If you managed to see Eric Clapton's Crossroads: Guitar Festival 2007 DVD, then you saw Jeff Beck armed with a classic white Strat rip it up and steal the show. Considering that this was a who's who of guitar virtuousos, it was pretty impressive work. (Ok, Bill Murray was pretty good also.)
If you're a guitar fanatic and not familiar with Jeff Beck, here's a quick history. He played with the Yardbirds at 21, replacing Eric Clapton, and later joined by Jimmy Page. Movie buffs may recall a classic scene from the 1966 David Hemmings / Vanessa Redgrave film Blowup in which Beck smashes his guitar into his Vox amp during the Yardbirds song "Stroll On." After he left the Yardbirds, he formed the Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart on vocals and Ron Wood on bass. He's recorded more than a dozen albums over a wide musical palette of blues rock, fusion, jazz --you name it. And oddly enough, 3 decades on, he's still one of the unsung guitar heroes.
Beck has released a new live CD "Performing This Week...Live At Ronnie Scotts" which may help give more visibility to a guitar player who surely deserves it. The CD collects the best songs from a five night gig at London's famous jazz club.
This CD is a great introduction to a renowned guitar player. If you're looking for one instrumental guitar album to add to your collection, this could be the one. It's pretty amazing to hear the range of emotions and sounds that Beck's able to coax out of a guitar. And he does it all without a effects. Heck, he doesn't even use a pick. As Eric Clapton has said about Beck "It's all in his hands." The CD starts with "Beck's Bolero" gets into some slow burn blues, monster movie space sounds, reggae, rock, metal, and then a climactic rendition of The Beatles "A Day in the Life" as the penultimate song. It's not a conventional rock & roll record by any means, but if you want to get to the core of what makes guitar great, Jeff Beck illustrates the point better than anyone. You can listen to a live stream of "Cause We've Ended as Lovers" online.
Beck doesn't tour much, so "Live At Ronnie Scotts" may be the next best thing. And there's also a live DVD available. To hold things in place until the next tour, here's a live version of "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat / Brush with the Blues" from 2006 via YouTube.
New Tribute: El Becko
Fusion rock fans may also want to check out a new tribute CD "El Becko: A Jeff Beck Salute " from Nu Groove Records produced by Brian Tarquin. It's a slightly smoother, jazzier take on some of Beck's songs featuring the likes of Doug Doppler, Greg Rapaport, Howard Hart and Chris Mahoney among others.
In the early seventies my high school homies were divided up into 3 guitar hero camps. Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter and Jeff Beck (life was so much simpler back in '72). Jimi's gone, Johnny's still hangin' in there. And then there's Jeff Beck. Still amazing to watch (see Crossroads Concert), still in a class all by himself. I recently picked up a hard to find copy of: Beck, Bogert and Appice and now can't wait to get my hands on "Live at Ronnie Scotts' which sounds like a must have Jeff Beck recording.
Well, I've just finished listening to "live at Ronnie Scotts" for the 25th time in as many days. I must say that although it may not be the definitive "live" JB album (I'm sure there's an even better one still to come), it's great stuff. I forgot how versatile, gentle, outrageous and melancholy JB can be all in one tune. "Nadia" and "Where were you" are outstanding. However JB's rendition of "Big Block" is a little more tame than the Crossroads Concert version which I think is his best. All in all, this live album effort is a must have. Jeff Beck remains one of the few Guitar Masters still striving to make original, creative and timeless musical canvases that will last throughout the ages. Permanence is what all good artists strive for. Jeff Beck is one of these who picked up a Strat instead of a paint brush. Lucky me with balcony seat ticket to JB's up-coming performance a the Montreal Jazz Festival this summer!
In the early seventies my high school homies were divided up into 3 guitar hero camps. Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter and Jeff Beck (life was so much simpler back in '72). Jimi's gone, Johnny's still hangin' in there. And then there's Jeff Beck. Still amazing to watch (see Crossroads Concert), still in a class all by himself. I recently picked up a hard to find copy of: Beck, Bogert and Appice and now can't wait to get my hands on "Live at Ronnie Scotts' which sounds like a must have Jeff Beck recording.
Good review Z.
Mark L
Posted by: mark lalonde | December 10, 2008 at 02:18 PM
Well, I've just finished listening to "live at Ronnie Scotts" for the 25th time in as many days. I must say that although it may not be the definitive "live" JB album (I'm sure there's an even better one still to come), it's great stuff. I forgot how versatile, gentle, outrageous and melancholy JB can be all in one tune. "Nadia" and "Where were you" are outstanding. However JB's rendition of "Big Block" is a little more tame than the Crossroads Concert version which I think is his best. All in all, this live album effort is a must have. Jeff Beck remains one of the few Guitar Masters still striving to make original, creative and timeless musical canvases that will last throughout the ages. Permanence is what all good artists strive for. Jeff Beck is one of these who picked up a Strat instead of a paint brush. Lucky me with balcony seat ticket to JB's up-coming performance a the Montreal Jazz Festival this summer!
Mark L
Posted by: mark lalonde | January 23, 2009 at 03:55 PM