Customer Reviews

Performing This Week...Live At Ronnie Scotts

5 star:		(81)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In late 2007 Jeff Beck played several shows at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London and he awed and enthralled the audiences with his searing, exquisite and ethereal guitar virtuosity. He's a complete master of the fretboard and whammy bar whose guitar can sound angelic and then suddenly thunderous. Many of his most riveting and agressive songs were played including "Becks Bolero," "Big Block," Brush With The Blues" and the intense "Scatterbrain." His eastern influences also resonated on wonderful songs such as "Nadia" and the psychedelic "Blast From The East." Jeff Beck's most tender and complex songs really impressed the audience and UK music critics. Examples are "Angel (Footsteps,)" Cause We've Ended As Lovers" and the inimitable "Were Were You." Beck's majestic rendition of the Beatles' " A Day In The Life" is utterly captivating and it has rightfully won a 2010 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. "Led Boats", "Behind The Veil" and "Stratus" are also spellbinding highlights on this flawless all instrumental CD. Jeff Beck can literally coax, caress and strangle a universe of sounds from his guitar without using hardly any effects.

Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, Brian May and Tom Scholz have all declared that Jeff Beck is the greatest solo guitarist. This CD verifies their erudite assertions.

The Guv'nor does it again.

Beck has been consistently the most interesting and original guitar player in rock since his Yardbirds days, though sometimes held back by lacklustre material. Whereas many of his peers have been resting on their past glories, Beck has been on a constant and continuous development path, even reinventing the way he plays his guitar. He now stands in a category by himself, coaxing impossible sounds from his guitar that give a vocal quality to what he plays.

The tracks on the CD cover a lot of ground in Beck's career and a lot of musical ground: rock, blues, jazz, fusion, reggae etc.. all meld into a musical whole and are made his own. He is aptly supported by his amazing regular band, Vinne Colaiuta, Tal Wilkenfield and Jason Rebello.

Very highly recommended. You'll be hard pressed to find a more original musician anywhere.

Steve Lukather after watching Jeff in concert stated, "GOD plays guitar with Jeff Beck's hands!" This LIVE CD proves that statement. Jeff Beck does things with, pulls sounds from, and emotes with, an electric guitar that NO ONE else has even dreamed of. This man's guitar playing is truly MAGICAL!
The band is INCREDIBLE! BUY THIS CD! You will not be disappointed!!!

Every single song of the CD is replete with Jeff Beck's peerless guitar ingenuity and dynamic, live concert riffs. Nobody can master the fretboard like the inimitable Jeff Beck. Brilliantly psychedelic and sonically explosive instrumentals on this CD include "Beck's Bolero", "Scatterbrain", "Big Block", "Brush With The Blues" and the exquisite "Blast From The East". Jeff Beck classics such as "Led Boots" and "Behind The Veil" are performed wonderfully much to the audiences delight. Jeff Beck can also summon the most tender and aching guitar tones evidenced by the poignant "Cause We've Ended As Lovers", "Angel (Footsteps)" and the incomparable "Were Were You". The frenetic jazz fusion of "Stratus" is still another audio treat. Beck's sterling rendition of "A Day In The Life" is beyond enthralling. I purchased this CD and can attest that every single song is a guitar instrumental treasure to cherish. Page, Clapton, David Gilmour and Brian May have all stated that Jeff Beck is the best living guitarist. Les Paul also revered him.

The release of a new concert by Jeff Beck on cd is enough for me to celebrate. In particular this is one exceptional concert and you know, as Jimmy Page said once, that when Jeff is on, "he's probably the best there is." Well on these dates from Ronny Scott, he was on. But frankly I have to say that in my opinion, in the past years Jeff has always been on. All his cds from the latest years are spectacular nothing less, studio or live dates as this one. Probably Jeff was more "up and down" when he was younger, or probably Jimmy's sentence reveals a little envy by the Zep guitarist (in stating that there are occasions, a lot of them Jimmy let us to suppose, that Jeff is off). Anyway, this album is fantastic and Jimmy would be happy to know I guess, that Jeff is ON. And a DVD from this concert is coming out so there will be more money to spend on Jeff in the next future, but I'm happy. What can I say about this release? It's Beck at his best, playing songs from all his history, with a fantastic band (Colaiuta is the drummer!!!!!) with his unbelievable vocal sound, with all his Strato Beckisms and all his paraphernalia of guitar effects. The thing is that his Stratocaster in his hands doesn't seem a guitar. It seems a human, a woman singing. And if you have ever played a strato, which stand to a woman as a chair could do, ... you can understand what I'm saying. Steve Lukather said recently attending to a Jeff Beck concert, "Oh! God is playing guitar through Jeff's hands!!" Well I agree with Luke.

Having been a huge fan for many years, I'm still blown away by the touch, technique, taste, and passion Jeff Beck still brings with every performance. He has said that every show is different and this one is stunning. Covering songs from throughout his career, he infuses all these snippets from his many styles, from Blues to Rock, Jazz, Reggae, and symphonic anthems that no one can emulate. Moving from one tune to the next quickly with no fat or excess,he and his excellent band leave you slack-jawed and wanting more. If there is a more inspiring guitarist out there, I haven't heard him or her. Beck makes you feel like you did when you first heard lead guitar. Encore!

This applies to the CD. The following tunes on the DVD are NOT on the CD or MP3 version of this album (They apparently cut all the "guest appearences").

"People Get Ready" with Joss Stone

"Blanket" with Imogen Heap (This is the video Amazon posted to promote the album. Dispite what the caption says, it's NOT on the CD. It's a free mp3 download though, by all means grab it.)

"Little Brown Bird" with Eric Clapton

"You Need Love" with Eric Clapton

"Rollin' and Tumblin'" with Imogen Heap

That's at least 20 minutes of music, and the most interesting parts of the show.

What you're left with is largely a rehash of Jeff's fusion instrumental tunes from the late '70's and the '80s.

On the other hand, "Blanket" is a great track - It's nice to hear Beck with new material. A whole live album of fresh tunes with Jeff, Imogen, and the great backing band would have been much more interesting.

This is the music I want played at my funeral. Jeff Beck is a mature Zen master musician in full control of his talent and his instrument on this CD, with the good fortune to be perfectly supported by a multi-generational threesome with prodigious talents of their own. A performance that transcends genres, if this isn't worth five Amazon stars than nothing is. If you purchase the DVD, pay attention to the reactions of the audience. Most of them realized they were witnessing something unique and historic.

Intimate and very lucky audiences at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club were treated to a captivating and spellbinding series of concerts performed by Jeff Beck in London. The 2007 shows featured Beck's incredible eclecticism as he mastered jazz-fusion, blues and electronica fretboard genres. Poignant, ethereal and melancholic musical gems included "Were Were You", "Cause We've Ended As Lovers" and "Angel (Footsteps)". Beck's masterful, blistering and frenetic riffs highlighted "Beck's Bolero", "Scatterbrain", "Big Block" and the intricate "Brush With The Blues". Classics like "Led Boots" and "Nadia" further showcased Jeff Beck's nonpareil virtuosity. "A Day In The Life" was magically performed to perfection. Jeff Beck is simply the greated live concert guitarist on the planet. He does not even need a vocalist. His guitar talks, weeps, laments and roars.

Everyone has a favourite: guitarist that it. Mine has always and forever will be Jeff Beck. The most accomplished instrumentalist that few people have heard of. From the earliest days in the Yardbirds, through his first band with Rod Stewart on Vocals, Ronnie Wood on Bass and Mickey Waller on Drums Beck has laid the foundation for virtually every genre of post Beatles rock. This live recording takes early cuts like Beck's Bolero - (written by Beck and Jimmie Page) and which featured a manic Kieth Moon on the original recording and demonstrates in stark relief where and why Beck's talents lay wringing, wrestling, cajoling and seducing guitar sounds that none have ever been able to emulate. Yes many will claim Hendrix was the innovator - but for those in and around the London Clubs of the mid 60's they will have noticed or even remember nights when Hendrix would watch Beck; some have even recalled Beck and he jamming late into the night.
Once Beck had tired of "plank-spanking" (post Beck, Bogart and Appice), Beck hooked up with George Martin and took on what is now known as Jazz-Rock. Beck plays today fusing jazz, rock and an electro/techo style all his own - and does so with a free rein. Even the Beatles Day in the Life displays a musical understanding which leave most observers breathless - or may be that might be speechless.
This guy is now 64 and is rarely less than astonishing. Guitarists and music lovers alike should listen to this album if only to hear the full vocal range of the electric guitar in the hands of the acknowledged master!