BillyMacQ Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 (edited) http://www.rollingstone.com/music/davidfricke/blogs/DavidFricke_May2010/112463/38726 by David Fricke Jeff Beck's Scorching Les Paul Tribute Show Over 100 minutes and 27 songs, in his June 8th show at the New York jazz club Iridium, Jeff Beck did not play a single classic-rock heavy-blues or fusion-workout number from his own long catalog of records: no "Freeway Jam," "Blue Wind" or "Beck's Bolero," not even his signature immolation of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life." In fact, everything the British guitarist played in this rare small-room date the first of two nights at the club with the singer Imelda May and her roots-and-swing band was originally a hit for someone else, long before Beck made his official recording debut with the Yardbirds in 1965. There was Elvis Presley's mid-Fifties romps "Baby Let's Play House" and "My Baby Left Me," "Cruisin'" and "Double Talkin' Baby" by Gene Vincent, Howlin' Wolf's "Poor Boy," Johnny Otis' 1959 jungle boogie "Casting My Spell" and the Danish guitarist Jorgen Ingmann's 1961 instrumental smash "Apache." "It changed my life," Beck told the audience before launching into Bill Haley's 1954 single "Rock Around the Clock." Even when Beck bolted into "Train Kept A-Rollin'" by Johnny Burnette and the Rock & Roll Trio a song torched a decade later by Beck with the Yardbirds he stuck to the clackety steam-train gait and hillbilly freakout of Burnette's 1956 version, doubling fast clipped-note lines on the top strings of a Telecaster with his thumb on the lowest bass string. In Memory of Les Beck's appearances his first New York club performance since a pair of 2003 shows at B.B. King's are billed as a "Tribute to Les Paul." The centerpiece of the show (which was filmed for a PBS broadcast later this year and an eventual DVD) was a run, with May, of Paul's massively popular Fifties singles with his wife and singer Mary Ford. Paul, who died last August at 94, was a close friend of Beck's and one of his core inspirations, as much for Paul's electric-guitar prowess blinding speed and a precise biting country-jazz attack as for his historic home-lab innovations in the sound and shape of the instrument. And Iridium was, for a dozen years, right up to his passing, Paul's regular Monday night gig with his trio, where he salted readings of his old hits and Tin Pan Alley standards with ribald jokes. Before he played a note on June 8th, Beck presented Paul's son Rus with a plaque honoring Les, who would have turned 95 the next day. Appropriately, Beck played a Les Paul Sunburst guitar during the mini-set, and May recreated Ford's multiple harmonies on the original records, the product of Paul's pinpoint overdubbing, with a harmonizing effect that made May's voice sound like a choir of Fords. Beck stuck to the canon, including "How High the Moon," "Vaya Con Dios," and a "Tiger Rag": taken at neck-snapping velocity. But it was also clear how much Beck, in the Yardbirds and the late-Sixties Rod-Stewart era of the Jeff Beck Group, transformed Paul's influence with the scorch and growl of black electric blues, modal raga-flavored invention and Beck's own revved-up aggression. His solos were quick and concise but spiked with skittering clusters of growling-treble notes, meaty skids down the neck and, at the very end of one ruthless break, a deep bass-string snort. And whenever Beck and May's band guitarist Darren Higham, drummer Steve Rushton and Al Gare on the bull fiddle lit into a jump-rhythm number such as "Bye Bye Blues," it was like getting the stutter, gulp and fire of Beck's Yardbirds instrumental "Jeff's Boogie." but with more Sun Sessions bounce. Party Time "When I found out our next guest was playing around the corner, I couldn't let him get away," Beck said, announcing Gary U.S. Bonds, who was in town for a show at B.B. King's but made time to do his 1960 single "New Orleans" with Beck at Iridium. Beck also brought guitarist Brian Setzer of the Stray Cats out for Eddie Cochran's "20 Flight Rock" with the two on heated alternating breaks and Joe Turner's "Shake Rattle and Roll." Beck snarled in sync with a three-piece horn section for "Peter Gunn" and played a striking solo creating an angry sobbing effect with quick shivers of the whammy bar as he fingerpicked and tapped the strings in the Shangri-Las' "Remember (Walking in the Sand)," the newest song in the whole show. But for all of Beck's fond retrovision at Iridium, the impatient modernism in his virtuosity whenever he takes any other stage was always evident, sometimes right in your face. Beck started Santo and Johnny's 1959 instrumental "Sleepwalk" by emulating the weeping-steel melody with a white Stratocaster, a bottleneck and discreet rolls of the volume knob. But he finished up with familiar bravado, tapping the strings with the bottleneck before sweeping up the strings with a loud vicious flourish. Beck spent tonight examining his roots in love and detail particularly his eternal debt to Les Paul but he celebrated them all as living history. Edited June 9, 2010 by BillyMacQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenog Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 Excellent stuff, Billy. I hope they don't take too long to bring out the DVD after the tv broadcast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyMacQ Posted June 9, 2010 Author Share Posted June 9, 2010 Agree. I was gutted when I didn't win tix through Iridium's Facebook lottery - now I'm double-y so! Speaking of Iridium's Facebook profile, not sure who's responsible for the postings from it, but he/she STRONGLY implied that Jimmy Page was going to make a guest appearance. Not long after I replied to that post, it was taken down. Love, Billy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazedcat Posted June 9, 2010 Share Posted June 9, 2010 Thanks for posting this, great article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyMacQ Posted June 10, 2010 Author Share Posted June 10, 2010 No trouble at all. I generally agree with David Fricke most of the time. I'm sure it was as good as he describes, if not better. Beck is the man. And look at that set list. I can think of a guitar player we all know and love who probably has all of those records in his extensive collection, and is also a big fan and admirer of the late great Les Paul. It truly is a shame that Beck is the only one of the two who seems interested in live performances these days. And I don't mean attending them. Love, Billy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wholelottajimmy Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 No trouble at all. I generally agree with David Fricke most of the time. I'm sure it was as good as he describes, if not better. Beck is the man. And look at that set list. I can think of a guitar player we all know and love who probably has all of those records in his extensive collection, and is also a big fan and admirer of the late great Les Paul. It truly is a shame that Beck is the only one of the two who seems interested in live performances these days. And I don't mean attending them. Love, Billy I saw Jeff Beck for the first time with Jimmy at Jeff's Induction in Cleveland. I was so thrilled to finally see the both of them. Jeff was certainly impressive. Like I said in a previous thread, he plays so 'effortlessly' and seems to really enjoy playing. Then again, we saw him with Eric Clapton in February, Again, Jeff was tremendous. Out of the two, I really enjoyed his performance and wished he'd have played all evening. Don't know why Jimmy is shying away. To say he's retired makes no sense. At least, I don't believe he's lost his interest in performing. Clearly age should not be the issue. Just look at Beck and Clapton. Can't force anyone, but can't help but still have hope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMt Posted June 10, 2010 Share Posted June 10, 2010 I'm going to see Jeff Beck in October.Just three days before my birthday. I've already saw Eric Clapton before in Glasgow Scotland(my homeplace) One question folks.Whats this i hear about Michael Easdon trying to get Led Zeppelin to play Glastonbury England in place of U2 on account of Bono having to pull out. Any truth in the rumours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUCK'EYE' DOC Posted June 11, 2010 Share Posted June 11, 2010 I'm going to see Jeff Beck in October.Just three days before my birthday. I've already saw Eric Clapton before in Glasgow Scotland(my homeplace) One question folks.Whats this i hear about Michael Easdon trying to get Led Zeppelin to play Glastonbury England in place of U2 on account of Bono having to pull out. Any truth in the rumours. Just rumours, RMt. Probably not going to happen. There are a few other threads on the forum discussing this subject, probably in the "News" section. You can read up on the info about Glastonbury there. I just bought 2 tickets to Jeff Beck at Cincinnati's PNC Pavillion on June 23. Center stage, front section, center seats. I was surprised that these great seats were available at this late date. As much as I dislike outdoor concerts, I could not pass up these great seats. The pavillion is covered, so maybe it will not be so hot. I wish I could have been at the Iridium for the Les Paul tribute. The video from it will be great. Since it will be shown on PBS, it will probably air during their December membership/donation drive, and the video will be offered as a thank you for a certain donation level. The Clapton/Winwood MSG video was shown a couple years ago on PBS during their pledge drive. It will be a good way to support your local PBS station and be the first to get the video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deborah J Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Jeff Beck - Baby Let´s Play House Rock´n´Roll Party honoring Les Paul,Iridium Jazz Club, New York http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Itj9l0uuSw Jeff Beck - Shake, Rattle and Roll http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbyX85Ri3PU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deborah J Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 (edited) More ---^^^Jeff Beck - New Orleans http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIujoH8UQ8w Edit:Had to add this one- Love Jeff Beck and this DVD is awesome!! JEFF BECK WINS THREE GRAMMYS Edited March 19, 2011 by Deborah J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mstork Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Thanks for posting Deb. Who is that guy singing Baby Let's Play House? I have to say, he really "captures" Elvis without sounding like a total imitator! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deborah J Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Thanks for posting Deb. Who is that guy singing Baby Let's Play House? I have to say, he really "captures" Elvis without sounding like a total imitator! Rock´n´Roll Party honoring Les Paul,Iridium Jazz Club, New York Jeff Beck -- Guitars Brian Setzer -- Guitar and Vocals Imelda May -- Vocals Darrel Higham -- Guitars/Vocals-- This guy:-)^^ Al Gare -- Bass Jason Rebello -- Keyboards Stephen Rushton -- Drums/Backing Vocals Dave Priseman -- Trumpet Leo Green -- Saxophone Blue Lou Marini -- Baritone Saxophone Gary U.S. Bonds -- Vocals Troy Andrews -- Trombone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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