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Robben Ford, Michael Landau and Friends is a musical supergroup of talented, well-respected rock, blues and jazz performers that will be appearing at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center on November 26.
Jimmy Haslip, the leader/producer of the “Renegade Creation” project, is an energetic, gifted man of almost as many exclamation points as he has talent. So when he was asked to describe his bandmates in one word each during a recent telephone interview, he found it a bit difficult to narrow down his enthusiasm.
“Robben Ford, dynamic!” Mr. Haslip started. “Michael Landau, awesome! Gary Novak, explosive! And myself, I need two words: pensive and ... groove-ulating!” he enthused.
Mr. Haslip said he teamed up with Mr. Ford, Mr. Landau and Mr. Novak on what would later become the band when he and Mr. Ford were discussing doing a rock recording together. Before long, Mr. Landau and Mr. Novak came up in conversation as people they’d like to work with, and Mr. Haslip, as he put it, simply picked up the phone and “made the calls” that got the four of them together.
“It really was a no-brainer,” he explained. “We all know one another well and we knew it would be creatively cool to collaborate on music together, so this was our chance!”
In addition to the vast experience the bandmates have, one can easily see that these four players also work in the same musical circles quite often.
Mr. Haslip plays electric bass, most notably with jazz-fusion group Yellowjackets. He has also worked with Bruce Hornsby, Al Jarreau and Bobby McFerrin. Mr. Landau is a guitarist and esteemed session player who has worked with the likes of Seal, Pink Floyd, James Taylor and Michelle Branch.
The skilled Mr. Ford, a guitarist, has collaborated with Miles Davis, Bonnie Raitt and Joni Mitchell, among others. And Mr. Novak is an acclaimed drummer who has drummed for everyone from David Sanborn and Chick Corea to singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette. Additionally, Mr. Ford has performed with Yellowjackets, and Mr. Haslip and Mr. Ford work together in a fusion band project called Jing Chi.
“We are, all four of us, very creative,” Mr. Haslip said. “We have loads of experience and exceptionally diverse musical palettes. We are good team players and we have a strong and highly developed work ethic. We also really like one another, and have a strong bond as friends.”
Other strong bonds for Mr. Haslip personally are with some of the other musicians he’s worked with, who he says taught him much about how to improve his own performance skills. When asked who his favorite artists to work with have been, Mr. Haslip digressed. So many people, he explained, have made him grateful for the opportunities that he’s had.
“I learned a lot while working with these artists,” he said, “I am blessed in many ways, and I could probably name 50 artists that have enhanced my life and expanded and diversified my career in amazing ways.”
Mr. Haslip further explained that the standout qualities of his bandmates help create a very fertile environment for the band as a solid unit, which has likely contributed to their success. Their new album was recorded at Mr. Landau’s home studio in Los Angeles. Mr. Landau and Mr. Ford wrote most of the material.
“This was a collaborative project all the way,” Mr. Haslip said, adding, “there isn’t really a theme, but all the songs fit together nicely. We really enjoyed working on this recording and subsequently touring in support of it, and we plan to have a new recording soon, as well.”
He explained that as part of their tour, the band will be performing in Westhampton, introducing a new audience to their new sound.
“We’ll be performing music from the ‘Renegade Creation’ album, plus some of Robben’s and Michael’s personal repertoires, all combined to make a good strong rockin’ set of uplifting music,” Mr. Haslip said.
Robben Ford, Michael Landau and Friends plays the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center on Friday, November 26, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25, $40, and $55, and are available online at whbpac.org, in person box office in Westhampton Beach, or by phone at 288-1500.
on Nov 18, 2010