Robben Ford

The third of four sons born to Charles and Kathryn Ford, Robben (born in 1951) grew up in Ukiah, California - a small town two hours drive north of San Francisco. Both parents loved music and had talents of their own. Charles had performed professionally as a young man singing and playing guitar.

Throughout his high school years Robben continued to enjoy and explore music of all types. The rock idiom was full of energy and was itself being influenced by different musical styles. Rock was growing up and leading the way were artists like Jimi Hendrix, the Yardbirds, Cream, Steve Winwood, and of course the Beatles. Like Robben, many of the artists he enjoyed the most had also been influenced by the blues idiom to one degree or another

He joined Charlie Musselwhites band in 1970 Charlie often had Robben playing sax on such instrumentals as Ray Charles' "Hard Times" or Robben's own "Blue Stu".

It was the gig with Charlie Musselwhite that gave Robben his first serious exposure to the blues community. As he was only eighteen years old and just out of school it was also his first professional gig with a road band and provided him his first real recording experience when Charlie recorded his "Takin My Time" LP.

After a year with Charlie he left with his brother Patrick to form the Charles Ford Band, along with brother Mark, and friend Stan Poplin. This band lasted less than a year but had a major impact on the West Coast blues scene. Muddy Waters had just convinced Chess Records to offer the Charles Ford Band a contract when Mark decided to leave the music business for awhile. Luckily, several months after their breakup, Chris Strachwitz of Arhoolie Records asked them to go into the studio for two days of recording, saying it would be a shame for the band not to leave something behind on disk. So came about the Charles Ford Band LP. It still sells in CD form to this day and is considered by many to be a modern blues classic. This was Robbens first recording where he was a featured artist.

After leaving Witherspoon in 1974 Robben was invited to join the LA Express for a tour of the US and Canada along with Joni Mitchell. This became a two year relationship and was Robben's introduction to the style of music known as "Fusion". It not only resulted in Robben recording a fusion release for Elektra Records, his first solo recording, but also led to the the formation of the band, The Yellow Jackets, which continues to have a world wide following today.

Robben became an in-demand guitarist in LA, but always preferred live performance. His reputation was to land him tours and recordings with the likes of Joni Mitchell, George Harrison, Michael McDonald, David Sanborn, Randy Crawford and even a one-year stay with his most important musical icon and mentor, Miles Davis.

It was in 1982, ten years after their breakup, that Robben reunited with the other members of the Charles Ford Band to play and record a series of gigs and release an LP dedicated to the brothers' Father who had just passed away. These recordings were released on Patrick's newly formed Blue Rock'It Records as The Charles Ford Band - "A Reunion".

During the next two years Robben continued his LA based career but as Charles Ford Band members had enjoyed doing the reunion gigs they did the same again in 1983 and 1984 and in fact took the band to Europe for a few dates with Charlie Musselwhite. Music from the US dates led to another Blue Rock'lt release years later, "As Real As It Gets".

Deciding it was time to form his own group, Robben put together a band composed of two of LA's finest musicians, Russel Ferrante and Vinnie Colaiata, along with Texas bassist Roscoe Beck. This band was to record the "Talk To Your Daughter" album for which Robben was to receive his first Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Recording. This release was to open eyes world wide to Robben's talents as a true blues artist.

Robben is without a doubt one of the most creative and honest men to play, write, and arrange in the blues field. He feels it as well as understands it.