If you’re a guitar fan, LA has been a hint of heaven this spring and summer as a parade of some of the world’s best guitarists have been passing through. We’re not even half way done with the year and we’ve seen Eric Johnson/Mike Stern, John Abercrombie, Alan Holdsworth, Al DiMeola, Tedeschi-Trucks and Buddy Guy just for starters. The lesson to be learnt from these artists is that the number one quality an artist has must be an individual sound; if you’ve got that, you’re good to go. So, who’s next in town?
Robben Ford came to Agoura Hills on the tail end of his American tour which is highlighting his latest album, Into The Sun. He’s got a bluesier band than usual in Brian Allen/b, Wes Little/dr and David Grissom/g with just about every tune including a hint of indigo during the fervent 90 minute set. The opening rock boogie instrumental “Just Like It Is” immediately displayed Ford’s distinctly lithe and flexible sounding work on the strings, while his voice mixes an earthy twang with a catchy pop clarity on the cruising “Howling At The Moon” and laconically foreboding “Midnight Comes Too Soon.”
Like a master chef, Ford mixes together his favorite ingredients in various degrees on each serving to keep each plate unique, yet with a unifying flavor. He lets the Southern comfort slide into “Same Train” while the lazy glide of “Rose of Sharron” featured acoustic guitar work by Grissom that took you to a back porch in the Cumberland Gap. Ford then took the crowd a bit deeper into the swamp on a thick and humid “High Heels and Throwin’ Things” that went from a funky stomp to a jazzy joy ride as Allen and Little did some slick and soulful duet work together. A boogie shuffle on “Slick Capers” lead to a tribute to BB King on the instrumental “Indianola” before a hand jiving “Loving Cup” closed the set with a rich 8 to the bar blues. The mix of concise and clear material, a unique sound on guitar and voice, yet with a heart in the deep waters of the blues makes every tune delivered by the leader Built Ford Tough.
Upcoming tantalizing guitar feasts at the Canyon Club include Steve Earle 06/17, Robin Trower 06/18, Albert Lee 06/25, John Mayall 07/05, Robert Clay 07/31