Mark Ford Mark Ford & the Blue Line featuring Robben Ford

Rare & Hard-To-Find Audio CDs (series)

Mark Ford & The Blue Line: Mark Ford, Robben Ford, Tom Brechtlein, Roscoe Beck.

Personnel: Mark Ford (vocals, harp); Garth Webber, Robben Ford (guitar); Tony "Macaroni" Lufrano (keyboards); Tom Brechtlein (drums).

Recording information: Red Rooster Studio, Berkeley, CA (02/1998).

Photographers: Andy Vagt; James McCaffry.

The youngest of the three Ford brothers, Mark Ford had a span of 15 years between his first album and this one. It features him on harp and vocals with brother Robben on guitar, and Robben's Blue Line members Roscoe Beck on bass and Tom Brechtlein on drums. It was produced by eldest brother Patrick, owner of Blue Rock'It Records. Mark's voice is very similar to Robben's -- perhaps a little deeper, but less soulful. When it comes to his harp playing, he seems to gravitate toward the high notes. The CD consists mostly of high-energy modern blues, with plenty of Robben's trademark guitar for his fans to soak up (particularly on "Get a Woman That Loves Me"). All of the tracks were written by Mark. "Gimme Some" is just plain funky, while "Feelin' Disconnected" has a Latin beat, a jazzy guitar, and a catchy harp lick. "Get a Woman That Loves Me" is the "deepest" blues cut here, a 12-bar tune with a Delta flavor. "Illusory World" has a killer bass solo from Beck, one of the best in the business and a hero to many bass players. There's also "Breakin' in the Fast Lane," a steady-rockin', '50s-style song. The only true weak spot here is "Words of the Preacher," a steadily thumping, repetitive screecher which tends to annoy in a manner similar to nails on a chalkboard. Patrick Ford describes this as music that is "performed from the heart without worrying about how blues music 'should' or 'shouldn't' be played." In other words, blues purists should avoid this one, but it should satisfy just about everyone else. ~ Ann Wickstrom