Renegade Creation CD Cover

Renegade Creation is the new record by veteran musical giants, Michael Landau, Robben Ford, Jimmy Haslip and Gary Novak.

Blending together to create a blues-driven sound that not only will satisfy their individual fans but is fresh enough to attract a legion of new fans as well.

Delivering bothrootsy, blues/rock vocal tunes and fiery instrumentals, the band draws on the unique guitar interplay between guitar giants Robben Ford and Michael Landau who inspire each other to new personal bests.

From the American Blues News review:

Ford and Landau each sing four of the album’s tracks. And though there is no shortage of guitar from either of these gifted players, the album never feels like a vehicle for showboating.

The chemistry between Ford and Landau is impeccable. As they gently push one another to new levels of guitar greatness, they do so with poise and grace; never getting in each other’s way and never hogging the spotlight.

Vocally the two artists’ styles differ greatly. Ford delivers his four vocal tracks with passionate clarity, as Landau does so with a gritty Knopfler-esque swagger. This contrast from track to track keeps things fresh and interesting, in a way that a sole front-man can never achieve. Because Ford and Landau also split the bulk of the writing duties, the tracks that feature them on vocals are catered to their strengths and styles, providing the album with a diverse combination of flavors that manages to highlight each of their individual sensibilities, while never seeming out of place on the album as a whole.

When an album is released featuring such extraordinary talent like this, it’s perfectly reasonable to assume that “jazz-rock fusion” will be on the menu… but when the guitar virtuoso Michael Landau is added to the mix, music fans are treated to a heaping helping of expertly executed guitar-driven blues-rock…with a complimentary serving of “fusion” on the side. - J. Blake – American Blues News

With RENEGADE CREATION the members of this super-group have returned to their bluesy roots, while staying true to their artistry. They’re taking blues-rock to new levels of sophistication.

One on my favorite tracks is called “The Darkness”. It’s a song credited to the entire band and features Ford and Landau working in the style I love to hear most… slow minor blues.

[Click the Arrow to play a sample of "The Darkness" from Renegrade Creation]

He first picked up a guitar at the age of 13 and by the time he was 18 he was playing professionally.

I read an interview a few months back where Robben was quoted to say he had never earned a dollar in his life outside of playing guitar. Can anyone say “dream job’?

Ford was named one of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of the 20th Century” by Musician Magazine.

Robben will be playing in Phoenix on January 9th and GuitarDaddy will be there!

Happy 58th Birthday Robben!

Jazzuality.com posted an exclusive interview where they asked Robben about the blues, the saxophone, fusion and the new release.

You can read the introduction here, then follow the link for the entire interview.

From Jazzuality:
40 years in business is remarkable, especially when one fills it with colorful experience. Robben Ford is widely known to have a diverse career. Mainly he’s a brilliant blues guitarist with virtuosic skill, but he has marked his path at jazz and rock as well. This has placed him as one of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of the 20th Century” by Musician Magazine plus five Grammy Award nominations. He’s been working with many other big names in different fields, and all these experiences has shaped him into who he is today. Blues is not the same in his hand, because just like a canvas he paints it with many colors and shapes.

Read the entire interview by CLICKING HERE.

Robben is a gifted player and a very effective teacher. Robben has released several instructional DVD’s that center around his blues improvisation skills.

Check out this video clip from “The Art of Blues Solos”: