Robben Ford Discussion

kirk95 · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2003 3:28 pm Post subject: Saw Steely Dan Last Night

Just caught the "Every Thing Must Go" Show.

The current band lineup is:

Jon Herington [Guitar]
Ted Baker [Keyboards]
Tom Barney [Bass]
Keith Carlock [Drums]
Jim Pugh [Trombone]
Cornelius Bumpus [Saxophone]
Michael Leonhart [Trumpet, Keyboards]
Walt Weiskopf [Saxophone]

Cynthia Calhoun [Backing Vocals]
Cindy Mizelle [Backing Vocals]
Carolyn Leonhart [Backing Vocals]

Go see this band while you can!

Great Players - everyone in the band smokes! The rhythm section of Tom Barney [Bass] and Keith Carlock [Drums] lay down some serious grooves! I dream to play with a rhythm section like that just once in my life!

Just incredible tunes! What can I say, the Dan catalog is about as good as it gets. They opened with Asia...I fell out of my chair. That is one challenging tune and they just ate up! The horn parts, the background singers, the guitar parts, the drum breaks, the groove....sick! Then they just go through the catalog and some newer stuff....Babylon Sisters, Peg, Black Cow, Jose, Hey 19, FM, and on and on climaxing with Don't Take Me Alive and then Kid Charlemagne and encoring with My Old School!

Jon Herrington is one smoking guitar player! They need him soloing more!!

Fagen's voice has never sounded better. Ok the only down side is Becker plays too much guitar! Don't get me wrong he is much better on guitar than the last show I saw two years ago. But he is the weakest improvisor on the stage and plays the most.

Go see this great band play while you still can! If you grew up with these guys in the 70's the memories and nostalgia come rushing back! Multilevel entertainment...highly recomemded! Very Happy

Guitar Gear:
Jon Herrington
336 Gibson
335 Gibson
Nashville Telecaster
Guytron amp

Walter Becaker
Sawdoski Strat all night
HeadTrip amp switcher
Mesa Boogie Amp
Bognar Exctasy
Top Hat Emplexador
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johan · Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2003 10:39 pm Post subject:

I'm in Sweden but will go to NYC and Boston in September. Will miss SD by a week or so. DAMN! Love that band. Just listened to the 4CD box the other day. Hope to see them in Europe sometime this winter....

Agree about the Walter Becker part. He's one half of the band but his skills on guitar is nowhere near what Carlton, Randall etc did on the old albums...

wintomato · Member Joined: 25 Jul 2003 Posts: 13 Location: London UK

dammit, I must emigrate to the US, they get all the decent music playing... all we get in the uk is robbie williams or s club 7.. although I do have tickets to see jeff beck.
I don't think I'll ever get a chance to see Tribal Tech live! Don't think Steely Dan are venturing to London. Bugger.

telefunk1 · Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2003 5:35 am Post subject:

Hey Kirk:

Do you know who the guitar player was on SDs Live in America CD? I am borrowing a copy from a friend, but without the case so no liner notes. This is a great CD, but the guitar tone drives me nuts (too thin), and he gets a little sloppy at times. Not up to par with the bass and drums, who just cook. The drum breaks on Josie are incredible. Just curious. Thanks.

johan · Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2003 5:41 am Post subject:

Jojje Wadenius played some of the parts I think. He's also from Sweden. I'll catch him here in a week or so. He's playing with all sorts of people + some sologigs..(mostly songs for children!)

I guess some of the thin tones you hear could be Walter Becker. Not the greatest guitarist IMO.

kirk95 · Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2003 7:51 am Post subject:

telefunk1 · Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2003 8:29 am Post subject:

No kidding - Carlton is the man as far as SD guitar goes. His instrumental version of Josie is incredible, too. I like to listen to his older work with the Crusaders before gigs - it makes me slow my playing down and really think about the songs and try and make everything count. Kind of my zen approach.

And Dennis Chambers and Peter Erskine on drums on the live Dan CD - so much taste! If you like John McLaughlin you need to check out his CD with Joey DeFranchesco (B3) and Chambers - Live in Tokyo. Incredible stuff, and McLaughlin swings like I have never heard him before.

GraemeD · Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2003 9:48 am Post subject: Josie

Hi

Robben plays 'Josie' on the John Alberti album 'Short Denim Skirts' (re-release of 'Implication & Innuendo' (I think !)).

Graeme

telefunk1 · Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2003 11:45 am Post subject:

Got inspired (and did not feel like working anyway) and checked out Carlton's web site. There are a bunch of mp3's to listen to - one is a live medley of his solos - Hill Street Blues, Kid C, Don't Take me Alive, and Put it where you Want it. He just tears them up.

roadwarriorfortheblues

Your original post on this thread was enough motivation to get me back to another Steely Dan Show. It was a great show last night ! They played for a solid 2-1/2 hours and Fagen's voice was as fresh in the encore as it was in the opener ! Every song he sung had an eerie similarity to the studio tracks laid down decades ago. I ask, how, after all these years, does he sound exactly the same? If not for a lyrical slip-up midway into the show i wouldn't have believed what i was hearing. It was really that good.

The band was amazing... they truly re-created the Steely Dan studio sound over and over and over again, all night long. It didn't matter which album they were playing from -- all 13 songs were performed as if they had taken us (all 6000 fans) back to each studio session in a "time machine."

The stops we made along the way: Aja, Black Cow, Babylon Sisters, Slang of Ages, Janie Runaway, Hey 19, Everything Must Go, Lunch with Gina, Josie, Kid Charlemagne, Don't Take Me Alive, My Old School, and FM.

I was pleased to see the spotlight shine on lead guitarist (and time machine pilot Very Happy

) Jon Herington as much as on Fagen himself... and Fagen's backup, Ted Baker, also got a fair share of the spotlight for his outstanding performance. I think Becker saved his personal best for the last song of the night -- FM. It was a warm and heartfelt finish... yes, the perfect "good bye."

Now here's the kicker... the cost of this nostalgic evening? $5 for parking and $10 for beverages ! I went to the box office to buy tickets before the show and the box office gave me two free tickets !

grant420 · Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2003 8:51 am Post subject: Fiddler's Green Steely Dan show

Hey DH:

I recorded the show you and I attended at Fiddler's in August. I received free tix through the DenverPost.com website contest, and THOROUGHLY enjoyed the show. Razz

I was way in back, on the green, but I think the recording came out pretty good (except for quite a bit of talking on it)

Grant

kirk95

grant420

DH

I'll burn you a copy (once I transfer the music from minidisc to CD) if interested, email me your address to grizzgonk@yahoo.com
I know Robben doesn't approve, but I also recorded a GREAT show of his from 3/22/03 in Sparks, NV. I do NOT sell copies of this kind of thing, but if you want to check it out, I will burn you free copies of that and send as well.
Shhh... don't tell Robben.

Grant Cool

nineacres · Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2003 2:40 am Post subject:

... briefly getting back to the Steely Dan theme, anyone remember Drew Zing, who played on the New York Rock and Soul review CD? Frightening stuff!
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PierreL · Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2003 3:44 am Post subject:

I think that I have some Adam Holzman records with Drew Zing as the guitarist. Will have to listen to them again, does not remember exactly his playing.
(By the way, everything connects : Adam Holzman used to play with Miles Davis when Robben was with Miles too...)