I don't give a drat what he's playing, JB is always enjoyable. It ain't about the TYPE of guitar, it's what the great players DO with them.

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"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

He truly is one of my favorite guitarists.
Not to mention that he is also a car enthusiast. Cars and guitars two great things !

Got a message from a friend who saw the show last night :

"As the 1st song wound it’s way onwards and upwards in an ever increasing spiral of kaleidoscopic sound collage to it’s inevitable and massively startling conclusion of musical fireworx complete with drum stix flying 60’ into the air, we felt as if we had been transported to another world....2 and ½ thousand people agreed ,cos’ we all rose as one and went completely nuts.

Later on we were treated to an instrumental extravaganza version of Pavorotti’s ‘Nessum Dorma’ ...this is right on top of them doing Les Paul's 'How High The Moon' btw.
Now, I’ve seen and heard just about everything, or so I thought ... but that took the cake.
Put simply, every one of those songs last night was just staggering in their breadth and depth and sheer power, not to forget the musical intricacies eminating from 4 extraordinary players that made up the whole.

Couldn’t believe the grunt / passion and attitude that Rhonda Smith displayed. When she strutted to stage front and ‘Did Her THANG’ I thought my spleen was going to melt down ‘cos I ain’t ever heard bass sounds like that EVER before.

Yep it was worth the price of admission many times over . Jeff is truly at the top of his game and it shows in spades , I mean to be able to weave subtle and complicated figures with the sheer power, excitement and enormity of it all is just jaw dropping and the palette from which he draws is unrivalled imho.

Very different to what has ever been done before. He's come a long way in 12 months.

Do yourself a favour and check him out when he hits the States.

I'm off to grab the new CD. Tal is on a few cuts."

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

I hope he comes near me on this tour. i'd love to see him again.

A friend and i were discussing it, and we came up with only 2 names who have continued to improve their playing since their heydays. Not saying others have regressed, but the only two we could think of, who would totally blow away their younger selves (who were already awesome.)

Those names were Jeff Beck, and Brian Setzer.

others have plateaued but they got better and better. Anyone care to add names to that list?

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

Jeff Beck is........smokin' in any jacket

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I Can't Explain

Jeff Beck is...better than Malmsteen-and humble about it.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Now that you mention it, those two do keep continuing to get better and explore new music and new ways of performing old music. At any rate, both seem to have that creative thinking ability.

Beck's tour dates :

http://www.jeffbeck.com/shows-and-event ... ?year=2010

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

I couldn't agree with you more.-N

Well I totally agree and maybe that is why they are at the top of my list and the only 2 artist who's music I buy on a steady basis. I guess the old line of how do you get to Carnegie Hall-practice- is true. For those who read that great piece in RollingStone with Beck and Clapton know that it is amazing that Beck gets up and practices a few hours everyday on a steady basis. Also when Setzer started his big band he went back and took lessons from Sinatra's guitar player. I guess that is why they are still growing even after being at the highest level you can be on. Mostly all the great players say they just play steady and do not practice so it really is amazing when you think of it that players who's status is already secure as legendary strive to get better.

Rod Stewart once said Beck can play a million notes a minute but he chooses not to and always played what fit the song. Outside of his brief stint in the Yardbirds and the few years of the Jeff Beck Group the guy has never had the luxury of being in a power house band or working with vocalist, his whole reputation and status is based on what he could do with a guitar which is remarkable. I can understand the guys who dont get what he does as I never liked Miles Davis but I can see the genius. But I dont play a horn and if you play guitar and go through his catalog, you should be able to come up with at least 15 to 20 songs that you could make a mixed CD of that should blow you away.

You've got mail!

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!