Robben Ford is pleased to announce the release of his new single "A Dragon's Tail." About the single, Robben says that “A strong guitar and bassline and a singing melody set up a long, blazing guitar solo. This thing rocks!” The single is off the wildly anticipated album, Pure, to drop August 27, 2021, via earMUSIC (distributed by BFD / The Orchard in North America.) Pure will be the first wholly instrumental studio album since 1997's Tiger Walk, and it's available for pre-order now. Pure features the guitar virtuoso's tremendous music vocabulary of jazz, blues, and rock. Pure seamlessly blends a soulful west coast vibe with bluesy hard rock stylings. Some of the exceptional guest musicians featured are Nate Smith, Toss Panos, and Shannon Forest.
About the album, Robben says, “Pure is unlike any recording I’ve ever done. I’ve always been a traditionalist in the way I’ve worked in the studio, bring a great band into a great room with a great engineer, track songs for three to five days, do any overdubbing necessary, then mix and master. I started Pure in that same way. But, somehow, the influence of other musicians on the music, which is inevitable, always felt a little off. It became clear to me that I had to shape this new music myself from the ground up. My engineer and co-producer, Casey Wasner, proved invaluable in making that happen, and most of the music you’ll hear in this recording was accomplished by the two of us working together in his studio, Purple House, getting the right shape and feel to the music, then adding bass and drums after the fact. Having worked in this way, I feel that Pure is perhaps the most complete representation of my musical vision. Previous recordings have been products of a period of development that lead to the music presented here. It’s been very satisfying to have shaped my compositions so thoroughly and to deliver something so completely my own.”
The five-time Grammy nominee has played with artists as diverse as Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Witherspoon, Miles Davis, George Harrison, Phil Lesh, Bonnie Raitt, Michael McDonald, Bob Dylan, John Mayall, Greg Allman, John Scofield, Susan Tedeschi, Keb Mo, Larry Carlton, Davis Staples, Brad Paisley, and many others.
An important and essential component of Robben’s career is his commitment to teaching and passing on what he’s learned over the past 40 years to current and future musicians. His instructional videos and clinics over this time have culminated in a collaboration with TrueFire and the birth of the Robben Ford Guitar Dojo. The wealth of his expertise and creativity is generously presented in these state-of-the-art productions, and will be, for years to come.
TOUR DATES
AUG 13
Waukesha Rotary BluesFest
Delafield, WI
AUG 14
Memorial Hall QTR
Cincinnati, OH
AUG 15
City Winery Chicago
Chicago, IL
AUG 17
City Winery Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
AUG 19
Center for Arts in Natick
Natick, MA
AUG 20
StageOne at FTC
Fairfield, CT
AUG 21
Daryl's House
Pawling, NY
