Joined: 13 Jan 2008 Posts: 145 Location: Sandy Eggo
Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 2:54 pm Post subject: Re: Similar Blues players
FatTeleTom wrote:
Seems to me that you would have to slice and dice "the blues" into some awfully narrow categories to put those guys in completely different bags.
Yeah, pretty much, I don't see a problem with that. Going through my music library it's all under the genre 'Blues' but I don't see why categorizing them differently in my head is so bad. Granted there's common ground between all of them, but you probably wouldn't see Robben come up if you put in Kenny Wayne Shephard on Pandora.
I tried to be careful in saying they all inhabit different niches in the blues, because jazz/blues is certainly different than rock/blues, gospel/blues, or just the blues. Like you said Tom, it's all music to me, and damn good music at that, but forgive me for having a bit more of an analytical mind.
Maybe I came off as being forward or blunt, and for that I apologize, but something about the phrases "Recently i was scrolling through my extensive blues guitar collection..." and "PS (please don't suggest..." irked me, they came off as "I'm 19, have a remarkable blues collection, and I know everything there is to know about these people so don't mention them.". Maybe I read too into the original post, but oh well.
Back to The Inside Story... _________________ "Music is the only thing that you can share with a million million people and you don't lose, you gain. It helps you to get energy and to live long, because when your soul is very happy then you don't want to die." - Ali Akbar Khan
Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 173 Location: Santa Barbara
Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:07 pm Post subject:
I've been watching this thread with interest because let's face it, how many of us have asked the same question at some time or another.
After buying RFs entire catalogue of music and video AND dipping into the 'Also heard on...' list, provided by JohnnyZ some time ago, I feel hungrier than ever for more great guitar.
Last year, in a particularly depressed funk, I went to CDBaby and started searching for some less known artists (at least to me). Using their search, I tried 'Jazzy Blues' and it came back with lot's of music I had never heard of. While scrolling, one finally said 'Recommended if you like Robben Ford'. So, I tried searching simply for Robben Ford, and found a bunch of cds that they consider similar to RF. I purchased several of these, with mixed results. I was happy to see some familiar names, such as Volker and Garth, which I already own. Of the new to me artists, my favorite is Dave Specter. Truely a blues guitarist with the right amount of jazz overtones.
Take a look at this list. I'm sure most other cd sites would have a similar search. Would love to here other recommendations.
Thanks for all the suggestions! i've started checking these guys out and i'm really digging what i'm hearing. Allen Hinds is great!
I am sorry that you felt like i came across as an arrogant 19 year old. I don't think that i am...i probably wouldn't be asking for suggestions if i had the most remarkable blues collection and knew everything about blues guitarists.
Ford is in a class by himself, and I love his playing, but so is Robin Trower. In my opinion, no one can beat Trower for pure emotional playing on a blues scale. Sure, he's just pentatonic, but I've never heard anyone wring more feeling, and with so few notes, out of that scale than Trower. It's also about 'tone', and Trower is a master of tone.
Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:32 pm Post subject: Re: Similar Blues players
Musicinmysoul wrote:
Yeah, pretty much, I don't see a problem with that. Going through my music library it's all under the genre 'Blues' but I don't see why categorizing them differently in my head is so bad.
It's neither bad nor good. Categories can certainly be helpful in seeking out new music or artists.
But I believe the original poster was looking for suggestions in the broad category of "electric blues", not some narrow niche, who shared similarities to Robben in terms of "conviction, passion and ridiculous precision".
Maybe the OP was in fact looking for players operating in a more narrowly defined niche, but that's not how I read the original request.
In any case, I can't remember if anyone has thrown out Scott Henderson yet, but I've become a huge fan of his over the last couple of years. Took some time to fully appreciate him, but now I realize he's a monster player. The most blues-tinged stuff can be found on albums like "Dog Party" and (my favorite) "Tore Down House", but he has huge range from his many "Tribal Tech" releases to his more recent stuff, like his 2-disc live set.
Blues? Jazz? Fusion? Rock? Yeah, Scott's all of those things and more, and sometimes on the same album. Sometimes on the same song.
Joined: 19 Sep 2003 Posts: 646 Location: City of Trees, USA
Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2009 5:36 pm Post subject:
telemadness: I didn't see any of your query as "arrogant" in any way, 'tho I can also appreciate Musicinmysoul's perspective. This is one of those really fun "why do I prefer stuff like this but can't really explain why?" sorts of things. When you hear Robben's jazz sensibility, folks like Larry Carlton and Mike and Leni Stern come to mind, and you think to yourself "I really like that sort of stuff." Then you can put on a Hound Dog Taylor tune and enjoy it just as much.
To further consider why you like some styles more than others, here's a fun exercise. Listen in sequence to three versions of "Don't Let Me Be Misundertood," the great tune written by Horace Ott (who got left off the official credits due to a scrap of some sort between ASCAP and BMI), Gloria Caldwell, Bennie Benjamin (of Funk Brothers fame) and Sol Marcus: The first recording, from 1964, by Nina Simone; then the version the Animals did a year later; and finally Robben's 1995 recording with the Blue Line. It's during the last 60 seconds or so of Robben's version that it becomes obvious what Robben is all about. He can take something you've taken for granted for years, and then spin it in ways you'd hadn't even dreamed of.
That may be why it's tough to name musicians who are "like" or "similar to" Robben. There just aren't any. _________________ - BlueRunner
Joined: 12 Jan 2004 Posts: 92 Location: Ing-Ger-Lund!
Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 2:25 am Post subject:
Phill_B wrote:
Matt Schofield, Garth Webber, and Chris Cain.
Glad to see Matt Schofield has got some recognition on your side of the pond. His new album is fantastic - and, as I understand it, you're all going to get a lot more opporunities to see him play live in the coming months. I just wish Chris Cain would recipricate the favour! _________________ I first started to play guitar 35 years ago... Trouble is, I had 20 years off in the middle.
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telemadness: I didn't see any of your query as "arrogant" in any way, 'tho I can also appreciate Musicinmysoul's perspective. This is one of those really fun "why do I prefer stuff like this but can't really explain why?" sorts of things. When you hear Robben's jazz sensibility, folks like Larry Carlton and Mike and Leni Stern come to mind, and you think to yourself "I really like that sort of stuff." Then you can put on a Hound Dog Taylor tune and enjoy it just as much.
