Robben Ford Discussion

[jconstant]

I saw Robben last night at Catalina Bar & Grill and it was one of my favorite shows of his I've ever been to. And I've been to a lot.

Everything about it was fantastic - the venue, the waitress, our seats, and more importantly the musicians and the music were outstanding. The band was entirely new to me:

Jim Cox - Hammond B3
David Pitch - Bass
Stephen Baxter - Trombone
Lamar Carter - Drums

I'm played trombone throughout high school and college so I really enjoyed Stephen. He even took a few solos using - and I'm not making this up - the rind of a very large grapefruit. Sounded great. And like I said, the whole band was just fantastic.

Robben played the Epiphone you see on the cover of the new CD all night long. I don't know if this is his '63 Riviera with the pick guard and tail piece removed or not though but it sure looks like it. He had two Dumbles but used just one of them.

There were pretty loose with the set list (I saw it on the floor after the show and it was quite different from what they played). They did several tunes from the new CD:

Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky
Birds Nest Bound
Oh, Virginia
Fair Child
You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine
Trick Bag
Fool's Paradise

They even through in Philly Blues, which many of you know he wrote a long time ago for his buddy Bob Malach.

And to top it off, I've now got an early copy of the new CD.

We all know Robben's thing with picture taking so I just grabbed a few snapshots of the stage before they came out and here they are: https://www.icloud.com/photostream/#A35qXGF1q8odh

I'll spare everyone all of the usual superlatives we've all heard before and just say that it was all just as you'd expect, a fantastic evening of music that I'll remember forever.
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"Somebody's got to make some music around here." - Robben Ford

[PaulG]

Thanks for the review, J.
I thought about going, but at my age, it would have to be an overnighter.
Did you hit the early or late show?

Good to hear it was a great show.

[jconstant]

Hey Paul. I guess I'm pretty lucky living so close to several places Robben plays.

I was at the late show which started at 10:30. I heard the first show sold out but there were less than 100 people in the crowd at the late show.

Good times!
Jim
_________________
"Somebody's got to make some music around here." - Robben Ford

[Danny]

I went to the early and late shows last night, and I'm still riding the endorphine high. I ended up chatting with Lamar for a bit before the show, not knowing that he was drumming for Robben! He's a young guy but he really knows his stuff. I got my vinyl copy of The Inside Story signed, but I decided to pass on the new album since I've got it pre-ordered already...

I was in the veeery back for the first set, but the guy at the front desk hooked me up for the second and I was right in the front row. I got tons of pictures; I know Robben's not cool with flash photography but he didn't seem to mind my iPhone (as the flash was off).

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v678/V3Iv3tR3v0Iv3r/Robben%20Ford%20Catalina%20Jazz/

I was really diggin the new material, I've never seen Robben with a horn player before and their back and forth worked very well. I actually ran into Stephen Baxter in the bathroom between sets, it's funny how that can happen in these tiny venues...but it was cool to be able to tell him how much I was enjoying the music.
Robben said the three nights at the Catalina were like a maiden voyage for this group as they'd just started touring in support of the album. The whole set really reflected the new band's dynamic, it was cool to see the sense of spontaneity inherent in breaking in a new band, happening on stage right in front of you.

The whole set was really loose, with Robben calling out the tunes one after the other, disregarding the setlist. There were several jams and shifts taking place at the drop of a hat, with great interplay between the musicians. The setlist I got reads:

Everything I Do (Gonna Be Funky)
Fair Child
Birdsnest
Oh Virginia (a beautiful tune, Robben did some really cool stuff with it)
Slick Capers
Nothin to Nobody (apparently written with Michael McDonald? I had no idea)
You Go Your Way (the Dylan tune)
Too Much
On That Morning
Trick Bag
Philly Blues

Both sets included most of the new tunes, with some ordering differences +/- a tune or two.

I'm glad I was able to see the birth of what I'm sure will be an awesome tour, that Epiphone is gonna get a LOT of use over the next few months!
_________________
"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

[Linville]

I see he has the Zendrive back in play, dont see the Line 6 delay though? Weird to see the Zendrive on the board when hes using the Dumble.

[jconstant]

I meant to mention the Zendrive but forgot. I was really surprised not only to see it there but that he actually used it with the Dumble several times. I wonder what his thinking is there.
_________________
"Somebody's got to make some music around here." - Robben Ford

[Linville]

Dumble on steroids?

[BlueRunner]

So what are the chances this is the band Robben will have with him when he hits Yoshi's-Oakland March 1, 2 & 3?

Thanks for the great reviews, guys.


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- BlueRunner

[Danny]

I think the chances are pretty high of seeing the same band next month, Robben recorded the album with these guys (I'm 99% sure) so I'd think he would be touring with them as well. Plus I don't think Robben would refer to those three nights as a 'maiden voyage' if the band was going to be a short term deal.
_________________
"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

[jconstant]

I was thinking the same thing, Danny. I've heard Robben talk about how expensive it is to pay for touring so the larger the band, the more that costs. However, I'd say there's a pretty good chance of seeing these same guys at Yoshi's because a) it's not that far from here so the cost might not be high as other places and b) it's Yoshi's, which is a special place, I think, for Robben and all of the local fans up there.

The tougher question is probably whether or not he'll take a band this large to many other places around the U.S. or abroad.

By the way, David Pitch (bass) and Stephen Baxter (trombone) are on the new CD but Lamar Carter (drums) and Jim Cox (B3) aren't.
_________________
"Somebody's got to make some music around here." - Robben Ford

[Danny]

Im pretty sure Lamar said he had some part in recording the album, but I suppose if he had it would be in the liner notes. Seeing as Ill have to wait for my copy of the album though I cant say ;)
I think at the very least Robben will have Stephen Baxter with him on tour. I say this because having a trombone in the band makes a pretty fundamental difference in the band's sound, and that new sound is kind of the focus of Bringing It Back Home.
Having that B3 in the mix was pretty awesome though, it really filled out the sound and it was one more person to take/trade solos. Im a sucker for the B3+Leslie speaker combo though.
_________________
"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

[Linville]

[jconstant]

Hey Danny, I don't know how, but I missed your review at the top. I didn't realize you'd talked to Lamar too. I talked to him after the second show for awhile and I thought he told me he just started playing with Robben recently and wasn't on the album. Travis Carlton got Lamar hooked up with Robben when he was putting the tour together and looking for a drummer.

But you know, I had a few drinks that night so it's possible I misunderstood. I'll take a look at the CD again tonight and double check.

Jim
_________________
"Somebody's got to make some music around here." - Robben Ford

[tboulette]

I'm extremely jealous.

I have the impression, based upon the new pedal board Robben has been using according to other posts around here, that he may not be using the overdrive channel on the Dumble (much). Shocking thought, but given that all his delay and reverb is in front of the amp I'm left with no other reasonable conclusion. Hence the zendrive, I'd suppose.

[Linville]

http://www.guitarworld.com/premiere-robben-ford-most-likely-you-go-your-way-and-i-ll-go-mine