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THE JEFF BECK WEST COAST TOUR 2006 Jeff Beck is undertaking a rare six date run in the southwest USA this spring. Last summer he was able to put the ensemble together for a tour of Japan and he has grabbed the chance to do it again for fans in America. He will be covering the entire spectrum of his illustrious career from The Yardbirds to the future and for the first time in many years will be accompanied by a guest vocalist, the very special Beth Hart. – Official Press Release From the official JEFF BECK
website:
http://www.jeffbeck.com/
"one of those
nights that even a veteran concertgoer brags about the next day"
(Hollywood Reporter) |
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“Jeff Beck has an orchestra in his fingertips, as he
demonstrated throughout his frequently spellbinding concert Thursday
night at 4th & B. Like few others, this legendary English virtuoso
achieves exceptional depth and dimension in his playing. Eloquent
and electrifying, he makes his guitar sigh, moan, laugh, soar, dive,
ring, squeal, shimmy and shake, but always in service of the song at
hand. Beck is also that rare performer who can play with intensity
and taste at the same time. This made his 91-minute set here an
almost unqualified delight.” |
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 Review by Junkman It seems to me that when I listen to someone describe a particular musician who is really good at what they do, I usually hear the same descriptions: "He totally rocked," "They were unbelievable," "She was the BEST," or, the most overused one of all, "He's a GENIUS." I have been guilty of these clichés myself, from time to time. After all, I attend a lot of concerts and write reviews as part of my job. I just tend to hear people say the same things when they are blown away by a performance.  Every
now and then I will see a performance that leaves me near
speechless. Jeff Beck’s recent show at the House of Blues in
Hollywood was one of them. This man is THE master of the
Stratocaster, armed with so many guitar tricks that only he can do,
he should have a patent on them.Opening with "Beck’s Bolero" from his 1968 release Truth, Beck, sporting his trademark off-white Fender Strat, led his excellent band through a career retrospective that was thoroughly enjoyed by the sold-out crowd. Consisting of drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, bassist Pino Paladino, and keyboardist Jason Rebello, the band was as tight a unit as you can imagine. These guys, hand-picked by Beck undoubtedly, did justice to the recorded versions of many of the numbers, much to the delight of the crowd. From the Roy Buchanan-influenced, Stevie Wonder composition "Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers," from 1975’s hugely popular Blow By Blow album, to the treatment of "Angel (Footsteps)" from 1999’s Who Else!, there was something from just about every phase of Jeff Beck’s solo recording career. I’m sure you could nit-pick and find a few records that weren’t represented, as I overheard many in the crowd do during the evening, but overall I was impressed. Looking EXACTLY the same as he has for the last 40 years or so — the same Nigel Tufnel-from-Spinal Tap-meets-Jane-Fonda-in-Klute hair-do, sleeveless t-shirt, and jeans look he’s had since I’ve been following him — Beck seemed to be having a great time of it onstage with such a receptive crowd before him. During "You Shook Me" and "Morning Dew," original vocalist Rod Stewart’s vocals were replicated by another hand-picked singer, local artist Beth Hart, who did an outstanding job throughout the evening. This woman belted it out with all the soul of Stewart or, for that matter, many of the best black blues singers around. She is truly wonderful. This crowd was here to witness technique for the most part. I, and many in the crowd, stared, open-mouthed as Beck tore through numbers like "Behind The Veil," "Big Block," and "Two Rivers" from 1989’s Jeff Beck’s Guitar Shop CD. Sometimes using a pick and sometimes his thumb, Beck produced sounds all his own. There is nobody that plays like him. I first saw Jeff Beck in 1976 on the Wired tour. That album was well represented at the House Of Blues as the rhythm section of Colaiuta and Paladino shined on "Led Boots," "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat," and the set-closing "Blue Wind." During the encore, Beth Hart returned for a blistering version of "Going Down" from 1972’s Jeff Beck Group LP. Many members in the crowd began screaming out her name, producing a huge grin on Beck’s face — something you don’t always see from such a masterful musician. Finally, he played an all-instrumental version of the classic "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" in true Beck style, complete with ample use of his volume knobs. And just like that they were done. If I had to whine about not hearing a particular number I favor, it would have to be "Freeway Jam" from Blow By Blow because hey...we were in Los Angeles, after all! I have played that one on my car stereo after a million "SIG Alerts." After the show, many milled about, thrilled to have witnessed one of only six stops on the tour. I ran into a fellow journalist and after discussing what a master of the guitar Jeff Beck has been for so many years, he exclaimed: "He's a genius." I smiled and agreed. |
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“The
most avid Jeff Beck fans will tell you they go to
his concerts to hear him play rather than watch.
That makes sense, because he mostly shrugs at being
a commanding showman, preferring to let his guitar
do the interacting. But plunked into a club setting
Wednesday at the House of Blues, Beck seemed
energized by the tight quarters and his tight band.
He peppered his playing with tricks and tossed in
some honest-to-guitar-god antics, apparently
enjoying himself as much as the colorful crowd
enjoyed him. And if he has lost a step at 61, it
wasn't obvious this night. He peppered his playing
with tricks and tossed in some honest-to-guitar-god
antics, apparently enjoying himself as much as the
colorful crowd enjoyed him. … Beck sauntered
onstage, powdered up his hands and went straight to
work. Using his 1968 classic ‘Beck’s Bolero’ as a
warm-up, he pinballed across his 40-year career,
visiting every square inch of the guitar,
mercilessly deploying the whammy bar and
occasionally throwing both fists in the air as he
let a note hang. Before long, heads were shaking
throughout the hall – either moving in time to the
music or simply wordlessly saying ‘wow’. Probably
both. …. After four decades, Beck still has the
ability to thrill. While unfailing technique is
second nature to him, it was a pleasure to see Beck
give just a bit extra on the showmanship side. The
result was one of those nights that even a veteran
concertgoer brags about the next day. And the
next...” 
Beck proffered melodies followed by
amazingly dexterous solos for 90 minutes, clearly
articulating the source from which he would commence an
exploration. In the past, he has not always been so
clear -- the man can play solos till the cows come home
with little sense of a melodic root.
The
sound and mix was excellent for the intimate club
setting, at least from where I was standing, against the
wall, about 20 feet from the stage. His band proved more
than capable of keeping up with "The Master", the
standout being drummer, Vinnie Colaiuta. As drummer Chad
Smith so eloquently stated, "Our jaws were on the
floor…It was mind-blowing". I couldn't have said it
better. I've been a big fan of Vinnie since I
first encountered him doing a session with Frank Zappa,
for engineer, Kerry McNabb, over at Paramount Recording
Studio in the late '70's. He was Zappa's main man for
quite a while, but is best known as LA's greatest, in
demand, session man. Jazz fans probably know him best
for his session work and tours with jazz artists like:
Chick Corea, Lee Ritenour, George Benson, John
McLaughlin, Stanley Clarke, and he is currently on tour
with Herbie Hancock. As an indication of his popularity
among the female music elite, he appears on albums by
Barbra Streisand, Diane Schuur, Jewel, Tori Amos, and
Joni Mitchell. The male elite who have used his talents
include names like: Don Henley, Billy Joel, Duran Duran,
Joe Cocker, and I think, every solo album by Sting.
Rockers range from the Beach Boys, Poco, and Steely Dan,
to Megadeath. Even Kyle Eastwood used him on his most
popular release, "Paris Blue". Vinnie definitely has the
credentials, and the chops, and I can't think of an
artist (in any genre of music) that would push his
talents to greater limits than Jeff Beck. I'm sure Beck
appreciates the pairing as well (but would never
acknowledge such). We were blessed with the opportunity
to experience this synergistic musical pairing in the
un-crowded confines of a small club. If this sounds too
good to be true, at arms length, there appeared a
portable bar, replete with a well-stocked selection of
beers, crammed into a huge bucket of ice, manned by a
genial, very efficient, beauty, who managed to maintain
her vivacious spirit throughout the sometimes raucous
show. 
