Blues guitarist Robben Ford, now with over two-dozen releases under his belt, slides into uncharted ground on his newest album Soul on Ten. The record is a bit of an experiment, really – raw and stirring enough to deliver that indescribable, unpredictable quality of a live show, yet still as polished around the edges as a studio excursion. Yet Ford himself, a five-time Grammy nominee, is still rather comfortable in the role of blues ringmaster, opting for calm, groovy numbers in lieu of racing, rushing songs. The slower pace allows Ford and his talented cast of players to indulge themselves rather nicely, and as a result, Soul on Ten becomes a sort of nirvana for deferred, thick jamming that's somehow both soothing and electrifying.
Most of Soul on Ten was recorded at The Independent in San Francisco, which just happens to be across the street from the Fillmore. The quality manages to come through on every track, with the venue's smooth, husky acoustics deepening Ford's axe skills. The plush setting allows the show to attain an intimate quality listeners are rarely treated to with live recordings, what with their thin, reverbed-out sounds and watery echoes. Soul on Ten avoids all this and then some; with a mostly quiet audience and up-front set, listeners will feel as though they're sitting in the front row at The Independent, close enough to the stage to hear Ford's fingers work and see his sweat drip.
As with most accomplished blues guitarists, Ford isn't afraid to spoil himself a little. Breaking right out of the gate with the near-eight minute burner "Supernatural," the California native coddles his worthy talents in patient measures, exploring every facet until the guitar itself, no matter an inanimate object, seems exhausted. Some songs, like the epic, wah-wahing "There'll Never Be Another You," cover well-worn sounds and topics, while others, like the huffing, puffing "Earthquake," are deceptively soft and shrewdly gentle, mixing the just-dirty guitar with whistling organs to the effect of crowd-pleasing music.
Of course, it's hard to surpass the kicking, rollicking "Nothin' to Nobody." Clocking in at over ten minutes, the track buzzes and soothes in a miraculous sea of changes, skipping or crawling at the whim of its eclectic master. The fact that all of this mastery plays out in a live setting seems lost in the vortex of Ford's talent; it speaks to it and the skills of his supporting players that most listeners won't even notice the ambience of The Independent drifting in the rafters. Instead, they'll be honed in, laser-like, on Soul on Ten and all of its soul-raising offerings.
Kevin Liedel, MuzikReviews.com Sr. Staff
September 7, 2009
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