It was 1969 when Patrick Ford first came onto the San Francisco blues scene with brother Robben Ford. During the 70’s he spent time working with his brothers Robben and Mark in the Charles Ford Band and then on the road with Charlie Musselwhite. This was also when he first had the pleasure of working and hanging with many of the blues greats like Muddy Waters, Lightning Hopkins, and Jimmy Witherspoon.
In the 80’s Patrick started his own modern blues label, Blue Rock’lt Records, with great releases by the likes of Charlie Musselwhite, Brownie McGhee, the Charles Ford Band, and Chris Cain. It was 1988 when Patrick decided it was time to break away from the position of being a side man for others and try out his skills as a band leader. He decided to put together a band that would recognize and respect its individual members talents and at the same time become a conduit for his own ideas and arrangements. It was definitely going to be his band.
The first version of the Ford Blues Band featured his brother Mark Ford on harp and vocals and Garth Webber on Guitar and vocals. On bass was Ronnie Gurewitz. They went directly into the studio and recorded enough of Patricks ideas for a CD. The results were the first FBB release and the band’s first tour of Europe. Though Mark was not able to make the tour he was replaced by Andy Just who has remained with the band ever since. The release and the tour served notice that this was not just another blues band coming on the scene. This band was new and it was different and it made no apologies for its non traditional approach to the blues idiom.
Throughout the 90’s the band has continued to record and tour around the world. Though the guitar and bass positions have been filled by several different players during that time the identity of the band has remained constant. Every version of the Ford Blues Band features exceptional players performing very original and very powerful modern blues. They are journeymen who have honed their craft studying and performing with the masters. If you compiled a list of all the blues greats that the various members of the band have performed with it would look like a Who’s Who list of the Blues and would include the likes of John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Fenton Robinson, Brownie McGhee, Lowell Fulson, and on and on. There is no lack of respect for the roots here. At the same time however, the band remains open to any other influences that might make their music even more vibrant and alive.
The personnel of the Ford Blues Band at present includes Andy Just, harp and vocal, Volker Strifler, guitar and vocal, Dewayne Pate, bass and vocal, and Patrick Ford, drums and vocal.
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