Robben Ford

Robben Ford suffers from the same problem that plagues many blues guitar greats: He can’t sing his way out of a paper bag. This doesn’t mean Ford’s shall we say serviceable vocal abilities are outright awful, but they pale in comparison with his fiery fretboard work. It doesn’t really matter, though. Ford’s songs are mostly excuses for his guitar solos, and it’s a sight to behold when he bends the high notes. Ford built his résumé as a hired hand to such legends as George Harrison and Joni Mitchell, but it was his 1988 solo album Talk to Your Daughter that earned him a national following. The guitarist capitalized on the success, touring incessantly and becoming a staple in the jazz and blues worlds. His clean, pure tone and absence of raw feeling have drawn rightful comparisons to Robert Cray, but Ford’s deft jazz inflections set him apart from the bulk of his 12-bar contemporaries.