love for Bloomfield to give him such a valuable copy of one of Mike's more famous guitars). And similarly to Larry, he turned down the tone control on the neck pickup. Humbucker pickups with the tone turned down, a very dark, jazzy sound for anyone else. But Robben elicited the feel and character of the song. There were probably folks there with the CD at home who thought that was the rig he recorded it with. Not that it sounded exactly like a Stratocaster, but that it sounded like the song. The man never ceases to amaze me. You really realize that it is the connection between the music and the soul, and not the equipment. _________________ There are no such things as wrong notes, there's only the look on your face.
My Stuff: www.stevekirbymusic.com
Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Posts: 908 Location: Tampa Bay, FL
Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 5:50 am Post subject:
Aeolian wrote:
My personal opinion is that he plays any of the songs from that album far better live than what came out on the recording.
When I first bought Tiger Walk, I thought I got a defective disc, because the drums are too loud. So, I went out and bought another copy of it... I've tried listening to it on all kinds of different players, but I still can't listen to it without being distracted by the drums. _________________ Travelling by train of thought
Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 886 Location: SF Bay Area
Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 8:26 am Post subject:
A couple of friends and I call that the snare drum record. I think Robben's intentions were wonderful. Get a crack rhythm section together, throw some charts at them, and let 'er rip. Kind of a modern day Kind of Blue. But I have the sense that it got away from him. I've heard him talk at clinics right afterwards about how impressed he was with these guys, and how they would tear down a drum set and switch it out for something that fit better in the song. I think they took more time getting their parts and sounds, than Robben got. In spite of the red spruce top Fender, his sound is kind of pinched and thin on that record. Oasis and Freedom with the Stratocaster are kind of reliefs.
But the songs endure, and with time he has found wonderful things to say with them. _________________ There are no such things as wrong notes, there's only the look on your face.
My Stuff: www.stevekirbymusic.com
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I've tried listening to it on all kinds of different players, but I still can't listen to it without being distracted by the drums.