Whenever I'd thought of the music of Jeff Beck it was only how he sounded either with the Yardbirds or back in the 1970's, I never realised he'd still be playing, playing well and still evolving. This concert was an ear-opener for me – recorded in November 2007 at cosy Ronnie Scott's in London with an excellent band behind him it made me understand just how understated if not underrated as a top guitarist he has been. Rolling Stone magazine placing him as the fifth most influential guitarist of all time didn't filter down to the general public, ie me.
Beck played from a wide and long selection of his own songs to pop to jazz fusion to blues classics with guests including Joss Stone, Imogen Heap and Eric Clapton for even more contrast. His band were Vinnie Colaiuta (ex-Zappa) on drums, Tal Wilkenfeld (Aussie lady bassist, looking impossibly young next to her grizzled cohorts), and Jason Rebello on keyboards – and they all worked perfectly together and looked like they enjoyed every moment. Hardly a word was spoken to the audience except for the couple of vocal songs, culminating in entertaining arty music for grown-ups with Beck's non-stop inventiveness on guitar riveting everyone both in Ronnie Scott's, and my house. Music is always a personal preference of course but my favourites from this set are Behind The Veil and Nadia, both pulsating tunes with hypnotic stabbing sounds. He did another set earlier in the evening with the Big Town Playboys which I think is on the DVD, but rockabilly has never over-rocked my boat or billy and this didn't either. That train kept a rollin' for me.
Basically, he was amazing that night and I was duly amazed so recommend watching/listening to it to anyone interested. The tune he ended the night with was a knockout too even if a few moments sounded lifted from the Dead's classic Feedback. It was still ten minutes too short but had a very apt title: Where Were You. I don't know the answer to that one but I'll have to find out asap where he was for the last forty years.
Beck played from a wide and long selection of his own songs to pop to jazz fusion to blues classics with guests including Joss Stone, Imogen Heap and Eric Clapton for even more contrast. His band were Vinnie Colaiuta (ex-Zappa) on drums, Tal Wilkenfeld (Aussie lady bassist, looking impossibly young next to her grizzled cohorts), and Jason Rebello on keyboards – and they all worked perfectly together and looked like they enjoyed every moment. Hardly a word was spoken to the audience except for the couple of vocal songs, culminating in entertaining arty music for grown-ups with Beck's non-stop inventiveness on guitar riveting everyone both in Ronnie Scott's, and my house. Music is always a personal preference of course but my favourites from this set are Behind The Veil and Nadia, both pulsating tunes with hypnotic stabbing sounds. He did another set earlier in the evening with the Big Town Playboys which I think is on the DVD, but rockabilly has never over-rocked my boat or billy and this didn't either. That train kept a rollin' for me.
Basically, he was amazing that night and I was duly amazed so recommend watching/listening to it to anyone interested. The tune he ended the night with was a knockout too even if a few moments sounded lifted from the Dead's classic Feedback. It was still ten minutes too short but had a very apt title: Where Were You. I don't know the answer to that one but I'll have to find out asap where he was for the last forty years.