Iconic guitarist Jeff Beck played a string of 6 shows at the famous
Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London in late November of 2007. Beck's
band for these gigs included the always-amazing Vinnie Colaiuta on
drums, Jason Rebello on keys, and on bass - one of most impressive
young players to hit the jazz fusion scene in years; Tal Winkenfeld.
The shows were recorded, and the resulting release, Performing This Week... Live at Ronnie Scott's (Eagle Records),
features what Beck considers to be the best versions of the various
songs. It's a fantastic collection of tracks that just happens to be
one of the best fusion releases of 2008.
One of the many
strengths of this album is the band itself. This is the same group that
caused quite a stir at the 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival. I was lucky
enough to be in attendance that day, and like many others, was eager to
hear more from Beck's great band. Now we finally have the chance.
The set list on Live at Ronnie Scott's
spans Beck's entire career. After opening with his signature tune
"Beck's Bolero," the band dives head-long into jazz fusion territory
with Mahavishnu's "Eternity's Breath," followed by the Billy Cobham
classic "Stratus." Right from the outset, it's clear that Beck's
unique style is a key driving force for the entire band. Beck rarely
plays a melody the same way twice. Instead, he fearlessly throws
himself into the songs, seemingly with a "Let's see what happens when I
do this" mentality. This approach lends itself to some great group improvisation. If you're going to hang in there as a member of Beck's
band, you clearly have to be a great listener.
One of the album's high points is the Blow By Blow
classic "Cause We've Ended As Lovers," thanks in large part to a
stellar Tal Wilkenfeld bass solo. The 22-year-old Wilkenfeld made a big
splash with her 2007 solo album Transformation, which featured
no less a guitarist than Wayne Krantz (who rarely does sideman work
anymore). I have no doubt we'll be hearing lots of great work from
Wilkenfeld for years to come. Vinnie Colaiuta fans need to pick up this
album as well. There are tons
of great Colaiuta moments here, such as the minute-plus solo he peels
off at the end of "Blast From The East," before leading into one of
Beck's fusion standards - "Led Boots." Jason Rebello is also rock-solid
throughout; check out his high-energy piano solo on "Space Boogie."
Killer stuff.
The
reggae influenced "Behind the Veil" has never been one of my favorite
Beck tunes, until I heard this version. The entire band is in top form
on this song, and Beck turns in his most energetic solo on the album.
The band's dynamic take on the Beatles opus "A Day In The Life" is
another example where everyone shines.
Live at Ronnie Scott's
is loaded with great examples of Beck's trademark touch and
expressiveness. Beck hasn't used a pick in years, preferring instead
the more personal touch of his bare fingers. Actually, I read somewhere
that he gave up on picks because he kept dropping them onstage anyway.
Regardless of his motivation, the dynamics he can pull out of a guitar
using only his bare hands is stunning. The best example is probably the
album's closer "Where Were You." The original Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop
version of the beautiful ballad has for years had guitarists the world
over asking, "How does he do that?" This live version will invoke a
similar response, I'm sure.
Beck was at the forefront of the early jazz fusion movement in the 1970s. Live at Ronnie Scott's
demonstrates not only the continuing relevance of the genre, but also
Beck's continuing importance to it. Any new release from Beck is a
welcome treat - but sixteen live tracks with a killer band? That's a
must-have album.
Jeff Beck - Performing This Week... Live at Ronnie Scott's (Eagle Records)
Personnel:
Jeff Beck - Guitar
Tal Wilkenfeld - Bass
Jason Rebello - Keyboards
Vinnie Colaiuta - Drums
Tracklisting:
1. Beck's Bolero
2. Eternity's Breath
3. Stratus
4. Cause We've Ended As Lovers
5. Behind The Veil
6. You Never Know
7. Nadia
8. Blast From The East
9. Led Boots
10. Angels (Footsteps)
11. Scatterbrain
12. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat / Brush With The Blues
13. Space Boogie
14. Big Block
15. A Day In The Life
16. Where Were You
Rich
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