Robben Ford – New Morning: The Paris Concert

 

Picture: C+     Sound: B-     Extras: C+     Concert: B

 

 

Robben Ford is a former member of The Yellowjackets we have covered before with his 1992 Ohne Filter concert DVD, but now, Inakustik has begun a new DVD concert series from Paris at the New Morning where this was taped.  This 2001 concert runs 90 minutes, or 50% longer than any Ohne Filter installment, and is the stronger concert besides any time considerations.  You have a tight, four member band who can really play, know it and enjoy it.

 

With little overlap in material choices between the two, the songs are as follows:

 

1)     Prison Of Love

2)     Just Like It Is

3)     Nothing To Nobody

4)     Start It Up

5)     Moonchild Blues

6)     Help The Poor

7)     Chevrolet

8)     Tired Of Talkin’

9)     Indianola Blues

10)  Deaf, Dumb & Blind

11)  Lovin’ Cup

12)  You Got Me Knockin’

 

 

Whether it is because he is used to being taped, had more time to perform, had more material to offer, liked the location more, the audience was bigger, the location was bigger or he is just getting better, Ford and his band deliver.  He himself is a truly underrated talent, making us look even more forward to Yellowjackets material and more Robben.  Get this disc, especially if you like good Rock and Blues, plus the extended playing thereof.  We need to see this kind of music talent more often.  Ford’s voice is equal to what it was in the older concert to boot.

 

The full frame PAL color video is odd, looking normal until the majority of the frame is Video Black, and then it looks terrible.  This is an odd case of such weak black, because the problem is usually noticeable throughout, but this is a new case of the problem, which is ignorable for the most part.  Despite being nine years after his Ohne Filter concert, the picture difference is practically nil.  The sound is available in the same PCM CD-type 2.0 16bit/48kHz Stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1 AC-3 options you get in all the Ohne Filter releases, both a bit better than the concert nine years prior, but not absolutely as noticeable.  Too bad DTS was not here, because that would really show the difference.  They only extra is a 24 minutes-long interview that is very good and somehow “to be continued…” despite the fact that the disc gives us any indication of where.  Otherwise, a well-rounded concert disc.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo