Robben Ford
"Truth "
Concord Records

Robben Ford is widely recognized by critics and his musical peers for his always fresh and extremely tasty guitar playing, his musical career reads like a who's who, recording and touring with a vast array of artists, including; Charlie Musselwhite, Joni Mitchell, Tom Scott, The Yellowjackets, Mavis Staples, Georgie Fame, Boz Scaggs, Ben Sidran, George Harrison, John Mayall, Jimmy Witherspoon, Miles Davis, and many more! For many years it has been said that the Blues will never die, but it does change and needs to evolve to remain fresh. Robben Ford's latest Concord Records release, Truth, his third for the label, is definitely twenty-first century modern Blues performed smartly and powerfully. All but one track included are originals, with the only cover being the dynamite reading of the Otis Redding B-side, "Nobody's Fault But Mine."

Truth starts off favorably with the opening track "Lateral Climb," as Ford discusses the working peoples' daily grind and world political frustrations and failures. Other highlights include "You're Gonna Need a Friend," which is infectiously funky and was also co-written by his wife, singer Anne Kerry Ford. Ford also pays his respect to the King of the Blues, B.B. King, on "Riley B. King," which boils very sweetly for over six minutes and never attempts to imitate or replicate King's guitar playing or singing, thus showing off Ford's heartfelt appreciation of King. The only guest on Truth is Susan Tedeschi where the two beautifully meld together in a duet setting. Ford was rightfully named one of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of the 20th Century" by Musician magazine and this new release continues to show his outstanding guitar work, which is up front and in your face throughout this new disk. Ford's guitar solos are always expressive and well thought out, plus the musical settings of all the musicians involved are top shelf. Ford's vocals and songwriting also continue to grow, which when you think about it, is a nice combination to offer old and new fans of this extremely talented musician. It's always great to have a new release from Robben Ford and Truth is just another fine example of how he continues

Bob Putignano: www.SoundsofBlue.com