Watch on Soap2day. American Robben Ford started out playing jazz saxophone because he admired Paul Desmond. But he soon swapped this instrument for an electric guitar. A few years later, Musician magazine named him one of the 100 best guitarists of the 20th century. Big names in jazz, rock and pop, including Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Witherspoon, Miles Davis, Bill Evans and Bob Dylan, asked him to join their bands.