Soul on Ten

Personnel: Robben Ford (vocals, guitar); Neal Evans (Hammond b-3 organ); Toss Panos (drums).
Audio Mixer: John Paterno.
Photographer: George Wells.
Some of guitarist Robben Ford's weaknesses, such as song composition and vocals, are rectified or at least made less obvious, on this predominantly live release. On his fourth release for the Concord label, Ford is able to cherrypick better material from inconsistent albums, unearth choice covers, and generally broaden the music with his fiery playing. This, along with the natural energy generated by the stage environment, focuses attention on the guitarist's skills as a creative six-string bluesman who expands the narrow confines of the genre by adding soul and jazz influences. He kicks off the set with a lazy, wah-wah enhanced "Supernatural," the title track to his 1999 disc, and revs up the energy from there, jumping into the instrumental "Indianola." This is where Ford seamlessly combines rock, blues, jazz, and surf into a five-minute tour de force, leading one to believe that a vocal-free show might display his superb guitar talents even better.