Robben Ford Discussion

[patfitz]

Hi Gang,
I am wondering if anyone is famliar with the yellowjackets material.
I am trying to decide whether I should shell out for tickets or not.
I have heard the blue line stuff, some of the early with the Ford band and other albums but none of the yellowjackets albums. Of course I expect
it to be good, just wondering what flavor it is.
Thanks for reading
Regards,
Patrick

[BlueRunner]

patfitz: You are either very, very newbie ... or you're pulling our legs.

My jaw dropped when I saw that Robben would be reunited with the rest of the 'Jackets at Monterey this year. And top that off with his own band the next day?

Unfortunately, we won't be able to get up there. But patfitz, trust me. Whatever it takes -- walk, don't run -- hock everything -- and get tix for both days. If you don't, you'll regret it. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon. And then forever.

(We got to see Robben united with the originals, e.g., Russ, Ricky and Jimmy, about four years at the Ford Amphitheatre in L.A. And to top it off, Robben played an opening set with Anne. One of those totally magic evenings.)
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- BlueRunner

[patfitz]

Thanks Blue,
I am kind of a new-oldie.
First heard robben with his brother on a charle ford band tape a freind
gave me 'cause mark and my harp styles were similar. Kind of legato
with that butterfield vibrato to it. Got that in 1980, played it until it broke.
I always try and catch them when they play together but I was bummed
when I saw mark last and he literally covered himself with tatoos, tacky.
Then recently went and saw robben in santa cruz and was thrilled!
I think that he is better than Clapton, I've never heard clapton play
a solo that went from jazz-swing-blues and not miss a note. Robben is
truely a blessing. I appreciate his dedication, and the fact he has truly blended styles so well. but now I'm blathering. Anyways, I
bought a bunch of cd's but nothing with the jackets.
I got, daughter, blue line, mystic mile and sunrise.
Thanks, I've been debating buying tickets but I think I'll shell out
for all three days and catch bonnie raitt also.

Can anyone make any recomendations as to their favorite albums also?

regards,
Patfitz

[jdlwcec]

Patfitz,
I first heard Robben's guitar in the early 80s (had no idea who was playing it) on a cd called Casino Lights, which was a live performance of the Yellowjackets, David Sanborn, Buzz Feiten, Al Jarreau, Larry Carlton and many more at Montreaux Jazz Festival. The licks I heard made me want to find out more and that led me to the Yellowjackets first cd (same name) and Robben's first solo cd called Inside Story (which is essentially the beginnings of the Yellowjackets). I suggest you start with those three to get the full treatment of Robben's early jazz influence. It is still some of my favorite all time jazz fusion. When he left the Yellowjackets (after the second cd called Mirage a Trois) the group went toward a smoother jazz direction without much guitar (it was already headed there), which was undoubtedly commercially successful, but in my view they needed the edge that Robben provided. Nevertheless, the players in the Yellowjackets are extremely talented (I suggest you try out Run for Your Life and you'll get a sense of their skill) and I have no doubt that a reunion of that band will be tremendous. I have considered flying from Colorado for those concerts (and still might).

P.S., if you haven't seen it already, buy the live DVD of Robben's performance at the New Morning club in Paris a few years ago. It is a great representation of his ability to span genres and perform at the highest level with seemingly no ego involved.

Hope this helps.
Peace.

Dan L.

[BlueRunner]

patfitz: So where ya' been hiding? Welcome aboard. Glad to hear that you've heard lots of both Robben and Mark. (And Pat.)

"The Inside Story," generally recognized at the first Yellowjackets album (even though they weren't quite the Yellowjackets at that point -- most listings show it as a Robben Ford album) is a great place to start. It's been reissued by a German company, and shows up both new and used at places like Amazon. (I found my copy a while back in a used record store in Long Beach.)

As for the Yellowjackets going a slightly different direction post-Robben, they've definitely been trailblazers in the jazz world, even though one would hardly describe them as new-wave, or straight-ahead, or the other sort of "purist" genres. I've always been very partial to their 1987 release "Four Corners," and in particular the tune "Wildlife" on that album. It was my first real introduction to African-style polyrhythmic style in jazz. Haslip and Ferrante are the constants throughout the Yellowjackets' past 25 years, and they've gone some interesting places.

As for Mark Ford -- the guy is just so lyrical and talented. Don't know if you have the "Center Stage" CD that Pat Ford put together on his BlueRockit label from a live show at Sierra Nevada Brewery that was on the all-too-short reunion tour the Ford brothers undertook a couple of years ago. (I caught them at Moe's in Santa Cruz. Knock-out show.) Anyway, Mark's stuff on that CD is great, and you get a good sense of how much fun he has with the crowd. As for the tattoos, well ... when my daughters were teenagers and getting intereted in such things I found a great photo of a bunch of 70-ish and 80-ish men and women, shirtless at a tattoo convention for senior citizens. "Look," I told them, "the tattoos are OK, but at a certain age the CANVAS starts to stretch out and sag." I don't know if that did the trick, but they're in their late 20's, and neither has ever gotten a tattoo. (Or at least not one on any body part Dad ever sees.)

Anyway, have a great time at Monterey, and be sure to post a report.
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- BlueRunner