(2021) Robben Ford - Pure          


Review:
Nashville-based guitar great Robben Ford issues Pure, his first totally instrumental studio album since 1997’s Tiger Walk. As we’ve come to expect, Ford is not tied directly to just one style. His calling card is his versatility and the ability to extract the best from blues, rock, or jazz. Though Ford is accompanied by several musicians, several of whom hold high profiles, the project is mostly the brainchild of both he and his producer Casey Wasner. Together they developed the basic tracks, getting the feeling that they wanted and adding other instruments later. This runs counter to the way Ford usually works, the conventional way of gathering the band in the studio and then applying the fixes later. Hence, Ford feels more pride of authorship here than on any previous outing. Originally a West Coaster, that kind of vibe is heard clearly here with detours into blues-rock and other stylings. There are six different drummers, four different bassists, saxophonists Bill Evans and Jeff Coffin appear on a few tracks and Robben Ford plays all keyboards except on “Ballafon” where Russell Ferrante plays Wurlitzer piano. Among the notable players are drummers Nate Smith, Shannon Forrest, and Toss Panos, and Nashville mainstays, bassists Dave Roe and Steve Mackey. The album begins with a short intro, “Pure (Prelude)” with Ford’s guitar supported by blasting drums and a heavy rock bass that sets up a shuffling groove for “White Rock Beer…8 cents,” with the trio of the leader, drummer Patrick Ford, and bassist Dave Roe, and builds into a joyride with the twin into the clamorous section before both contrasting sections repeat. “Milam Palmo” has a memorable riff and some unpredictable changes, with Ford coaxing some interesting sounds from his axe, especially in the lower register. “Go” begins as if a soul tune with the twin saxes but evolves into mostly a guitar trio adventure with renowned drummer Nate Smith and bassist Anton Nesbitt holding down the bottom. “Blues for Lonnie Johnson” is not surprisingly the most outright blues tune here, with Smith and Roe in support as well as the two saxophonists filling in the spaces. Ford’s guitar really “talks” on this one. “A Dragon’s Tail” has a haunting hard edge to it with the twin drummers of Toss Panos and Shannon Forrest, the latter plays along with Ford’s solo which lands squarely in blues-rock as he sets up his own call and response guitar exchanges. The title track becomes instantly recognizable through the “Prelude” heard earlier. Again, the drums beat insistently, and Ford seemingly meanders rather recklessly through the din as if he is the only one with a clear idea of where he’s headed. The closer, “If You Want Me To” has more of pop feel with the rhythm tandem of Forrest and Nesbitt driving the groove, making way for Brian Allen to take an unexpected jazz-like acoustic bass solo, after which the groove gathers even more momentum.





Track List:
01. Pure (Prelude) (1:37)
02. White Rock Beer…8 Cents (5:54)
03. Balafon (3:31)
04. Milam Palmo (4:13)
05. Go (5:11)
06. Blues for Lonnie Johnson (4:54)
07. A Dragon’s Tail (4:54)
08. Pure (4:16)
09. If You Want Me To (5:08)


Media Report:
Genre: blues, jazz, rock
Country: USA
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits


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