Robben Lee Ford (born December 16, 1951) is an American

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

guitarist. He was a member of the

L.A. Express The L.A. Express was an American jazz fusion ensemble. Members of L.A. Express played on several Joni Mitchell albums, namely ''Court and Spark'', ''The Hissing of Summer Lawns'' and the live album ''Miles of Aisles'' between 1974 and 1975. The ...

and

Yellowjackets A yellowjacket is a black-and-yellow vespid wasp. Yellowjacket(s) or Yellow Jacket(s) may also refer to: Places * Yellow Jacket, Colorado, an unincorporated town * Yellow Jacket, Florida, an unincorporated area in Dixie County, Florida Arts, e ...

and has collaborated with

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

Larry Carlton Larry Eugene Carlton (born March 2, 1948) is an American guitarist who built his career as a studio musician in the 1970s and 1980s for acts such as Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell. He has participated in thousands of recording sessions, recorde ...

Rick Springfield Richard Lewis Springthorpe (born 23 August 1949), known professionally as Rick Springfield, is an Australian-American musician and actor. He was a member of the pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971, then started his solo career with his debut ...

, Little Feat and

Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

. He was named one of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of the 20th Century" by ''

Musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

'' magazine.

Early life

Robben Ford was born in

Woodlake, California Woodlake is a city in the San Joaquin Valley in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 7,279 at the 2010 census, up from 6,651 at the 2000 census. In 1912, the city of Woodlake was founded by Gilbert F. Stevenson. Geograph ...

, United States, and raised in

Ukiah, California Ukiah ( ; Pomo: ''Yokaya'', meaning "deep valley") is the county seat and largest city of Mendocino County, California, with a population of 16,607 at the 2020 census. With its accessible location along the U.S. Route 101 corridor, Ukiah serves ...

. He began playing the saxophone at age 10 and the guitar at age 14. Robben and two of his brothers (Patrick and Mark) created the ''Charles Ford Blues Band'' in honor of and named after their father. A fourth brother died in the Vietnam conflict.

Career

At age 18, Ford's band was hired to play with

Charlie Musselwhite Charles Douglas Musselwhite (born January 31, 1944) is an American electric blues harmonica player and bandleader, one of the white bluesmen who came to prominence, along with Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield, and Elvin Bishop, as a pivotal f ...

, and recorded two albums ''The Charles Ford Band'' and ''Discovering the Blues''. He recorded two albums with

Jimmy Witherspoon James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues singer. Early life, family and education Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, and his mot ...

called ''Live'' and ''Spoonful''. In the 1970s, Ford joined the

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...

band, L.A. Express, led by saxophonist Tom Scott. In 1974, the band supported George Harrison on his American tour and played on the Joni Mitchell albums ''

The Hissing of Summer Lawns ''The Hissing of Summer Lawns'' is the seventh studio album by the Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, released in 1975. The sessions featured backing from members of the jazz groups the L.A. Express and the Jazz Crusaders. The lead singl ...

'' and ''

Miles of Aisles ''Miles of Aisles'' is the first live album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, released in 1974 on Asylum Records. It is a double album documenting her concerts in support of the ''Court and Spark'' album with her backing band for the ...

''.

After leaving the L.A. Express in 1976, Robben Ford recorded his first solo album, '' The Inside Story'' with a band that later became the

. In 1977, Ford was one of half a dozen or so session players asked to play the guitar solo for the

Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band founded in 1971 in New York by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Initially the band had a stable lineup, but in 1974, Becker and Fagen retired from live ...

song " Peg." In the end, the group went with the version by

Jay Graydon Jay Joseph Graydon (born October 8, 1949, Burbank, California) is an American songwriter, recording artist, guitarist, singer, keyboardist, producer, arranger, and recording engineer. He is the winner of two Grammy Awards (in the R&B category) wi ...

instead. In 2006, a tribute album to Steely Dan – ''The Royal Dan'' – was released, with Ford covering "Peg" in his own style. In 1982, Ford was one of several guitarists who appeared on the KISS album ''

Creatures of the Night ''Creatures of the Night'' is the tenth studio album by American rock band Kiss, released in 1982. It was the band's last for Casablanca Records, the only label for which Kiss had recorded up to that point. The album was dedicated to the memor ...

'', playing lead guitar on the songs "Rock And Roll Hell" and "I Still Love You". Ford worked briefly with

in 1986; and can be heard on Davis' Montreux box set. Ford released his second solo album ''

Talk to Your Daughter ''Talk to Your Daughter'' is a blues rock album by Robben Ford, released in 1988. The album's cover version of the Albert King classic "Born Under a Bad Sign" was used as a supporting soundtrack in the Clint Eastwood movie '' Pink Cadillac''. T ...

'' in 1988. He joined

Philippe Saisse Philippe Saisse is a French jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and arranger. Career He was born in Marseille and raised in Paris. After studying at the Conservatoire de Paris he won a scholarship to the Berklee College of Mus ...

Marcus Miller William Henry Marcus Miller Jr. (born June 14, 1959) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his work as a bassist. He has worked with trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, singer Luther Vandros ...

and J.T. Lewis in the cast of The Sunday Night Band for the second and final season of the late-night

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

television program '' Sunday Night'' in 1989. In the 1990s, he released the albums ''Robben Ford and the Blue Line, Mystic Mile, Handful of Blues, Tiger Walk and Supernatural''. Robben Ford has received five

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

nominations and was named one of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of the 20th Century" by ''

'' magazine. He credited pianist and arranger

Roger Kellaway Roger Kellaway (born November 1, 1939) is an American composer, arranger and jazz pianist. Life and career Kellaway was born in Waban, Massachusetts, United States. He is an alumnus of the New England Conservatory. Kellaway has composed commissio ...

and saxophonist and arranger Tom Scott, whom he met while playing for

, as a major influence on his musical development.Archived a
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine
Robben Ford was married to Anne Kerry Ford. As of 2022 he lives in Paris, France. In October 2022, Ford toured in Italy with

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

as opening act.

Equipment

Guitars

Ford considers his first good electric a Guild Starfire III with a single Florentine (sharp) cutaway. He used a Gibson L-5 when he played with Charlie Musselwhite and the Ford Band, although he never thought it was a great guitar. While playing with Jimmy Witherspoon, Ford traded the L-5 plus $200 for a 1964 Gibson Super 400CES (which he sold in 1986). When Ford began playing with the

and

, he used a 1958 Gibson dot-neck ES-335. After Ford's ''

'' album was released in 1988, Robben used a Robben Ford Signature model guitar created in a collaboration with Dan Smith of Fender and produced in Japan between 1987 and 1993. That guitar was based on the Fender Master Series Esprit Ultra that was produced from 1983 to 1986 in Japan. In 1987, new management at Fender authorized the first production of the Robben Ford Signature guitar. In 1994, production of the guitar moved from Japan to the

Fender Custom Shop The Fender Custom Shop is a division of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, housed within their headquarters complex in Corona, Riverside County, California. The Fender Custom Shop produces special-order guitars for customers through a Custo ...

. Three models were produced: Ultra FM (with a carved maple top), Ultra SP (with a carved spruce top), and the Elite FM (with a carved flame maple top). The guitar line continued to be produced until 2002 when it was discontinued by Fender. Sometimes he plays a vintage 1960

Fender Telecaster The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is an electric guitar produced by Fender. Together with its sister model the Esquire, it is the world's first mass-produced, commercially successful Les Paul had built a prototype solid bo ...

Gibson Les Paul The Gibson Les Paul is a solid body electric guitar that was first sold by the Gibson Guitar Corporation in 1952. The guitar was designed by factory manager John Huis and his team with input from and endorsement by guitarist Les Paul. Its typi ...

s, or a 1963 Gibson SG. Ford also owns other guitars including a 1966 Epiphone Riviera (with the original Bigsby tremolo removed and replaced with a stop tailpiece). Dumble Overdrive Special on Robben Ford's Rig, 2008-09-12

Dumble Overdrive Special on Robben Ford's Rig, 2008-09-12

In a May 1–16, 2017 tour which ended in Niagara Falls NY, Ford debuted a newly acquired 1953 Gibson Les Paul.

Amplifiers

Robben Ford uses

Dumble Amplifiers Dumble was a guitar amplifier manufacturer in Los Angeles, California.In the one-person operation, Alexander "Howard" Dumble (Born 1944-1945, Died January 2022) made each amp personally. Because of this, Dumble amplifiers are the most expensive bou ...

and Celestion G12-65 speakers. In 1983, Alexander "Howard" Dumble made Robben's first Dumble Overdrive Special (serial #002) for Robben. Dumble himself is the owner of serial #001. When traveling abroad he prefers taking his Dumble, but will sometimes use

Fender Super Reverb The Fender Super Reverb is a guitar amplifier made by Fender. It was originally introduced in 1963 and was discontinued in 1982. The Super Reverb was a Fender Super amplifier with built-in reverb and "vibrato" (actually tremolo). The original ...

Fender Twin The Fender Twin and Twin Reverb are guitar amplifiers made by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The Twin was introduced in 1952, two years before Fender began selling Stratocaster electric guitars. The amps are known for their characteristi ...

amplifier An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It may increase the power significantly, or its main effect may be to boost the v ...

s. More recently Robben has been using Little Walter amplifiers at home and in the studio.

Discography

As leader

* '' Schizophonic'' (LA International, 1976) * ''Live Jimmy Witherspoon & Robben Ford'' (LAX, 1977) * '' The Inside Story'' (Elektra, 1979) * ''Standing on the Outside'' (Lakeside, 1983) * ''

'' (Warner Bros., 1988) * ''Minor Elegance'' with

Joe Diorio Joseph Louis Diorio (August 6, 1936 – February 2, 2022) was an American jazz guitarist. He performed with Sonny Stitt, Hal Crook, Eddie Harris, Ira Sullivan, Stan Getz, Pat Metheny, Horace Silver, Anita O'Day, and Freddie Hubbard. In recent ye ...

(MGI, 1989) * ''Robben Ford & the Blue Line'' (Stretch, 1992) * ''Live at the Notodden Blues Festival'' with Jimmy Witherspoon (Blue Rock'it, 1992) * ''

Mystic Mile ''Mystic Mile'' is an electric blues album by Robben Ford and the Blue Line that was released in 1993. In this second album for Stretch, Ford shows growth as songwriter besides his virtuosity as a guitarist. The album featured the collaboratio ...

'' (Stretch, 1993) * ''Handful of Blues'' (Stretch, 1995) * ''Ain't Nothin' New About the Blues'' with Jimmy Witherspoon (AIM, 1995) * '' Blues Connotation'' (ITM, 1997) * ''The Authorized Bootleg'' (Blue Thumb, 1997) * ''Discovering the Blues'' (Avenue, 1997) * ''

Tiger Walk The Auburn Tigers are the athletic teams representing Auburn University, a public four-year coeducational university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. The Auburn Tigers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associ ...

'' (Blue Thumb, 1997) * ''

Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects. Terminology Al ...

'' (Avenue, 1999) * ''Supernatural'' (GRP, 1999) * ''A Tribute to Paul Butterfield'' (Blue Rock'it, 2001) * ''Blue Moon'' (Concord, 2002) * ''Keep On Running'' (Concord, 2003) * ''

Truth Truth is the property of being in accord with fact or reality.Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionarytruth 2005 In everyday language, truth is typically ascribed to things that aim to represent reality or otherwise correspond to it, such as beliefs ...

'' (Concord, 2007) * '' Soul on Ten'' (Concord, 2009) * ''Bullet'' with Renegade Creation (Blues Bureau, 2012) * ''Bringing It Back Home'' (Provogue, 2013) * ''A Day in Nashville'' (Provogue, 2014) * '' Into the Sun'' (Provogue, 2015) * ''Purple House'' (Ear Music, 2018) * ''The Sun Room'' (Ear Music, 2019) * ''Pure'' (Ear Music, 2021)

As sideman

With Jing Chi (Jimmy Haslip, Vinnie Colaiuta) * ''Jing Chi'' (Tone Center 2002) * ''Jing Chi Live at Yoshi's'' (Shrapnel 2003) * ''3D'' (Tone Center 2004) * ''Supremo'' (Tone Center 2017) With

Jerry Granelli Gerald John Granelli (December 30, 1940July 20, 2021) was an American-Canadian jazz drummer. He was best known for playing drums on the soundtrack '' A Charlie Brown Christmas'' with the Vince Guaraldi Trio. Early life Granelli was born to Jack ...

* ''A Song I Thought I Heard Buddy'' (Sing ITM, 1992) * ''Dance Hall'' (Justin Time 2017) * ''Koputai'' (ITM, 1990) * ''One Day at a Time'' (ITM, 1990) With Kazu Matsui Project * ''Kazu Matsui Project featuring Robben Ford - Standing on the Outside'' (1983) With

Keiko Matsui , is a Japanese keyboardist and composer, specializing in smooth jazz and New-age music. Biography Keiko Matsui was born in Tokyo, Japan. Her mother, Emiko, took her to her first piano lesson in the June following her fifth birthday. Japanese t ...

* ''A Drop of Water'' (Japan, 1986) * ''Under Northern Lights'' (Japan, 1988) * ''No Borders'' (MCA, 1990) With Michael McDonald * '' If That's What It Takes'' (Warner Bros., 1982) * ''

No Lookin' Back ''No Lookin' Back'' is the second solo studio album by American musician Michael McDonald. It was released on July 30, 1985 by Warner Bros. Records, three years after his debut studio album, '' If That's What It Takes'' (1982); this was his ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1985) * '' Blink of an Eye'' (Reprise, 1993) With

* ''Louisiana Fog'' (Cherry Red, 1968) * ''Takin' My Time'' (Arhoolie, 1971) * ''Goin' Back Down South'' (Arhoolie, 1974) * ''Tell Me Where Have All the Good Times Gone?'' (Blue Rock'it, 1984) * ''One Night in America'' (Telarc, 2001) With Tom Scott * ''Tom Cat'' (Ode, 1975) * ''Reed My Lips'' (GRP, 1994) * ''Night Creatures'' (GRP, 1995) * ''Bluestreak'' (GRP, 1996) With

* ''

'' (Warner Bros., 1981) * ''

Mirage a Trois ''Mirage a Trois'' is the second album of the American jazz group Yellowjackets, released in 1983. The album reached a peak position of number 145 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and number 7 on '' Billboard'' Jazz Albums chart. It was nominated for t ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1983) * '' Run for Your Life'' (GRP, 1994) * ''Timeline'' (Mack Avenue, 2011) With

Jennifer Warnes Jennifer Jean Warnes (born March 3, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter. She has performed as a vocalist on a number of film soundtracks. She has won two Grammy Awards, in 1983 for the Joe Cocker duet "Up Where We Belong" and in 1987 fo ...

* ''

Famous Blue Raincoat "Famous Blue Raincoat" is a song by Leonard Cohen. It is the sixth track on his third album, ''Songs of Love and Hate'', released in 1971. The song is written in the form of a letter (many of the lines are written in amphibrachs). The lyric tells ...

'' (Attic, 1986) * '' The Hunter'' (Attic, 1992) With others *

Gregg Bissonette Gregg Bissonette (born June 9, 1959) is an American jazz and rock drummer and vocalist. He is the brother of bassist Matt Bissonette, with whom he frequently collaborates. He has played on albums by dozens of recording artists, including David ...

, ''Submarine'' (Favored Nations, 2000) * David Blue, ''Com'n Back for More'' (Asylum, 1975) *

Perry Botkin Jr. Perry Botkin Jr. (April 16, 1933 – January 18, 2021) was an American composer, producer, arranger, and musician. The tune " Nadia's Theme", composed by Botkin and Barry De Vorzon, peaked at No. 8 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1976 and bec ...

, ''Ports'' (A&M, 1977) *

Chris Cain Chris Cain (born November 19, 1955) is an American blues musician. He began playing professionally as a teenager in local clubs, at festivals, and at private events. He attended Pomona College. Cain received four Blues Music Award nomination ...

, ''So Many Miles'' (Blue Rock'it, 2010) *

, ''Live in Tokyo'' (335 Records, 2007) * Larry Carlton, ''Unplugged'' (335 Records, 2013) *

Julie Christensen Julie Christensen (born January 21, 1956) is an American singer and songwriter. Noted for its versatility, Christensen's music has been praised by critics. As a solo artist, Christensen has released five albums, and in January 2016 released the ...

, ''Love Is Driving'' (Stone Cupid, 1996) *

Randy Crawford Veronica "Randy" Crawford (born February 18, 1952) is an American jazz and R&B singer. She has been more successful in Europe than in the United States, where she has not entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 as a solo artist. However, she has ap ...

, '' Secret Combination'' (Warner Bros., 1981) *

A. J. Croce Adrian James "A.J." Croce (born September 28, 1971) is an American singer-songwriter. He is the son of Ingrid Croce and Jim Croce. Biography Croce was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, on September 28, 1971. His father died in a plane crash ei ...

, ''

'' (Private Music, 1993) * A. J. Croce, '' That's Me in the Bar'' (Private Music, 1995) * A. J. Croce, ''By Request'' (Compass Records, 2021) *

Tiffany Darwish Tiffany Renee Darwish (born October 2, 1971), known Mononym, mononymously as Tiffany, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and former Teen idol, teen icon. Her 1987 Cover version, cover of the Tommy James and the Shondells song "I Think W ...

, ''New Inside'' (MCA, 1990) *

, ''Tutu'' (Warner Bros., 2011) *

DeBarge DeBarge was an American musical recording group composed of several members of the DeBarge family. In addition to various solo projects completed by members of the family, DeBarge was active between 1979 and 1989. The group originally consisted ...

, ''All This Love'' (Gordy, 1982) *

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

, ''

Under the Red Sky ''Under the Red Sky'' is the 27th studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on September 10, 1990, by Columbia Records. It was produced by Don Was, David Was, and Dylan (under the pseudonym Jack Frost). The album was largely ...

'' (Columbia, 1990) *

Richard Elliot Richard Elliot (born January 16, 1960) is a Scottish-born American saxophonist. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards for '' Summer Horns''. Career Elliot started out as a member ...

, ''Initial Approach'' (ITI, 1984) *

Tommy Emmanuel William Thomas Emmanuel (born 31 May 1955) is an Australian guitarist. Regarded as one of the greatest acoustic guitarists of all time, he is known for his complex fingerstyle technique, energetic performances and use of percussive effects on ...

, ''Can't Get Enough'' (Columbia, 1996) * Tommy Emmanuel, ''Midnight Drive'' (Higher Octave, 1997) *

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...

, ''Big Fun'' (ESC, 2002) *

Georgie Fame Georgie Fame (born Clive Powell; 26 June 1943) is an English R&B and jazz musician. Fame, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still performing, often working with contemporaries such as Alan Price, Van Morrison and Bill Wyman. Fame is the on ...

, ''Cool Cat Blues'' (Go Jazz, 1991) *

Brandon Fields Brandon David Fields (born May 21, 1984) is a former American football punter who played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Michigan State University, and earned consensus All-American honors. He ...

, ''The Other Side of the Story'' (Nova, 1988) * Anne Kerry Ford, ''In the Nest of the Moon'' (Illyria, 1996) *

Ruthie Foster Ruthie Cecelia Foster (born February 10, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter of blues and folk music. She mixes a wide palette of American song forms, from gospel and blues to jazz, folk and soul. She has often been compared to Bonnie Raitt ...

, ''The Truth According to Ruthie Foster'' (Shock, 2009) *

Kenny Garrett Kenny Garrett (born October 9, 1960) is an American post-bop jazz musician and composer who gained recognition in his youth as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and for his time with Miles Davis's band. His primary instruments are alto and ...

, ''Old Folks'' (West Wind, 1999) *

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...

, '' Rhythmstick'' (1990) *

, ''

'' (Asylum, 1975) *

Arlo Guthrie Arlo Davy Guthrie (born July 10, 1947) is an American folk singer-songwriter. He is known for singing songs of protest against social injustice, and storytelling while performing songs, following the tradition of his father, Woody Guthrie. Gut ...

, ''Power of Love'' (Warner Bros., 1981) *

Charlie Haden Charles Edward Haden (August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014) was an American jazz double bass player, bandleader, composer and educator whose career spanned more than 50 years. In the late 1950s, he was an original member of the ground-breaking ...

, ''Helium Tears'' (NewEdition, 2005) *

, ''

Dark Horse A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, or a contestant that on paper should be unlikely to succeed but yet still might. Origin Th ...

'' (Apple, 1974) *

Amy Holland Amy Celeste Boersma, known professionally as Amy Holland, is an American pop rock singer, songwriter, and composer. Holland's music career spans more than 30 years. She received a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist in 1981, following h ...

, ''On Your Every Word'' (Capitol, 1983) * Christian Howes, ''Out of the Blue'' (Resonance, 2010) *

Rickie Lee Jones Rickie Lee Jones (born November 8, 1954) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and author. Over the course of a career that spans five decades, she has recorded in various musical styles including Rock music, rock, Rhythm and blues, R&B ...

, ''

Pop Pop ''Pop Pop'' is an album by American singer Rickie Lee Jones, released in September 1991. It was produced by David Was from Was (Not Was). The album contains cover versions, ranging from jazz and blues standards to Tin Pan Alley to Jimi Hendrix' ...

'' (Geffen, 1991) *

Marc Jordan Marc or MARC may refer to: People * Marc (given name), people with the first name * Marc (surname), people with the family name Acronyms * MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging, * MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system of ...

, ''A Hole in the Wall'' (Airplay, 1989) *

, ''

'' (Casablanca, 1981) *

Greg Koch Greg Koch (born June 14, 1955) is a former American football tackle and guard who played eleven seasons in the National Football League, mainly with the Green Bay Packers. In 2010, Koch was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. Koc ...

, '' Plays Well with Others'' (2013) *

Dave Koz David Stephen Koz (born March 27, 1963) is an American smooth jazz saxophonist, composer, record producer, and radio personality based in California. Early life Dave Koz was born in Encino, California, to Jewish parents: Norman, a dermatologist ...

, ''Lucky Man'' (Capitol, 1993) *

, ''L.A. Express'' (Caribou, 1976) *

Michael Landau Michael Christopher Landau (born June 1, 1958) is an American musician, audio engineer, and record producer. He is a session musician and guitarist who has played on many albums since the early 1980s with Boz Scaggs, Minoru Niihara, Joni Mitch ...

, ''Renegade Creation'' (Blues Bureau, 2010) *

Sonny Landreth Clide Vernon "Sonny" Landreth (born February 1, 1951) is an American blues musician from southwest Louisiana who is especially known as a slide guitar player. He was born in Canton, Mississippi, and settled in Lafayette, Louisiana. He lives in Bre ...

, ''

From the Reach ''From the Reach'' is the eleventh studio album from Sonny Landreth. Released on May 20, 2008, it is his first album to be released under his own label Landfall Records. The album features appearances by Jimmy Buffett, Eric Clapton, Robben Ford, ...

'' (Landfall, 2008) *

Neil Larsen Neil Larsen (born August 7, 1948) is an American jazz keyboardist, musical arranger and composer. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up in Sarasota, Florida before relocating to New York and then, in 1977, Los Angeles. Early life Larsen was ...

, ''Orbit'' (Straight Ahead, 2007) *

Ricky Lawson William Riser III (November 8, 1954 – December 23, 2013), better known as Ricky Lawson, was an American drummer and composer. A native of Detroit, Michigan, he worked extensively as a session musician, collaborating with Stevie Wonder, Mich ...

, ''First Things First'' (Videoarts, 1998) *

Ute Lemper Ute Gertrud Lemper (; born 4 July 1963) is a German singer and actress. Her roles in musicals include playing Sally Bowles in the original Paris production of ''Cabaret'', for which she won the 1987 Molière Award for Best Newcomer, and Velm ...

, ''Crimes of the Heart'' (CBS, 1989) *

Little Feat Little Feat is an American rock band formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles. George disbanded the group because of creative differences shortly before his death in 1979. Surviving ...

, '' Down on the Farm'' (Warner Bros., 1979) * Little Feat, '' Hoy-Hoy!'' (Warner Bros., 1981) *

Kenny Loggins Kenneth Clark Loggins (born January 7, 1948) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. His early songs were recorded with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1970, which led to seven albums recorded as Loggins and Messina from 1972 to 1977. His ...

, ''

Celebrate Me Home ''Celebrate Me Home'' is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins, released in 1977. The album, Loggins' first since splitting from Loggins and Messina, represents a slight move away from the folk-rock leanings of his pr ...

'' (Columbia, 1977) *

Jeff Lorber Jeffrey H. Lorber (born November 4, 1952) is an American keyboardist, composer, and record producer. After six previous nominations, Lorber won his first Grammy Award on January 28, 2018 for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for '' Prototype' ...

, ''Step It Up'' (Heads Up, 2015) *

Bob Malach Bob Malach (born August 23, 1954) is an American jazz saxophonist. Malach learned several reed instruments in his youth, and played with Philadelphia soul bands such as The Stylistics and The O'Jays while still a teenager. He played in the big b ...

, ''The Searcher'' (Go Jazz, 1995) *

Barry Manilow Barry Manilow (born Barry Alan Pincus; June 17, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter with a career that spans seven decades. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", " Somewhere Down the Road", " Mandy", "I Write the Songs", " Can ...

, ''

Here Comes the Night "Here Comes the Night" is a 1964 song, written by Bert Berns. It became a hit for Northern Irish band Them, fronted by Van Morrison, in March 1965, charting at No. 2 in the UK and No. 24 in the US. Them's single is listed at either No. 33 or No. ...

'' (Arista, 1982) * Barry Manilow, ''Oh Julie!'' (Arista, 1982) *

Herbie Mann Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was an American jazz flute player and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet (incl ...

, ''Opalescence'' (Gaia, 1989) *

Eric Marienthal Eric Marienthal (born December 19, 1957) is a Grammy Award-nominated Los Angeles-based contemporary saxophonist best known for his work in the jazz, jazz fusion, smooth jazz, and pop genres. Early life Eric Marienthal was born on December 19, 1 ...

, ''Oasis'' (GRP, 1991) * Eric Marienthal, ''Turn Up the Heat'' (Peak, 2001) *

John Mayall John Mayall, OBE (born 29 November 1933) is an English blues singer, musician and songwriter, whose musical career spans over sixty years. In the 1960s, he was the founder of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, a band that has counted among it ...

, ''In the Palace of the King'' (Eagle, 2007) *

Amanda McBroom Amanda McBroom (born August 9, 1947) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Notable among the songs she has written is "The Rose (song), The Rose", which Bette Midler sang in the The Rose (film), film of the same name, and which has been ...

, ''Dreaming'' (Gecko, 1986) * Amanda McBroom, ''Midnight Matinee'' (Analogue, 1991) *

Brownie McGhee Walter Brown "Brownie" McGhee (November 30, 1915 – February 16, 1996) was an American folk music and Piedmont blues singer and guitarist, best known for his collaboration with the harmonica player Sonny Terry. Life and career McGhee was ...

, ''Facts of Life'' (Blue Rock'it, 1985) *

Keb' Mo' Kevin Roosevelt Moore (born October 3, 1951), known as Keb' Mo', is an American blues musician and five-time Grammy Award winner. He is a singer, guitarist, and songwriter, living in Nashville, Tennessee. He has been described as "a living link ...

, ''

Keep It Simple ''Keep It Simple'' is the thirty-third album by Northern Irish singer/songwriter Van Morrison, released in March 2008. It was Morrison's first US Top 10 album, and made the Top 10 in the UK, Canada and in some European countries. It was his firs ...

'' (Epic, 2004) *

John Kaizan Neptune John Kaizan Neptune (born November 13, 1951 in Oakland, California, United States) is an American player and builder of the shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute). He is known particularly for his use of the instrument in non-traditional contexts, ...

, ''West of Somewhere'' (Milestone, 1981) * John Kaizan Neptune, ''Mixed Bag'' (Eastworld, 1983) *

Claus Ogerman Claus Ogerman (born Klaus Ogermann; 29 April 1930 – 8 March 2016) was a German arranger, conductor, and composer best known for his work with Billie Holiday, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Frank Sinatra, Michael Brecker, and Diana Krall. Life and wor ...

, ''Claus Ogerman Featuring Michael Brecker'' (GRP, 1991) *

Brad Paisley Bradley Douglas Paisley (born October 28, 1972) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Starting with his 1999 debut album ''Who Needs Pictures'', he has released eleven studio albums and a Christmas compilation on the Arista Nashvil ...

, '' American Saturday Night'' (Arista, 2009) *

Paul Personne Paul Personne (born 27 December 1949) is a French blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shout ...

, ''Lost in Paris Blues Band'' (Verycords, 2016) *

Shawn Phillips Shawn Phillips (born February 3, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter and musician, primarily influential in the 1960s and 1970s. His work is rooted in folk rock but straddles other genres, including jazz fusion and funk. Phillips has reco ...

, ''Do You Wonder'' (A&M, 1975) *

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...

, '' Luck of the Draw'' (Capitol, 1991) *

Kenny Rankin Kenneth Joseph Rankin (February 10, 1940 – June 7, 2009) was an American singer and songwriter in the folk rock and singer-songwriter genres; he was influenced by jazz. Rankin would often sing notes in a high range to express emotion. Biogr ...

, ''Hiding in Myself'' (Cypress, 1988) *

Rudy Rotta Rudy Rotta (Villadossola, 14 October 1950 – Verona, 3 July 2017) was a Swiss-Italian blues guitarist and vocalist. Biography Rodolfo "Rudy" Rotta was born in Villadossola, Italy, in 1950, and grew up in Lucerne, Switzerland where his family e ...

, ''Some of My Favorite Songs for... Pepper'' (Cake, 2006) *

Leon Russell Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and ...

, '' Life Journey'' (Universal, 2014) *

David Sanborn David William Sanborn (born July 30, 1945) is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album ''Taking Off'' in 1 ...

, ''Hearsay'' (Elektra, 1994) *

Marilyn Scott Marilyn Scott (born December 21, 1949 in Altadena, California) is an American jazz vocalist. Scott got her start performing locally at age 15. She went to college in San Francisco, singing in both jazz and pop ensembles there. She was noticed by ...

, ''Without Warning!'' (Mercury, 1983) *

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...

, ''Streisand Superman'' (Columbia, 1977) *

Sanne Salomonsen Sanne Salomonsen (born 30 December 1955), is a Danish singer. She has been performing since 1973, and various songs by her band Sneakers were on the charts continuously from 1979 to 1985. She was also a member of the Anne Linnet Band. Salomonsen ...

, ''In a New York Minute'' (Virgin, 1998) *

, ''Working Class Dog'' (RCA, 1980) *

Supersonic Blues Machine Supersonic Blues Machine is an American, California-based trio, consisting of drummer Kenny Aronoff, producer/bass player Fabrizio Grossi and singer/guitarist Kris Barras, currently signed to Provogue Records. Their sound is predominantly based ...

, ''West of Flushing South of Frisco'' (Provogue, 2016) * Supersonic Blues Machine, ''Californisoul'' (Provogue, 2017) * Eric Tagg, ''Dreamwalkin'' (Pony Canyon, 2015) *

Toots Thielemans Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016), known professionally as Toots Thielemans, was a Belgian jazz musician. He was mostly known for his chromatic harmonica playing, as well as his guitar and whistl ...

, ''East Coast West Coast'' (Private Music, 1994) * William Topley, ''Mixed Blessing'' (Mercury, 1998) *

Walter Trout Walter Trout (born March 6, 1951 in Ocean City, New Jersey, United States) is an American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. Biography Trout's career began on the Jersey coast scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s. He then decided to rel ...

, ''We're All in This Together'' (Provogue, 2017) *

Carl Verheyen Carl Verheyen is an American musician best known for being the guitarist of Supertramp, the leader of the Carl Verheyen Band, and as a Los Angeles session guitarist. He was ranked ''One of the World's Top 10 Guitarists'' by Guitar Magazine and w ...

, ''Trading 8s'' (Cranktone, 2009) * Sadao Watanabe, ''Encore!'' (JVC, 2017) * Steve Weingart, ''Life Times Vol. 01'' (Skeewa Music, 2003) *

Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series ''Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and appeared in over a hundred films, gaining recognition as an action hero a ...

, ''If It Don't Kill You It Just Makes You Stronger'' (Motown, 1989) *

, ''Spoonful'' (Blue Note, 1975) * Jimmy Witherspoon, ''Live at the Mint'' (On the Spot, 1996) *

Tsuyoshi Yamamoto is a Japanese jazz pianist and composer. Life and career Yamamoto was largely self-taught as a pianist, although he did have piano lessons as a child. He attended Nihon University. As a student there, he played professionally, first as an accom ...

, ''Another Holiday'' (Warner Bros., 1985) *

Jesse Colin Young Perry Miller (born November 22, 1941), known professionally as Jesse Colin Young, is an American singer and songwriter. He was a founding member and lead singer of the 1960s group the The Youngbloods, Youngbloods. After their dissolution in 1972 ...

, ''The Perfect Stranger'' (Elektra, 1982)

Videos

* ''Robben Ford and the Blue Line: In Concert'' (Recorded April 7, 1993) * ''Robben Ford: New Morning - The Paris Concert'' (Recorded May 2001) * ''Playing the Blues'' (2002) * ''The Blues and Beyond'' (2002) * ''Back to the Blues'' (2004) * ''Autour Du Blues: Larry Carlton and Robben Ford'' (2006) * ''The Robben Ford Clinic: The Art of Blues Rhythm'' (2007) * ''Robben Ford: In Concert: Revisited'' (2008) * ''The Robben Ford Clinic: The Art of Blues Solos'' (2009) * ''Robben Ford Trio: New Morning the Paris Concert: Revisited'' (2009)

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Robben 1951 births Living people People from Ukiah, California People from Woodlake, California Guitarists from California Jazz musicians from California 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American male musicians American blues guitarists American jazz guitarists American male guitarists American rock guitarists Lead guitarists American male jazz musicians Elektra Records artists MCA Records artists Warner Records artists Yellowjackets members Provogue Records artists