Jeff Beck – Live at Ronnie Scotts
Jeff Beck may be the only man over 60 who can get away with wearing a choker! Why? Because Jeff Beck can do whatever he wants to do.
Jeff Beck has a signature mastery of his instrument. NO ONE can play like this guy! It’s all touch, taste, and his mysterious whammy bar thumb technique. The luminaries in the legendary small British club look both amazed and delighted.
The band had been pulled together and had been touring together for over a year before this recording. What a group! Tireless and always-in-demand Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, smiling newcomer Tal Wilkenfeld on bass and keyboards. The show benefits from excellent song choices spanning his 45-year career. The set includes a few so-so vocal appearances for people who can’t take an hour of straight guitar playing. Jeff Beck Live at Ronnie Scotts is THE DVD to have for anyone who likes concert music on DVD. It looks and sounds terrific on Blue Ray.
One need not look any further than the track “Nadia” to get the point of what a master he is with his Stratocaster. This cover of a song by Indian-British jazz artist Nitin Sawhney uses notes between the notes found in the 22-note Indian music scale (compared with the Western 12-note scale). Beck here shows his deft command of intonation, reaching those notes with clarity and precision, creating something musically hypnotic and extraordinary.
It’s confounding that people compare him to Clapton and Page because there is just no comparison, as this week-long engagement at the club demonstrates. By the time he closes with the Beatle’s “a day in the life,” it’s time for guitarists all over the world to throw in the towel and realize they have just seen the Roger Federer of the guitar.
