Robben Ford - The Inside Story (1979)

Looks like I've stumbled upon a bootleg copy of this one. Writing on the back cover is in Russian while the booklet info is written in Japanese. The only code I've found is "FJ-0001029" if that helps any. But, hey, the front cover claims it's a "Limited Edition" so I've got that going for me.

I sought out this album after I discovered that it was the recording session that brought together keyboardist Russell Ferrante, bass guitarist Jimmy Haslip, and drummer Ricky Lawson, the trio who would become Yellowjackets (the earliest edition of Yellowjackets included Ford). The Inside Story was produced by fellow guitarist and Stax legend Steve Cropper. It seems reductive to say that this album sounds like early Yellowjackets with a dash of mid-70's Jeff Beck, but I'm going to write that anyway. As noted in the DownBeat review below, the backing band often steals the show; Ferrante's contributions are obvious and welcome. I'm glad I was directed to the thing via the notes on the back of a Yellowjackets CD longbox (courtesy of Dirk Digglinator). It has become a welcome addition to my summer playlists.

Reviews/ratings:

• DownBeat (★★★½): "There's enough of a steady groove to give the album good listening continuity, and this is due to the alert, aggressive rhythm section."
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: did not chart
• Billboard Jazz: #36
• Cashbox: #183
• CashBox Jazz: #34
• Record World Jazz: #27

Tracks: My top pick today is There's No One Else. The two vocal tracks (North Carolina and Need Somebody) are the bluesiest cuts. The most Beck-ish cut is Magic Sam while the most like Yellowjackets is Tee Time For Eric. There's two tracks that owe a lot to Steely Dan arrangements: 1) For The One I Love sounds much like the song Aja, and 2) the arrangement of North Carolina resembles Black Cow.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, but since it sounds so much like the first couple of Yellowjackets albums, I've seen flashes of 1984 while listening.