Robben Ford: Pure

Blues-rock legend Robben Ford adds another notch to his catalogue with a tasty collection of instrumental originals that make you beg for the list of guitars used. With a rotating spartan rhythm section  that includes Patrick Ford-Casey Wasner-Keith Wasner-Shannon Forrest/dr and Brian Allen-Anton Nesbitt/-Dave Row-Steve Mackey/b, Ford  also plays the keyboards a bit, and adds exotic flavors such as the oud, which actually mixes well on the rockish “Pure (Prelude)” and more developed “Pure”. Ford shows his swamp chops with Memphis styled horns on the funky “Go” and takes a trip to Chicago with a Hammond B3 and Bill Evans with Jeff Coffin on tenor saxes  on “Blues For Lonnie Johnson”. The pair also join with a shuffling Ford on the slow and gritty “White Rock Beer…8 Cents” and Ford builds up steam like a V8 on the dark ballad “Balafon”. He mixes acoustic and electric strings on the strong rocker “A Dragon’s Tail” and  plays comfort food on the laid back “If You Want Me To”. As with a tasty ax men, Ford is at his best on his own, and his picking is clean and earthy on the tasty “Milam Palmo” with percussionist Wes Little. Classic casual, like blue jeans and a black T-shirt.

www.robbenford.com

 

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