« Robben Ford - Soul On Ten »

By James Ulriech

Recorded live with the rhythm section of Toss Panos (drums) and Travis Carlton (bass), along with guest keyboard player, Neal Evans. Once again, Robben establishes both the mood and his unmistakable sound right off the bat. Soul on Ten is an apt title, as his soul/funk/R&B/Blues influences converge to their fullest here.

His mastery of effortlessly moving from playing rhythm, in support of his singing, to lead is on display. Blending minimalist use of intervals and three note chords, to express harmonic dynamics, is Robben’s forte. Next are his rhythmic dynamics, set forth by his precision attack. Whether intense picking or subtle finger-style, he manages to take the cue of the song itself and wrangle all the nuances out of his guitar. He has always stated that he likes to stay within the melodic content of each tune he plays, so that the character of the song remains front and center. This way he never seems to take his time of soloing and be out of context, and just jam for jamming sake. He can stretch out and expound with advanced harmonic ideas, but it’s always in a relative feel. His singing is clear and personal in his approach. He tells the story of the lyric and never lets the music overshadow this aspect of the song. Great sensitivity by the rhythm section makes the band sound like they are genuinely having fun. Everyone gets a chance to shine and enjoy the music. Although there is a good dose of diversity in the song selection, the continuity of the unique style of this band makes the music their own.

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