To get a sense of how important a guitarist Jeff Beck is, you have to read
through his resume and listen to everything he’s played on. An even
better way to learn about Beck is to see him live. In recent years, the guitarist
has dabbled in techno and frenzied, high-strung calisthenics, transporting
his mostly all-instrumental live performances to new and staggering heights.
For the new live CD and DVD Performing This Week…Live At Ronnie
Scott’s, Beck sticks to a more regimented set, mixing his fusion-based
departures of the 70s with a more austere selection of newer material The
playing, of course, is top-notch throughout.
So why not shove history in your face with the very first track, the immortal
“Beck’s Bolero.” Written by Jimmy Page, who along with Keith
Moon also played on the original recording with Beck, the “bolero”
riff was a signpost of things that were to come the guitarist’s way.
After some rigorous fusionized stretching via John McLaughlin’s “Eternity’s
Breath” and Billy Cobham’s “Stratus,” Beck and his
capable band dig their heels in for the hypnotic groove of Stevie Wonder’s
“Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers,” sounding as delicate and
fearless as it does on Blow By Blow. Beck not only slams the strings and makes
them sing around each and every corner; he also hands over the spotlight to
his bassist, 22-year-old Tal Wilkenfeld, who lays down a tasteful, in-the-pocket
solo.
Beck extends the same courtesy to drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, who takes the
baton during “Blast From The East” and makes a mad dash toward
the finish line. Meanwhile, keyboardist Jason Rebello plays the Jan Hammer/Tony
Hymas foil, allowing the guitarist to stop, start, punctuate, explore and
navigate over a wide spectrum. On tracks like “Nadia” and “Angel
(Footsteps),” Beck builds the tension by pulling his guitar strings,
and Rebello sustains the framework with some smooth strings of his own. Then
he and Beck are off to the races on “Scatterbrain,” which ends
up showcasing the keyboardist’s resourcefulness and pliability to an
even greater degree. The angular precision defining “Space Boogie”
and “Big Block” opens the gates for the purity and passion of
“A Day In The Life.” The Beatles classic has been a mainstay in
the set since 1999, and Beck’s take seems to evolve with each passing
year.
To truly experience these shows in all of their glory, the DVD (there’s
a Blu-ray disc too) offers the visuals plus some choice extras. The fact that
is the very first official video of Jeff Beck playing a full-length concert
makes it a must-have or go to jail for the Beck diehard. The viewer is awarded
with the sight and sound of a joyful communion brewing between the maestro
and his band, along with plenty of treacherous close-ups of Beck’s nimble
fingers.
There are filmed segments with Joss Stone (“People Get Ready”),
Imogen Heep (“Blanket,” “Rollin’ And Tumblin”)
and Eric Clapton (with Jimmy Page looking on) strumming the blues and singing
“Little Brown Bird” and “You Need Love.” Throw in
some candid interviews with Beck, Colaiuta, Wilkenfeld and Rebello, and you
literally get the whole picture on the DVD. Whichever format, Performing
This Week…Live At Ronnie Scott’s captures Jeff Beck at
his absolute finest, airlifted into a battle by an outstanding cast of supporters,
covering a vast cross-section that still sounds fresh and alive.
~ Shawn Perry
