O.C. Guitarist to Join Rock’s Black Crowes

Marc Ford, one of the most exciting young guitarists on the Orange County rock scene, is leaving his own struggling band, Burning Tree, to join the Black Crowes, a group from Georgia whose debut album sold more than 4 million copies worldwide.

Ford, who lives in Fullerton, said Friday that he also received an offer this week to join Guns N’ Roses as an on-stage substitute for Izzy Stradlin, a guitarist who is reportedly reluctant to continue touring.

Ford said he refused that offer because playing with the Black Crowes will be “a lot more fun--it’s more my kind of music. I didn’t think twice. I’m far more into the Black Crowes’ music than the Guns N’ Roses thing.”

Ford said that Slash, a member of Guns N’ Roses, called “out of the blue” on Monday and Tuesday offered him a spot in the band’s touring lineup. By then, Ford had already agreed to join the Black Crowes. A spokesman for Guns N’ Roses’ management declined to comment when contacted Friday.

Ford, 25, became friends with the Black Crowes last year when Burning Tree traveled as the Crowes’ opening act on a two-month club tour. He said that the Black Crowes’ singer, Chris Robinson, called him two or three weeks ago and said the band intended to replace one of its guitarists, Jeff Cease.

Ford said he flew to Atlanta 10 days ago after a Burning Tree show at Cal State Fullerton, spent several days jamming with the Black Crowes in Robinson’s garage, and agreed to join the band.

Through a publicist, Chris Robinson issued a brief statement Friday announcing the personnel change.

“I hope and the band hopes there’s no bad blood with Jeff, and he can go off and make the music he wants to make,” Robinson said. “The Crowes have Marc Ford, and with him we’ll take our music to the next step.”

Ford said the Black Crowes are about to record the follow-up to their hit debut album, “Shake Your Money Maker.” He will play on the album and will remain a Black Crowe for a tour he said could last two years.

Ford said he expects to spend two or three years with the Black Crowes, then resume a career of his own--possibly with a reformed Burning Tree (whose other members are drummer Doni Gray and bassist Jim Ashhurst).

“Burning Tree had been doing the best shows we’ve ever done,” Ford said. “It was tough to decide on leaving the other guys, but it’s an opportunity I can’t pass up.”

In Burning Tree, Ford shared the singing and songwriting and was the charismatic focal point in a power-trio format that recalled such ‘60s rock influences as Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. He is also adept at the crunchy, Rolling Stones-style riff-rock that is the basis of the Black Crowes’ style.

Ford said he expects to concentrate strictly on playing the guitar in the Black Crowes.

“The Black Crowes have two songwriters (brothers Chris and Rich Robinson), and that’s that. I’m going to have to put the whole singing and songwriting end aside for now,” Ford said.

Last year, Burning Tree issued a promising debut album on Epic Records, but the record failed to catch fire commercially. Warren Entner, the band’s manager, said last month that Burning Tree had sought and received a release from its Epic contract and would be searching for a new record deal.

Ford and Kirsten Konte, who sings with the local band Children’s Day, have a 2-year-old son, Elijah. The guitarist said that his money from Burning Tree’s Epic deal had run out and that he recently had to take a day job in a record store. From a financial standpoint, Ford said, joining the Black Crowes is “a pretty good deal. They make quite a bit of money, and I need to put away some money.”