Acclaimed LA Producer & Composer Richard Ford Releases Soulful New Single ‘Soon’ Featuring Kessi Blue

As producer, composer, and bassist Richard Ford prepares to release his upcoming album BP2 — which will be available on streaming services May 21st — he shares a new jazz-pop single, “Soon,” which features singer Kessi Blue. “Soon,” is the lead single released from BP2 and serves as a mature continuation of the mellow groove that defined Ford’s previous album, Basso Profondissimo.

A Londoner currently based out of L.A., Ford has been surrounded by music from a very young age. Throughout his career as a professional bassist, Ford played alongside a number of renowned musicians, including Joe Jackson, Bram Tchaikovsky, and Bill Nelson. In the early 90s, he exchanged gigs and tours for soundtracks and scores and began a career in music editing for films. He has worked with directors such as Ben Affleck, Alexander Payne, and Jodie Foster on award-winning titles such as Argo and The Descendants, and he became an Emmy-winning sound editor in 2005. 

After almost two decades working in the film industry, Ford was drawn back to creating music for himself rather than a movie theater full of strangers. In 2018, he released his first official project, Basso Profondissimo, an eclectic collection of six songs that incorporate everything from classic bossa nova style, to grungy basslines, to lullaby-like melodies. 

On their own, songs like “Westbeth,” with its emphasis on an old-school bassline, and “Calango Reco,” with its vibrant percussion, are strong enough to support themselves. When placed next to one another, though, they jointly serve as an in-depth exploration of the multifaceted nature of the bass.

With his most recent release, “Soon,” Ford offers listeners another deep dive into the instrument, this time honoring one of The Blue Nile’s classics with a soulful bassline and easygoing vocals from Canadian singer and songwriter Kessi Blue. Having been a longtime fan of the Scottish group, Ford was careful in creating a familiar yet newly groovy rendition of the song, which was originally written by Paul Buchanan. 

Ford first worked with Blue on “Malibu” off of his previous album, and he intentionally arranged and produced “Soon” to match her hypnotic voice. Blue’s vocals cast an ethereal light on the song’s lyrics, which leisurely flow over the jazz undercurrent beneath them. “Yeah, love will come soon/Yeah, love between us soon,” Blue sings smoothly in an assured tone that matches the unhurried pace of the bass, drums, and strings behind her. The song itself is hazy in sound, yet clear in its intention to instill a sense of new life into a track that recently turned 25.

With a funky bassline that ebbs and flows in fullness throughout the song, “Soon” expresses a hopeful anticipation for the future from a fresh perspective that likely teases at the overall tone of BP2. While patiently, or not so patiently, awaiting the project’s nearing drop, listen to this bluesy single along with Ford’s other atmospheric musical creations.