From soul and jazz to blues, rock, and fusion, there are few musical landscapes untouched by Robben Ford’s masterful touch. On his latest single, the brass-laced soul ballad ‘Perfect Illusion’, he delivers a performance that feels both radiant and timeless.
This is the second single to be taken from his upcoming new album, Two Shades of Blue, which will be released on 27 March via Provogue/Artone.
“That was written back in 1999 on my own during a period of writing with Michael McDonald,” Ford says. “I went out to get some air and on the gravel driveway, I saw what looked like a jewel. I look closer and it’s a drop of water, reflecting the light. And I thought: ‘Hah, perfect illusion’.”
Loading into Eastcote Studios with engineer George Murphy, the chemistry is palpable, with Ford’s guitar and vocals leading a first-call band that takes in drummer Ianto Thomas (Mark Knopfler), keys man Jonny Henderson (Otis Grand), bassist Robin Mullarkey (Paloma Faith) and a brass section comprising of Paul Booth (saxophone), Ryan Quigley (trumpet) and Trevor Mires (trombone). “Great cats,” smiles Ford. “London has been incredible for finding musicians. This place is loaded, even better for me than Nashville or LA.”
The album opens exquisitely with the brittle groove of its first single. ‘Make My Own Weather’.. “That’s one of my favourite straight-up, slamming blues things I’ve ever written,” says Ford. “It’s about a guy reclaiming his freedom. I tried to create the rumble of a motorcycle with the rhythm guitar.”
Robben Ford is a man in motion. Scan the five-time Grammy nominee’s back catalogue – a half-century hot streak that darts between jazz, rock, fusion and blues – and you’ll find a musician in a constant state of metamorphosis. Spin new album Two Shades Of Blue – a transatlantic modern classic that shapeshifted as the sessions unfolded – and you’ll feel the risks taken and rules broken. “I have that curse,” smiles the 74-year-old guitarist. “I don’t have two records that sound the same…”
Robben feels at the top of his game right now. Two Shades Of Blue was tracked in the US and UK with two different crack-squad bands. The album also features the incredible talents of bassist, Darryl Jones (The Rolling Stones), Keyboardist Larry Goldings and Gary Husband on drums for the instrumental songs, The Fire Flute, The Light Fandango and Feeling’s Mutual.
From his early days, Ford was a special talent. The 60s saw him backing Mississippi harp wizard Charlie Musselwhite and stretching those skills across Los Angeles with jazz giant Jimmy Witherspoon, before he fell in with the fearless adventurism of saxophonist Tom Scott’s esteemed ’70s fusion outfit, The L.A. Express.
That lineup’s blazing skills saw them recruited by Joni Mitchell for two classic albums (“the most formative two years of my musical life”), before Ford stepped out with rock royalty on George Harrison’s Dark Horse tour. That collaborative streak would continue throughout his career, from Bonnie Raitt to Bob Dylan. “I’m out there on the bandstand and this rocket ship takes off,” he recalls of his mid-’80s debut with jazz talisman Miles Davis. “For my solo, I put my head down and played every note I knew, as fast as I could. I look up, and Miles just goes: ‘Yeah’. And I’m like, ‘OK, he likes it’.”
“I still love to play,” he considers. “I’ve kept writing better music and become more acquainted with what it is to make a record. The fact that I’m all over the place musically has confused some people over the years. But I always need a change. I always want to do something different. And I’ve been that way since the very beginning…”
Track Listing
1. Make My Own Weather 2. Jealous Guy 3. Perfect Illusion 4. Black Night 5. Two Shades of Blue 6. Fire Flute 7. The Light Fandango 8. Feeling’s Mutual
Robben Ford returns in exceptional form withTwo Shades of Blue, a record defined by its sophistication, taste, and timeless musicality. The album will be released on 27 March via Provogue/Artone. To celebrate the news, he has revealed the first single from the album, Make My Own Weather. Watch the video HERE.
The album opens exquisitely with the brittle groove of Make My Own Weather. “That’s one of my favourite straight-up, slamming blues things I’ve ever written,” says Ford. “It’s about a guy reclaiming his freedom. I tried to create the rumble of a motorcycle with the rhythm guitar.”
Robben Ford is a man in motion. Scan the five-time Grammy nominee’s back catalogue – a half-century hot-streak that darts between jazz, rock, fusion and blues – and you’ll find a musician in a constant state of metamorphosis. Spin new album Two Shades Of Blue – a transatlantic modern classic that shapeshifted as the sessions unfolded – and you’ll feel the risks taken and rules broken. “I have that curse,” smiles the 74-year-old guitarist. “I don’t have two records that sound the same…”
With a new album around the corner, Robben feels at the top of his game right now. To be released 27 March 2026 on Artone/Provogue, Two Shades Of Blue is not the album Ford was planning to make – but it’s all the better for it. Tracked in the US and UK with two different crack-squad bands, this album paints with his inimitable palette, from the low-slung funk-blues of lead single Make My Own Weather to skyscraping instrumentals that even test the limits of a player ranked amongst the 100 Greatest Guitarists Of The 20th Century by Musician Magazine.
From his early days, Ford was a special talent. The 60s saw him backing Mississippi harp wizard Charlie Musselwhite and stretching those skills across Los Angeles with jazz giant Jimmy Witherspoon, before he fell in with the fearless adventurism of saxophonist Tom Scott’s esteemed ’70s fusion outfit, The L.A. Express.
That lineup’s blazing skills saw them recruited by Joni Mitchell for two classic albums (“the most formative two years of my musical life”), before Ford stepped out with rock royalty on George Harrison’s Dark Horse tour. That collaborative streak would continue throughout his career, from Bonnie Raitt to Bob Dylan. “I’m out there on the bandstand and this rocket ship takes off,” he recalls of his mid-’80s debut with jazz talisman Miles Davis. “For my solo, I put my head down and played every note I knew, as fast as I could. I look up, and Miles just goes: ‘Yeah’. And I’m like, ‘OK, he likes it’.”
Two Shades Of Blue was loosely sparked by Ford’s move to London, where his antennae picked up the echoes of a sadly departed British blues-boomer. In the same period, having launched the Robben Ford Guitar Dojo with partner Milam Kelly Roberts, he felt the burning urge to explore the instrument’s outer limits.
“The way this album started, I planned it as a tribute to Jeff Beck,” he recalls. “Meanwhile, the Guitar Dojo had reinvigorated my playing, so writing instrumental music became fresh for me again. I didn’t own a Stratocaster, so I literally went out and bought one for this project. Then Daniel Steinhardt from That Pedal Show put together a new pedalboard for me, along the lines of what Jeff Beck was using. I wanted to do something different, set myself a challenge.”
Loading into Eastcote Studios with engineer George Murphy, the chemistry is palpable, with Ford’s guitar and vocals leading a first-call band that takes in drummer Ianto Thomas (Mark Knopfler), keys man Jonny Henderson (Otis Grand), bassist Robin Mullarkey (Paloma Faith) and a brass section comprising of Paul Booth (saxophone), Ryan Quigley (trumpet) and Trevor Mires (trombone). “Great cats,” smiles Ford. “London has been incredible for finding musicians. This place is loaded, even better for me than Nashville or LA.” The album also features the incredible talents of bassist, Darryl Jones (The Rolling Stones), Keyboardist Larry Goldings and Gary Husband on drums for the instrumental songs, The Fire Flute, The Light Fandango and Feeling’s Mutual.
“I still love to play,” he considers. “I’ve kept writing better music and become more acquainted with what it is to make a record. The fact that I’m all over the place musically has confused some people over the years. But I always need a change. I always want to do something different. And I’ve been that way since the very beginning…”
SUPERSONIC BLUES MACHINE have released a new track “L.O.V.E.” from their upcoming album “Californisoul”, featuring Billy Gibbons, Steve Lukather, Eric Gales, Robben Ford and Walter Trout. Out on CD, double vinyl, download and streaming October 20, 2017, via Mascot Label Group.
“CALIFORNISOUL! That’s exactly what it is. It’s the missing soundtrack to a summertime drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco in 1971!” ~ Fabrizio Grossi
It’s the sound that SUPERSONIC BLUES MACHINE has spent much of 2017 sharing with audiences from Texas, Holland, India, St. Petersburg, Russia, starting with their headlining slot in front of thousands at the Notodden Blues Festival (Europe’s premier blues festival) in Norway, and they are back with an exciting new studio release that picks up right where the band left off on their well-received debut record, West of Flushing, South of Frisco.
Recorded at Fab’s Lab in North Hollywood, California, Californisoul is all about the songs, and while Grossi wrote most of the lyrics, the music was created and fleshed out in the studio by the band, and they have conjured up a modern day soulful, blues rock classic.
Californisoul is all about great songs. This album shines in the depth and soul of the songs and songwriting – no cookie cutter filler to be found. “Cry” is a soul searching, simmering piece of poetry and Lance Lopez preaches it in the most righteous way. “I Am Done Missing You” is another number that reaches down deep with a message that will resonate with both spurned lovers and those who have left their bad habits and ways in the past.
Californisoul is a study and celebration of the human condition, and “This Is Love” could be the lovechild of Bob Marley and War with some stinging guitar action spread on top. We’re living in times in which it’s hard to keep on keeping on, and it’s easy to fall prey to habits, vices, and distractions – “Elevate” takes a close look at the “high” life, and how one must raise above the temptations and tribulations if the music is to be made. Elevate your soul, ineed. Blues, rock, reggae, soul, it’s all here in a joyous abundance and a celebration of life. That’s the nature of Californisoul.
SUPERSONIC BLUES MACHINE is Lance Lopez (guitars/vocals/songwriter), Fabrizio Grossi (bass, producer, songwriter), and Kenny Aronoff (drums). As they’ve proven on their first album and round of shows, it’s not a party unless you invite some friends, and for Californisoul, they’ve brought along some heavy hitters.
Fabrizio Grossi talks about a soundtrack for an imaginary road trip up the California coastline in the heady, halcyon days of the early 70s, and that really captures the vibe and mojo that is Californisoul. The songs Grossi has written for this album are as top notch as they are diverse. This machine covers a lot of ground. As the ever tighter core of Lopez, Grossi, and Aronoff comes together with the elite of the modern day blues rock community, this is much closer to Woodstock and Watkins Glen than it is to a cut and paste A-list vanity session. This is about friendship, the brotherhood of the blues, and bringing the blues up to this moment in time.
Lance Lopez is once again at the front and centre on every song, and with every year finds him digging deeper into his tool kit – his guitar work is as hot and gritty as anything ever cooked up down in Texas, and his singing evokes memories of the great soul, blues, and rock vocalists. You’ll hear the influence and heritage of Bobby “Blue” Bland, the funk of Sly Stone, and the world weary rumination of the late, great Gregg Allman, but Lopez never really sounds like anything but himself. That he’s equally accommodating, gracious, and energizing when he’s tossing verses and solos back and forth with his guests is icing on the cake!
Kenny Aronoff is truly one of the most in-demand drummers on the planet, and his stick work on Californisoul is one of the ingredients that make the record so special. Aronoff has also brought along his substantial arranging and compositional skills to great effect. He sounds more like a Charlie or Ringo than your run-of-the-mill session cat, and his sheer musicality is a huge force on this record. Whether he’s playing with Supersonic Blues Machine, John Fogerty, BoDeans, Sir Paul McCartney, John Mellencamp, The Smashing Pumpkins or any of the other remarkable acts that have chosen to employ Aronoff, he brings the same world class performance every time he gets behind the kit.
Guests on the album include Billy Gibbons, who returns with pen and guitar (“Broken Heart”), Steve Lukather (Toto) throws down some stunning licks (“Hard Times”), Eric Gales is back in the fold (“Elevate”), Robben Ford brings his bag of soulfully sophisticated chops (“Somebody’s Fool”), Walter Trout brings some silky slow blues (“What’s Wrong”), and the party is rounded out with Alessandro Alessandroni Jr. on keyboards, Serge Simic (co-writer and background vocals on “Love” and “Hard Times”), and Andrea and Francis Benitez Grossi (background vocals). You may come for the stars, but you’ll stay for the whole show.
Fabrizio Grossi adds, “Lots of people have been saying to me ‘why does Supersonic Blues Machine always bring guests around? You guys can stand your own ground’, and there are three answers to that : 1) we’re all super friends and we’re having a blast, 2) most of them don’t give lessons and for us it’s only way to learn their secret “ways”, and three because the inspiration and the challenge they bring to the table!”
Supersonic Blues Machine is truly a family as well as a band, and these guests don’t mail it in, they stay for dinner. The community aspect is very real, and one of the band’s great treasures.
SUPERSONIC BLUES MACHINE soundly beats the sophomore jinx to hit a grand slam with CALIFORNISOUL.
Praise for West of Flushing, South of Frisco:
“Modern blues doesn’t get much better than this” 9/10 The Blues
“Formidable…a modern day super-session which manages to hang on to the heart and soul” Classic Rock
“Guitar’s hottest supergroup” Guitarist
“A sleek, stretched Cadillac of a Blues band” Fireworks
“Fantastic” Powerplay
“West of Flushing, South of Frisco is a total treat for the those of us who crave great hard driving blues based rock and ear frying guitar playing. The core of Supersonic Blues Machine of Lopez, Grossi, and Aronoff have nothing to prove. They could easily have carried the entire project themselves. The guest stars are just icing on an already very tasty cake.” – Blues Rock Review
“…the band’s debut album West of Flushing, South of Frisco, offers the sound of joyous, unbridled music-making that falls a bit heavier on the rock side of the blues-rock equation. Unlike a lot of these kinds of affairs, Grossi wrote or co-wrote most of the songs, and he produced the album with a steady hand, providing West of Flushing, South of Frisco with a dynamic sound that accents the band’s bad-ass instrumental prowess.” – That Devil Music
“Throw together three long established musicians with a passion for blues along with a parade of extremely talented guest musicians; what do you get? A nasty, down and dirty blues album that reminds you of every fantastic dive bar you’ve ever visited to cry in your whiskey about that long lost girlfriend. That’s what!” – Classic Rock Revisited
“Supersonic Blues Machine’s West of Flushing, South of Frisco is that rarest of beasts, a cameo packed blues rock album on which the core band and the tunes actually supersede the weight of the heavies who stop by to lend their support. And now, let me raise the stakes even higher – every cameo is worthy of being on the guests’s own albums, nobody here brought anything except their A-game.This just might be the blues rock album to beat in 2016.” – Rock Guitar Daily
Tracklisting:
1 I Am Done Missing You
2 Somebody’s Fool (featuring Robben Ford)
3 Love
4 Broken Heart (featuring Billy Gibbons)
5 Bad Boys
6 Elevate (featuring Eric Gales)
7 The One
8 Hard Times (featuring Steve Lukather)
9 Cry
10 The Stranger
11 What’s Wrong (featuring Walter Trout)
12 Thank You
13 This Is Love
World-class musicians SUPERSONIC BLUES MACHINE released their debut album “West Of Flushing South Of Frisco” (via http://mascotlabelgroup.com) as ensemble in February but now the band will bring their music in Europe. This summer, 6 August they will perform at the prestegious Notodden Blues Festival. NBF is one of the largest blues music festivals in Europe and the largest in Scandinavia. The festival is held in Notodden, Norway, has been running annually since 1988 and is visited by 25.000 blues fans from throughout the world. More information on Notodden Blues Festival here.
SUPERSONIC BLUES MACHINE was formed by Fabrizio Grossi, Lance Lopez and Kenny Aronoff and for this special occasion will be joined by no other than Steve Lukather, Robben Ford and Walter Trout. Robben and Walter also featured on SBM’s debut album West of Flushing, South of Frisco.
Taken from “West Of Flushing South Of Frisco” is the band’s new single “Remedy” features Warren Haynes on guitar and vocals. In the brand new video you will also spot some of the other gentlemen mentioned above.
Watch the video here:
Press on Supersonic Blues Machine – West of Flushing, South of Frisco:
“Modern blues doesn’t get much better than this” – “Superb” 9/10 (The Blues) “Formidable…a modern day super-session which manages to hang on to the heart and soul” (Classic Rock) “A sleek, stretched Cadillac of a Blues band” (Fireworks) “You won’t find more soloing on any release this year” (Guitar & Bass)
Fabrizio Grossi (bass/producer/engineer/wordsmith) worked his artistry in his birthplace – Milan, Italy – before migrating to London, Canada, New York, and currently Los Angeles.
Texan Lance Lopez (guitar/vocals) accrued at least one lifetime of experience before he was out of high school while playing bars in Louisiana and Florida. College came in the form of tours with R&B legend Johnny Taylor and blues masters Lucky Peterson and Bobby Blue Bland.
Kenny Aronoff (drums) has a resume that spans four decades and reads like a “Who’s Who” of roots rock legends, including John Mellencamp, John Fogerty, Eric Clapton, Jack White, Billy Gibbons, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, and Dr. John.
Guitar virtuoso Robben Ford’s forthcoming new album Into The Sun shines a bright light on his artful, contemporary songwriting and the stunning playing that’s made him a favorite foil of Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, George Harrison and other legends. Today Robben has released a brand new lyric video for Rose Of Sharon, watch it below. Into The Sun will be released on April 27th via Mascot Label Group/Provogue Records/Warner Music Finland.
Guitar virtuoso Robben Ford’s forthcoming new album Into The Sun shines a bright light on his artful, contemporary songwriting and the stunning playing that’s made him a favorite foil of Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, George Harrison and other legends.
All of the music and most of the lyrics from Into The Sun came directly from Ford, but he also collaborated with ZZ Ward on Breath Of Me and enlisted the enigmatic Kyle Swan, whose own recordings liberally mix images and styles to build articulate modernist-pop tone poems. That quality reverberates in the four songs Ford co-wrote with Swan, married to the guitar giant’s own deep commitment to narrative. “Working with Kyle was part of my desire to toss up everything and see what might happen, to get a fresh perspective,” says Ford.
Listen to the track Breath Of Me here:
Robben Fords Into The Sun is out 2015-04-27 via Mascot Label Group/Provogue Records/Warner Music Finland.
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