Larry Carlton with Special Guest Robben Ford

 Two Legendary Guitarist... One Stage This show is a guitar lover's dream!


Sixteen-time Grammy nominee, three-time Grammy winner and all-time guitar great, Larry Carlton established himself from his first recording, A Little Help From My Friends. His studio credits include musicians and groups like Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, Sammy Davis Jr., Herb Alpert, Quincy Jones, Bobby Bland, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and literally dozens of others. He went on to perform with the Crusaders and then with Fourplay. With 26 albums to his credit and having performed on over 100 albums that have gone Gold or Platinum, Larry Carlton has set a standard for artistry that spans three decades.

Now joining forces with Robben Ford who at 18 was playing with the likes of Charlie Musselwhite, Jimmy Witherspoon, the L.A. Express with Tom Scott, George Harrison, and Joni Mitchell. In 1977, he was a founding member of the Yellowjackets, which he stayed with until 1983. Ford then toured with Miles Davis, Sadao Watanabe and Little Feat, but he seemed to really find himself in 1992 when he returned to his roots: the blues. Today, possessing a resume that includes stints with an impressively broad range of other musical personalities, Ford has demonstrated an uncanny adaptability similar to that of the MG's and the Muscle Shoals group. This guitarist effortlessly traverses genres without compromising his exquisite, blues-based playing and singing. This unique paring of two all-time great guitar legends promises to deliver an unforgettable evening of dueling guitar solos and an uncompromising evening of The Blues performed the way it was meant to be.

For more information on Larry Carlton, visit www.larrycarlton.com

For more information on Robben Ford, visit www.robbenford.com

Radio Stations can dowload selections from this album from AirPlay Direct

Performance Rider / Travel Party is ten (Larry, Robben, Bass, Drums, Keys, FOH, Guitar Tech, Drum Tech, Manager, Road Mgr.)

Video:

Video: "Cold Gold"

Video: Burnable

CONCERT REVIEW

Carlton, Ford Dazzle In A Dream Night for Guitar Nuts By Jim Harrington, STAFF WRITER Inside Bay Area WHAT a great week it was to be a guitar geek living in the Bay Area. Through seven days, fret fans were presented with an absolute smorgasbord of talented guitarists including Pat Metheny, Marc Ribot and Tom Verlaine. The onslaught climaxed Sunday night as Larry Carlton and Robben Ford shared the stage at Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga. Both have impressive resumes. Each has been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards. Carlton is well-known for his work with the jazz bands the Crusaders and Fourplay as well as for tasty turns on Steely Dan tunes such as "Kid Charlemagne." Ford was a founding member of the pioneering fusion act the Yellowjackets and, notably, once picked the licks as a part of Miles Davis' band. The Montalvo show delivered the type of superstar pairing that major guitar nuts dream about seeing in concert. Only this was no dream ? and the real thing turned out to be even hotter than most people could have imagined. And, methinks, it's only going to get better. The Saratoga date marked only the third time that the two stellar guitarists have collaborated together on this project, operating under the umbrella of the Larry Carlton Blues Project. The two will go their own ways for most of the summer and then meet up again to rehearse new material, which will consist of the first batch of tunes written specifically for this project. In September, the guitarists will play a bunch of dates in Japan and then plan to release a live album. That's a disc ? a double-disc, I hope ? I simply can't wait to hear. But on Sunday, the wait to hear Carlton and Ford was made fairly easy thanks to a fine opening set by the Bay Area's own Tommy Castro. Although not in the same league as the headliners, Castro is certainly no slouch on the guitar. The San Jose-born vocalist-guitarist-bandleader did a fine job entertaining the near-capacity crowd with "The Next Right Thing," "Take Me Off the Road" and other blues tracks from 2005's "Soul Shaker," which some consider to be the finest release of Castro's 13-year recording career. After the short break that followed Castro's likable set, Carlton and Ford took the stage and began to noodle softly on their instruments. Within a minute, maybe two, the players had entered into a complementary musical dialogue that would last for most of the evening. Having properly warmed up, Carlton, 58, called the rest of the band out to the stage and the fireworks ignited. The music defied easy classification as it moved through fusion, smooth jazz, groove-jazz and pop-rock styles, but the overall feel was the blues. Carlton's specific brand differs from what many consider to be the blues. It's clean and polished, pursuing jazz-like virtuosity over barroom grit. It's the type of blues that classical music lovers and even Rush fans might appreciate. I don't mean that as an insult ? well, not much of one, anyway. Ford's vision of the blues is much different than Carlton's, which is probably why the two make such a good match. The 54-year-old NorCal native is a bit more laid-back in his approach and knows how to deliver some roughed-up Chi-town flavor. Guitar fests can be mighty boring. Just watch a DVD of G3 and you'll see what I'm talking about. Yet these two players' approaches were different and distinct enough to keep our interest for all of the roughly 90-minute show. Their two styles meshed wonderfully on the old Paul Butterfield tune "Lovin' Cup," on Ford's "Supernatural" from 1999. The duo also did a great job with "Night Sweats," from Carlton's 2004 "Sapphire Blue." In particular, Carlton's second lead in that song was full of tension, drama and color. The quintet, powered by a thunderous rhythm section, then showed its versatility by locking onto a piece of funky groove jazz that would surely have pleased fans of Phish and Galactic. It had a definite jam-band feel, one that momentarily made me want to buckle up some Birkenstocks and go twirl on the lawn. (Fortunately, I fought off that urge.) The shade turned from tie-dyed to blues as Ford sang a moving version of the "The Way You Treated Me (You're Gonna Be Sorry)" from 2002's "Blue Moon." Carlton chimed in on that song with what was likely the finest lead of the night. But, then again, it's hard to say. Great leads were in no short supply on this night. And that's how we guitar geeks like it. Write music critic Jim Harrington at jharrington@angnewspapers.com.