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Personnel: Robben Ford - Guitar, Vocal Steve Jordan - Drums, Percussion Charlie Drayton - Bass Bernie Worrell - Organ Benmont Tench - Organ Russell Ferrante - Piano Lenny Castro - Percussion Bob Malach - Tenor Saxophone Ronnie Cuber - Baritone Saxophone Recorded at Avatar Studios, NYC. Produced by Niko Bolas and Robben Ford. Executive producers: Chick Corea and Ron Moss. Robben Ford made no compromises on Tiger Walk, the gifted guitarist's seventh solo album. The all-instrumental outing sends Ford in a new direction, a cracking, chugging chunk of smoking funk with more in common to records by Booker T and the MGs and the Crusaders than the records Ford has been making though the past decade. "This project for me was like 'I'm going to do exactly what I want,"' said the guitarist. "It was a perfect situation." He recruited his dream rhythm section, drummer Steve Jordan and bassist Charley Drayton, who Ford first heard playing on Keith Richards solo albums ("I just loved the sound of the rhythm section. I wrote the music with these guys in mind, " he said.) and obtained the services of engineer Niko Bolas, who also worked on those same Keith Richards records, to co-produce the album with him. "This is a guitar album. The last three records I've done have been band oriented records, but I haven't done a Robben Ford record. I like bands. The best music in the world comes out of bands; it doesn't come out of sessions. When I started doing the blues records, to some extent my guitar playing went into the background. The records I did with the Blue Line are mostly song performances. But I'm a guitar player first and this record showcases my guitar playing." Once Ford contacted Jordan and Drayton, the die was cast. At the suggestion of the other players, Ford added on keyboards Bernie Worrell, a onetime member of Parliament-Funkadelic who has made powerful contributions to the work of the Talking Heads, among others. They met at Avater Studios in New York, site of the former Power Station, the exact place Ford wanted to make the album. We cut all the music, for the most part, live in the studio," he said. Basically I played rhythm guitar and I played solos. The melodies were put on afterwards. It's something like 90 percent live playing with the occasional keyboard overdub, one or two rhythm guitar overdubs." Ford will put together a touring edition of the band and take this new direction on the road. His straightforward rhythm and blues approach may surprise a lot of people who think they already know Ford. "The Stax/Volt thing is very strong in my background.", said Ford. "When I was in bands in high school, that's all we played - Otis, Sam and Dave,Wilson Pickett." And that shows on this record. It's an R&B record, like a modern Booker T. and the MGs. It's a rhythm and blues band, all about the groove. I've always tried to keep a strong element of backbeat in my music. But on this record, I'm avoiding any complex musical issues. On 'Red Lady,' there's a few hip chords that are sort of surprising. But otherwise I think it's a funk oriented record. I played the way play. "There's some good playing on the other records, " he said, 'but you have to look for it. With this record, I feel a guitar player - not a bandleader or a songwriter - but a guitar player." "In The Beginning was the first thing written for this record. I sat down and just started playing the rhythm guitar figure. I think it's a little variation of the Miles Davis' "Jack Johnson" lick. I like the contrast in the melodic and open feel of the bridge." Ghosts was inspired by a salsa tune I heard in a coffee house - no idea who it was. I wanted to write something that had a little humor in it as I tend toward writing in a minor keys most of the time." "Freedom' was written over a year ago. I didn't think it worked at first and hesitated to play it with my group. As usual with things like that, it turns out to be most people's favorite thing we play. "Red Lady w/Cello was written for Me'Shell Ndegeocello. The red lady is the guitar. I love the way she has brought hip-hop and an expanded sense of musicality together. This song is a tribute to that." " 'Oasis is inspired again, I think from Miles. I wanted to write something I felt was contemporary yet came out of very simple but beautiful pieces like 'So What" or Coltrane's "Impressions." Just a couple of chords but getting a lot music out of them." "'Just Like It Is' come straight out of Hendrix, obviously. But also from the classic 'Rhythm & Blues Review' kind of thing; very 'Apollo Theater' was the idea. We did a thing like this when I was playing with Michael McDonald and I always wanted to get to something like it with my band." " I Can't Stand The Rain' is just a great song." "'The Champ' started with my little twist on a Coltrane melody. I just took a theme of his and developed it my own way. I really love the way this song turned out." "' Tiger Walk' was a way to bring chords directly into a melody, and it would up a little 'Link Wray' like 'Rumble.' The improvisation on this really got out there, which I hadn't expected but it turned out great. I love what Bernie does on the organ on this one." "'Comon' Up' is straight out of Keith Richards - "999" from the 'Main Offender' record. I've got some rock in roll in me, you know." Reviews: "Robben Ford, known in recent years for his blues work with his band, the Blue Line, eschews vocals here, teaming up with keyboard funk master Bernie Worrell for some chunky, funky, wah-wah-laden grooves. This music, led by Ford's blazing guitar lines, is more appropriately categorized as instrumental rock than jazz, but the rhythms recall James Brown and Worrell's alma mater, the P-Funk gang, as often as they do those of a hard rock band. Tenor saxophonist Bob Malach turns in a couple of solid solos, and the rhythm section of drummer Steve Jordon and bassist Charlie Drayton cooks throughout." © Jim Newsom, AMG "Robben Ford released his seventh solo album recently, enlisting the help of Steve Jordan on drums, Charlie Drayton on bass and Bernie Worrell on keyboards. Tiger Walk doesn't have as much of a blues feel to it as Ford's recent albums. This one has more of a funk/R&B sound overall. It's also more of a guitar player's album, as opposed to a band album where the guitar gets pushed into the background. After three albums with his band, The Blue Line, Ford decided to take some time off and find some new inspiration. Once he contacted Jordan and Drayton, the die for his new band was cast. One of the best tracks on Tiger Walk is "Freedom," featuring some fiery licks as it builds, then brings you back down again. Ford does a great cover of the R&B classic, "I Can't Stand the Rain," throwing a trademark B.B. King lick in for good measure. The song starts with an almost tribal feel, then slips into a groove that just won't quit. "The Champ" expands on a John Coltrane melody, and turned out to be one of Ford's favorites on the album. Overall, Tiger Walk is probably the best thing Ford's recorded since his excellent Talk to Your Daughter album. There are a couple tracks that don't quite work, but the guitar work is outstanding throughout, reaffirming his stature as one of the best players around." © 1997 Steve Marshall Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

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