Four time Grammy Nominee Robben Ford is the 2002-03 Recording Artist-in-Residence at Mendocino College.

Robben will be a guest lecturer February 17 - 21 in the following Music classes:

• Music 111 * Recording Studio Techniques I
• Music 115 * Recording Studio Laboratory
• Music 202 * Music Theory/Harmony II
• Music 207 * Introduction to Music Appreciation
• Music 230 * Beginning Voice (Section #4453)
• Music 232 * Singers' Repertoire

ROBBEN FORD: BLUE MOON

4 times Grammy Nominee Robben Ford has distinguished himself in a variety of genres, from r&b to jazz-fusion. The guitarist/singer's first love has always been the blues, an idiom he has explored at several points in his richly varied career. Ford's new album, Blue Moon - his first recording for the Concord label - takes the eclectic musician back to his musical roots.

From the very first track - a spirited take on Little Walter's "Up The Line" - it's clear that Ford is a rarity among musicians: a technical virtuoso who can play with true blues authenticity. Robben's own compositions for Blue Moon take in a broad emotional range, from the jazzy film noir mood of "Good to Love" to the smooth Muscle Shoals groove of "Don't Deny Your Love" to the all out grit of "Indianola" - Robben's instrumental tribute to B.B. King.

"There's a tremendous opportunity, if you like blues music," to keep it fresh and alive," says Ford. "Probably the lion's share of my life's work in music has been doing exactly that." Ford's earliest musical steps were in the blues, playing with his brothers in the Charles Ford band and backing harmonica great Charlie Musselwhite. Robben then joined the legendary Jimmy Witherspoon. But his career took an unexpected turn in 1974, when he was discovered by saxophonist Tom Scott. He began to perform and record with Scott's jazz fusion band the L.A. Express and joined them in backing songwriter Joni Mitchell for 2 years, playing on her Court and Spark tour and double album Miles of Isles (1974) and contributing his guitar work to The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975).

Created: November 13, 2002 @ 12:00 AM
Last Modified: August 17, 2005 @ 06:36 PM