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The Charles Ford Band

Arhoolie

CD-353

The three brothers played under this name for about a year. Pat and Robben had been playing with Charlie Musselwhite and left to form this brotherly team. Dad was a country musician and they grew up in Ukiah, CA about 120 miles north of San Francisco. They first turned on to the blues when Robben chanced upon a Paul Butterfield Blues Band recording in 1965.

This early work has a pretty primitive sound as you might expect. Sort of that less practiced garage sound making it the more fun of the two CDs. Mark Ford’s wailful harmonica give it a more delta blues roots touch. It’s interesting that the 10 cuts on Tiger Walk are typically shorter that the 11 cuts on The Charles Ford Band.

Robben displays a surprisingly quiet, tentative guitar line on several of these cuts. However, I Know What You’re Putting Down is as strong a rocker as you might have heard in the past 26 years since its recording. Robben’s vocals hint of the powerful, breathless ones to come. Patrick Ford’s almost delicate, on target drumming come through well here.

Blue and Lonesome sends out the wounded alley cat feel of its name. Mark’s mouth harp and Stanley Poplin’s bass are particularly sad. I get the feeling from Robben’s vocals that he hasn’t felt much life pain -- yet, but his sweet, soft plaintive guitar work makes this a pointless assumption.

Live The Life I Love has a funky, crossroads sound with some nice sophisticated changes, at times jazzy. At times Parisian cafe chanteusey. There’s a disjointed, rustic instrumental sound but Robben’s voice is just like it’ll be 15 years later on Talk To Your Daughter. John Coltrane’s The Promise is the longest piece at 9:31 and not surprisingly has a strong jazz sound. It’s a jam with touches of free-form and the only cut with no out front vocals, although you can hear the guys shouting some in the background. The Lowell Fulson tune, Reconsider Baby, has a full wall-of-smoky bar sound. The tinny drumming of Patrick is great here. Robben is squeezin’ out gut wrenching blues licks and Mark’s rhythm harmonica is twittering like a spring bird. Tell Him I Was Flyin’ starts with a chain gang feel then breaks into a swinging bop. Robben’s voice hints of Satchmo. Mark’s harp playing is strong and clear. Stanley Poplin is a master bass walker.

We know what’s happened to Robben, see the next review. Mark fronted the bay area Mark Ford Band in the 80’s. Patrick formed the Blue Rocket record label in the early 90’s while continuing to perform with the Ford Blues Band. Anyone know what Pat, Mark and Stanley Poplin are doin’ today?

MER