Had it not been for guitar legend Michael Bloomfield, Robben Ford might have been visiting the Garde Arts Center in New London, CT as a tenor saxophone player extraordinaire. Instead the accomplished guitarist and musical veteran will join Jorma Kaukonen (of Jefferson Airplane fame) and Ruthie Foster as part of the Guitar Blues tour that will be in New London later this month Ford also guests on Foster’s upcoming CD “The Truth According To Ruthie Foster” set for release in early February) . Growing up in a musical family, Ford began playing the saxophone at the age of 10 and picked up the guitar a few years later upon hearing Bloomfield’s work with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Additionally fueled by the inspirational fires of Hendrix and Clapton that soon followed, Ford was playing music professionally by the age of 18, supporting blues legend Charlie Musselwhite. “Michael Bloomfield was my first real influence for the guitar,” reflected Ford on those early years. “And then later, it was Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King..…those were really my main early musical influences”. Subsequent gigs touring and recording with a diverse cast of top level musicians, including the likes of Jimmy Witherspoon, George Harrison, Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt, Miles Davis, Gregg Allman, and Michael McDonald, each provided chapters for Ford’s musical biography, which stands up against the biggest names in the business. On the way, Ford has founded the legendary jazz group “The Yellowjackets”, received a total of four Grammy awards nominations, and was named one of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of the 20th Century" by Musician Magazine. Yet Ford continues to perfect his craft, with his recent work citied by many critics and his best work to date, further establishing him as one of today’s premier blues guitarists in the world.

“Truth”, Ford’s 2007 effort on the Concord Records label, yielded one of those Grammy nominations (for Best Contemporary Blues Album) and further exemplified his growth as a guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Although Ford is a long-term veteran in the recording industry, his approach in making the “Truth” record was something unique to him. “This time, I made a couple of trips to Nashville and met some different people,” explained Ford. “And that was something that I really enjoyed. It was the first time that I had really done something like that (collaborated with outside writers).” The results were a terrific blues record with plenty of R&B and soul sprinkled in with a personalized delivery. “Riley B. King”, a soulful and jazzy tribute to Ford’s guitar hero, is just one of the many examples of the similarities between the two musicians, each of which is best known for their well chosen note selection. Look for more work of this nature from Ford in 2009.

The diversity in Robben Ford’s recent work has also demonstrated that his experience has paid long-term dividends as a musician. “I’ve grown in absolutely every way as a musician,” said Ford. “To me, my development as a musician has been an upward and forward development, and I’m very happy about that.” When asked how much of a musician’s output is the result of hard work versus talent, Ford cites author Malcolm Gladwell’s writings as a reference to the value of a commitment to the craft. “He (Gladwell) said that there’s this fundamental rule called the 10,000 hour rule,” Ford explained “ Sure, you can come into this world with a lot of talent, but it’s the 10,000 hours you’ve spent working that makes it happen. I just saw the interview (with Gladwell) recently. And I thought back, that it was after about 10 years of working at songwriting, I felt like I was finally doing some pretty good work, “ said Ford. “ The 10,000 hour rule; that’s roughly about 10 years. And I feel like I’ve personally experienced that. It’s like starting from the beginning”.

Ford’s affection for jazz saxophone playing has provided the framework for his guitar work. “I listened to a lot of people like John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, and of course, Miles Davis,” said Ford of those influences. His creative blend of blues and jazz and melodic note selection is clearly the result of a diverse musical ear and plenty of years spent perfecting his craft. He advises this same approach for anyone in music today. “Whatever instrument you play, you should listen to people on other instruments,” recommends Ford. “If you’re a guitarist, don’t just listen to guitar players, because you’re going to wind up sounding like those people. I listen to a lot of saxophone players. It’s a love that I have. I just love the saxophone and how it speaks to me. And the guitar…I love blues guitar players. That’s one school. But to do the variety of things I want to do musically, you can’t just listen to one style of guitarists. You won’t get all of the information you need.” Ford, a self-taught guitarist, also listens to a lot of jazz music and piano players. “It gives you a much broader field of influence, instead of being locked into that guitar thing, or locked into that saxophone thing,” says Ford of the need for musical diversity and keeping an open ear. “In terms of a career, I would say to always keep your original inspiration. Trust in the music. In short, if you take care of the music, the music will take care of you.”

Ford’s future plans, in addition to his upcoming tour, include recording a live record in April which would also include some studio tracks. He is also heavily involved in teaching. The Robben Ford Guitar Clinics have continued to grow and be successful and allow Ford to pass along musical creativity and knowledge to others. “It’s something I do roughly every three months or so,” explained Ford of the guitar clinics. “It’s open to beginning and intermediate students and it’s an all day affair,” says Ford. “People come literally from all over the world (Ford’s Guitar Clinic in January is sold out, but for aspiring six stringers willing to travel, check out www.robbenford.com/clinics to see information on the March 28th upcoming event). Although the technical aspect of the clinic focuses on musical theory, chord progressions, etc., there’s an underlying approach that makes the Robben Ford Guitar Clinic unique. “It’s about getting the students to realize that music is a lot more accessible to them than they might think and the fact that it’s not as serious as they might think,” says Ford. “People can be making music right away. It’s not like you have to practice and practice technical things to be able to play and enjoy music. I try to get them to think outside the box and to find the music within themselves.”

On January 31st, the Guitar Blues show will take place at the Garde Arts Center in New London, CT as three outstanding musicians will deliver their personalized musical offering of both individual and collaborative efforts. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Jorma Kaukonen, founding member of the bands Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, soulful singer Ruthie Foster, and four-time Grammy nominee Robben Ford will perform in a unique area appearance in what promises to be an outstanding evening of music.

Robben Ford will visit the Garde Arts Center in New London, CT evening, January 31st along with very special guests Jorma Kaukonen and Ruthie Foster. Check out www.gardearts.org for ticket information.

ROBBEN FORD DISCOGRAPHY:

Discovering The Blues (1972)

The Charles Ford Band (1972)

Miles Of Aisles (1974)

Tom Cat (1974)

Schizophonic (1976)

Jimmy Witherspoon & Robben Ford Live (1976)

The Inside Story (1979)

Yellowjackets (1980)

Reunion Live (1984)

Talk to Your Daughter (1988)

Robben Ford & the Blue Line (1992)

Mystic Mile (1993)

Handful Of Blues (1995)

Blues Connotation (1996)

Tiger Walk (1997)

Blues Collection (1997)

The Authorized Bootleg (1998)

Supernatural (1999)

Sunrise (1999)

A Tribute To Paul Butterfield (2001)

Anthology: The Early Years (2001)

Blue Moon (2002)

Keep on Running (2003)

City Life (2006)

Truth (2007)