Robben Ford "Handful Of Blues"

Robben Ford "Handful Of Blues"

album cover

Robben Ford
Handful Of Blues
The Story
On Robben Ford & The Blue Line's third CD, "Handful Of Blues", the leader/guitarist/singer gets back to what he's always been about, even when he wasn't playing it: the blues. "It's like my brother Mark said," Ford laughs. "'Well, you've regressed all the way now.' I have a tendency towards simple music, but it has to be a real, authentic, artistic statement, and it's never done without complete sincerity. There's something that happens when you get the music down to such basics. Rather than needing to make the music simpler so I could feel freer, I just sort of rediscovered that kind of openness that exists in the blues. That is the beauty of the blues, from a technical point of view. It inherently has an openness, due to the simplicity that I personally love." Harmonica chores on four tunes are handled, naturally, by Mark Ford, who augments the Blue Line along with Kortchmar's occasional rhythm guitar (and solo on "I Just Want To Make Love To You"), keyboardists Ricky Peterson and Russell Ferrante (the former having worked with Robben on David Sanborn sessions, the latter's association with Ford going back to 1972), and pianist Henry Butler.
The Music
03:57 Rugged Road Vocal
04:17 Chevrolet Vocal
04:57 When I Leave Here Vocal
03:19 The Miller's Son Instrumental
05:11 Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood Vocal
04:26 Top Of The Hill Vocal
04:15 Running Out On Me Vocal
04:12 Tired Of Talkin' Vocal
07:12 Good Thing Vocal
04:46 Think Twice Vocal
05:45 I Just Want To Make Love To You Vocal
03:17 Strong Will To Live Vocal
The Artists
Robben Ford Guitar, Vocals
Roscoe Beck Bass, Background Vocals
Tom Brechtlein Drums, Background Vocals
Russell Ferrante Piano, Electric Piano
Henry Butler Piano
Ricky Peterson Hammond Organ
Mark Ford Harmonica
Danny Kortchmar Production, Second Guitar
Brian Schuelbe Engineering
Josh Achziger Engineering Assistance
Tom Cadley Additional Engineering
Michael Brauer Mixing
Bruck Dawit Mixing Assistance
Greg Calbi Mastering
Jeff Rivera Technical Assistance
Francis Trouette Live Sound
Mary Hogan Production Coordination
Chick Corea Executive Production
Ron Moss Executive Production
Evelyn Brechtlein Stretch Production Coordination
Richard Stutting Art Direction, Design
Jim Marshall Photography
Recorded at Cherokee Studios, Los Angeles, CA.

Additional recording at Sony Music Studios, New York, NY.

Mixed at Sony Music Studios, New York, NY.

Mastered at Masterdisk, New York, NY.