robben ford bill evans tour

Robben Ford and Bill Evans announce new album, Common Ground, share soulful title track

The pair's second collaborative effort follows 2019's The Sun Room and will arrive September 30

Robben Ford and Bill Evans performing live

Blues guitar virtuoso Robben Ford and saxophone ace Bill Evans have announced Common Ground – a new collaborative album that will arrive September 30.

To usher in the news, the two jazz masters have dropped the effort’s lead single and title track, for which they’ve recruited German vocalist Max Mutzke.

With the help of Ford and Evans’ Common Ground rhythm section – comprising bassist Darryl Jones and drummer Keith Carlcok – the quintet serve up four minutes of soulful goodness, brimming with silky sax solos and sweet six-string embellishments.

Though Ford is rooted to the rhythm spot for much of the track – which he delivers via a tasteful, tremolo-tinged tone – he does let loose for a guitar solo around the 2:10 mark, making the most of a meaty tone for a string of box-pushing fretboard noodles.

Of the album, Ford commented, “I feel the music presented here is 'fresh' in both composition and performance with all of the musicians being versatile, true improvisers and having a strong sense of groove, as well.

“These are the qualities that make you want to play,” he continued. “I’m so happy to have been a part of what lead to this record.”

Common Ground represents the latest addition to Ford and Evans’ creative repertoire, with the sax man saying the album’s contents are the result of the pair’s shared musical ideology and a testament to their chemistry.

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“Every now and then, like-minded musicians are able to get together in the studio or on the same stage and create interesting music together,” Evans explained. “I believe myself and Robben share that same ideology. We both love all kinds of music whether it's classic blues, soul, rock 'n' roll, you name it.

“This openness to combine different kinds of music and create something musical and special is what brought me and Robben together in the first place. Robben composed some of the most inspiring music I’ve played in a long time. Our writing styles blend seamlessly.”

Robben Ford and Bill Evans Common Ground album cover

Ford concurred, “It's always a great and sought-after pleasure to work with some of the best musicians in contemporary music, and making this record was for me one of those occasions.

“We have, each of us, worked with one another in different configurations in the past, so, there is a comfort level in that. But more importantly, everyone involved is a dedicated musician whose first thought is to make the best music possible in any situation.”

When it arrives, Common Ground will be the pair’s second studio album together following the release of The Sun Room in 2019, which also featured Carlock on drums. Ford also guested on Evans’ 2002 album, Big Fun .

For Common Ground, Evans shared production duties with Clifford Carter, who also played piano and organ on the title track.

Check out the Common Ground tracklist below.

Ever Ready Sunday
Crabshaw Don't Care
Sentimental Mood
Hearts of Havana
Common Ground
Dennis Menace
The Little Boxer
Common Ground is available to preorder now.

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Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World , Guitarist and Total Guitar . He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.

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Robben Ford and Bill Evans New Album 'Common Ground' Out On September 30th On MPS

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Track Listing

Ever Ready Sunday; Crabshaw Don’t Care; Sentimental Mood; Hearts of Havana; Common Ground; Passaic; Stanley; Dennis Menace; The Little Boxer.

Bill Evans - Saxophone

Album information.

Title: Common Ground | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: MPS

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MPS (EDEL) is proud to announce the release of the newest project by Robben Ford and Bill Evans , called Common Ground on September 30th, 2022.

The multiple time Grammy nominees Ford and Evans have shared the stage in Europe, North America and even Japan and already released a collaborative album called The Sun Room together in 2019 (earMUSIC). With the jazz rock album Common Ground they continue their creative relationship as Evans explains.

We both love all kinds of music whether it’s classic blues, soul, rock and roll, you name it. This openness to combine different kinds of music and create something musical and special is what brought me and Robben together in the first place. Robben composed some of the most inspiring music I’ve played in a long time. Our writing styles blend seamlessly.” The first single and title track that was digitally released today features the vocals of popular German singer Max Mutzke , who finds the kindest words for this collaboration. “When I was a little boy, I went to Bill Evans concerts with my father. I listened to his music over and over. Bill has always been a musical inspiration for me. Now he is my friend and that is an incredible joy for me. What a great person. At his request, I am singing a song on his and Robben’s album. It’s a dream come true.” The single release is accompanied by a lyric video in the style of the album artwork that illustrates the song’s message about the importance to finding a common ground despite different ways of living, moral values and points of view. Recorded in Nashville, the jazz rock album features a first-class rhythm section with bassist Darryl Jones (recording and touring with the Rolling Stones since 1993 and former sideman of Miles David and Sting) and drummer Keith Carlock (currently a touring member of Steely Dan). It was produced by Bill Evans and Clifford Carter , who also took over the piano and organ on the title track. Robben Ford about the recording: “It’s always a great and sought-after pleasure to work with some of the best musicians in contemporary music, and making this record was for me one of those occasions.

We have, each of us, worked with one another in different configurations in the past, so, there is a comfort level in that. But more importantly, everyone involved is a dedicated musician who’s first thought is to make the best music possible in any situation.

Such a joy for me, personally, to play with these gents! Bill and I have worked quite a lot together over the past several years. But, the opportunity given to us by Edel to finally document the music has happily resulted in two recordings that we are very proud of the first being ‘Sun Room’ released on earMUSIC and now ‘Common Ground’ on MPS.

I feel the music presented here is ‘fresh’ in both composition and performance with all of the musicians being versatile, true improvisers and having a strong sense of groove, as well. These are the qualities that make you want to play! I’m so happy to have been a part of what lead to this record. Common Ground will be released as a digipak, 2 LP gatefold and digitally on September 30th, 2022.

TRACKLISTING 1 Ever Ready Sunday / 2 Crabshaw Don’t Care / 3 Sentimental Mood / 4 Hearts of Havana / 5 Common Ground / 6 Passaic / 7 Stanley / 8 Dennis Menace / 9 The Little Boxer

Robben Ford – Guitar Bill Evans – Saxophone, Keys Darryl Jones – Bass Keith Carlock – Drums Produced by Bill Evans & Clifford Carter

Pre-order the album: https://MPS.lnk.to/CommonGroundID

Stream or download the single: https://MPS.lnk.to/CommonGround_SingleID

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In 2019, veteran musicians Robben Ford and Bill Evans, joined by Keith Carlock on drums and James Genus on bass, released The Sun Room , coming as a result of Robben and Evans touring together in Japan. The Sun Room is now released for the first time as an LP, a 180g vinyl available later this year.

The opening track is titled Star Time, with Robben and Evans weaving a complex, somewhat dissonant unison melody over an uptempo rhythm. The following track, Catch A Ride, takes on a more gritty blues with Ford’s twanging, modulated guitar, but Evans’ saxophone adds a distinct jazz twist, and the track is completed with a blistering solo from Ford.

Something In The Rose is a more gentle and laid-back piece, taking a straightforward chord progression on acoustic guitar and a sparse rhythm arrangement, and adding a saxophone melody from Evans, who is then joined by a vocal chorus. The track crescendos with an overdriven solo from Ford.

By contrast, Pixies is a more classic jazz guitar composition, with Ford’s clean electric guitar playing a grooving melody alongside Evans, before each takes a solo. In contrast to both of these, Insomnia is vocally led, with some saxophone accompaniment and short passages of improvisation toward the end, with very limited guitar other than the subtle rhythm.

Fans of the two musicians will certainly enjoy The Sun Room . The album is a varied and interesting recording, and ultimately, while not as raw as some of the pair’s previous releases, the more polished sound still showcases their superb ability.

Discography Star Time; Catch A Ride; Big Mama; Gold On My Shoulder; Pixies; Something In The Rose; Insomnia; Strange Days; Bottle Opener (55.33) Ford (elg, g, v); Evans (s); Rob Aries (kyb); James Genus (b); Keith Carlock (d); Laurie Wheeler (v). Nashville, no date, c. 2019. earMUSIC / 0217775EMU

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Common Ground

Robben ford & bill evans (sax).

Information

MPS is proud to announce the release of the newest project by Robben Ford and Bill Evans , called Common Ground on September 30th, 2022. The multiple times Grammy nominees Ford and Evans have shared the stage in Europe, North America and even Japan and already released a collaborative album called The Sun Room together in 2019 (earMUSIC). With the jazz rock album Common Ground they continue their creative relationship as Evans explains.

“ Every now and then, like-minded musicians are able to get together in the studio or on the same stage and create interesting music together. It’s the blending of each other’s influences and styles, and the will to create something new and fresh that can turn this ‘creative meeting’ into something special. I believe myself and Robben share that same ideology. We both love all kinds of music whether it’s classic blues, soul, rock and roll, you name it. This openness to combine different kinds of music and create something musical and special is what brought me and Robben together in the first place. Robben composed some of the most inspiring music I’ve played in a long time. Our writing styles blend seamlessly.”

The first single and title track that was digitally released today features the vocals of popular German singer Max Mutzke , who finds the kindest words for this collaboration. “When I was a little boy, I went to Bill Evans concerts with my father. I listened to his music over and over. Bill has always been a musical inspiration for me. Now he is my friend and that is an incredible joy for me. What a great person. At his request, I am singing a song on his and Robben’s album. It’s a dream come true.”

The single release is accompanied by a lyric video in the style of the album artwork. It illustrates the song’s message about the importance of finding common ground, despite different ways of living, moral values and points of view.

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Recorded in Nashville, the jazz rock album features a first-class rhythm section with bassist Darryl Jones (recording and touring with the Rolling Stones since 1993 and former sideman of Miles David and Sting) and drummer Keith Carlock (currently a touring member of Steely Dan). It was produced by Bill Evans and Clifford Carter , who also took over the piano and organ on the title track.

Robben Ford about the recording: “It’s always a great and sought-after pleasure to work with some of the best musicians in contemporary music, and making this record was for me one of those occasions. We have, each of us, worked with one another in different configurations in the past, so, there is a comfort level in that. But more importantly, everyone involved is a dedicated musician who’s first thought is to make the best music possible in any situation. Such a joy for me, personally, to play with these gents! Bill and I have worked quite a lot together over the past several years. But, the opportunity given to us by Edel to finally document the music has happily resulted in two recordings that we are very proud of the first being ‘Sun Room’ released on earMUSIC and now ‘Common Ground’ on MPS.

Common Ground will be released as a digipak, 2 LP gatefold and digitally on September 30th, 2022.

You can pre-order the new album here: https://MPS.lnk.to/CommonGroundPR

Listen to the first single “Common Ground”: https://MPS.lnk.to/CommonGround_SinglePR

Pre-Listen to snippets from all tracks of the album:

Robben Ford & Bill Evans – Common Ground

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Robben Ford + Bill Evans Announce “Common Ground” Album

ROBBEN FORD + BILL EVANS NEW ALBUM COMMON GROUND OUT ON SEPTEMBER 30

DUO SHARES TITLE TRACK — LISTEN MPS (EDEL) is proud to announce the newest project by Robben Ford and Bill Evans , called Common Ground , out September 30.

It will be released as a digipak, 2-LP gatefold, and digitally. Pre-order it here .

Listen to the title track here .

The multiple Grammy nominees Ford and Evans have shared the stage in Europe, North America, and even Japan and already released a collaborative album called The Sun Room together in 2019 (earMUSIC).

With the jazz rock album Common Ground, they continue their creative relationship as Evans explains: “Every now and then, like-minded musicians are able to get together in the studio or on the same stage and create interesting music together. It’s the blending of each other’s influences and styles, and the will to create something new and fresh that can turn this ‘creative meeting’ into something special. I believe myself and Robben share that same ideology. We both love all kinds of music whether it’s classic blues, soul, rock ‘n’ roll, you name it. This openness to combine different kinds of music and create something musical and special is what brought me and Robben together in the first place. Robben composed some of the most inspiring music I’ve played in a long time. Our writing styles blend seamlessly.” The first single and title track features the vocals of popular German singer Max Mutzke , who finds the kindest words for this collaboration, saying, “When I was a little boy, I went to Bill Evans concerts with my father. I listened to his music over and over. Bill has always been a musical inspiration for me. Now he is my friend and that is an incredible joy for me. What a great person. At his request, I am singing a song on his and Robben’s album. It’s a dream come true.” The single release is accompanied by a lyric video in the style of the album artwork that illustrates the song’s message about the importance to finding a common ground despite different ways of living, moral values, and points of view. Watch it here . Recorded in Nashville, the jazz rock album features a first-class rhythm section with bassist Darryl Jones (recording and touring with the Rolling Stones since 1993 and former sideman of Miles Davis and Sting) and drummer Keith Carlock (currently a touring member of Steely Dan). It was produced by Evans and Clifford Carter, who also took over the piano and organ on the title track. Says Ford about the recording, “It’s always a great and sought-after pleasure to work with some of the best musicians in contemporary music, and making this record was for me one of those occasions. We have, each of us, worked with one another in different configurations in the past, so, there is a comfort level in that. But more importantly, everyone involved is a dedicated musician who’s first thought is to make the best music possible in any situation. Such a joy for me, personally, to play with these gents! Bill and I have worked quite a lot together over the past several years. But, the opportunity given to us by Edel to finally document the music has happily resulted in two recordings that we are very proud of the first being Sun Room released on earMUSIC and now Common Ground on MPS.

“I feel the music presented here is ‘fresh’ in both composition and performance with all of the musicians being versatile, true improvisers and having a strong sense of groove, as well. These are the qualities that make you want to play! I’m so happy to have been a part of what lead to this record.” Robben Ford is an American rock, blues and jazz guitarist. Ex-member of fusion pioneers Yellowjackets, he is admired for his solo works but also known for his collaborations with giants of music like Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, George Harrison, and many others. He comes from a generation of California musicians who contributed to eliminate boundaries between different genres, often writing and performing timeless music that will stand the test of time. Bill Evans is an American saxophonist, pianist, and producer who has recorded 26 solo albums to date. He has played, toured, and recorded with artists such as Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, and John McLaughlin, to name a few, before spending the last 30 years touring with his own groups worldwide and receiving wide recognition as a true renaissance man. COMMON GROUND TRACK LISTING: “Ever Ready Sunday” “Crabshaw Don’t Care” “Sentimental Mood” “Hearts of Havana” “Common Ground” “Passaic” “Stanley” “Dennis Menace” “The Little Boxer” PERSONNEL: Robben Ford — Guitar Bill Evans — Saxophone, Keys Darryl Jones — Bass Keith Carlock — Drums Produced by Bill Evans + Clifford Carter

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