Jump to content
Jambands.ca

Jeff Beck honours Les Paul

Velvet

By Velvet
in Soundboard

 Share

Recommended Posts

Velvet Rookie

Velvet

Posted
Posted

Jeff Beck honoured his late friend and mentor, Les Paul, with an intimate performance Wednesday night at his favourite haunt, the Iridium Jazz Club.

The legendary Paul played there every Monday night until his death last August, so it was an appropriate place for a celebration on the night he would have turned 95.

The small basement club was packed with an invitation-only crowd that included a who's who of rock music. Meat Loaf, Steven Van Zandt, Zakk Wylde, Metallica's Kirk Hammett and many others visibly enjoyed the nearly two-hour set.

The Imelda May Band, a rockabilly quartet from Dublin, backed Beck onstage. May, and her guitarist husband, Darrel Higham, shared most of the night's vocal duties. She periodically left the stage, especially during the many instrumental numbers. Brian Setzer also came out to sing during two songs, including the finale.

Midway through the show, May and Beck covered a block of songs made famous by Paul and Mary Ford, including How High the Moon, Vaya con Dios and The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise. Before embarking on the homage, May explained that she prerecorded her voice for backing vocals, just as Ford did when she recorded them many years ago.

Outside of the tribute, Beck covered scorching versions of Walking in the Sand, Sleepwalk and The Peter Gunn Theme. The last featured 24-year-old New Orleans phenom Trombone Shorty in the horn section. Beck also played the Yardbirds classic, Train Kept A-Rollin, a song he covered in the 1960s. The set ended with Bill Haley's Rock Around the Clock and Shake, Rattle, and Roll.

After the show, Meat Loaf said he was blown away by Beck's guitar playing.

"How does he do it?" he pondered. "His playing comes from a place in the heart that exists in so few people. It's like the performance by that guy in the Godfather II [John Cazale] and how he overshadowed Al Pacino."

Van Zandt, the E-Street Band guitarist, was equally enthralled.

"The best show I ever seen in my life. I'm not kidding. Absolutely phenomenal," he said.

Metallica's Hammett, who considers Beck one of his idols, said: "He does everything with a smile while you're asking yourself, 'How the hell does he do that?'"

Former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley and Black Label Society's Wylde both summed the show up as "awesome."

The performance was filmed for PBS special later this year as well as a DVD.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2010/06/10/beck-paul-tribute-concert.html#ixzz0qSsn1SPn

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jaimoe Newbie

Jaimoe

Posted
Posted
WOW I would have given anytrhing to be there seeing beck perform that material.

I saw Les Paul in 1997 at the Iridium and met him. It is a tiny place maybe holds 60 if that.

Can't wait for the DVD.

I saw and met Les the year before he died at the Iridium. Great show and a nice man. BTW, the club holds around 160 or more. They squeeze you in and the club is run by draconian assholes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Velvet Rookie

Velvet

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Great show and a nice man. BTW, the club holds around 160 or more. They squeeze you in and the club is run by draconian assholes.

They let us know about the table minimum when we got the cheque, not when she asked us if we wanted a 2nd round.

"Sit down my son," is how Mr. Paul started our long, unforgettable conversation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jaimoe Newbie

Jaimoe

Posted
Posted
Great show and a nice man. BTW' date=' the club holds around 160 or more. They squeeze you in and the club is run by draconian assholes.

[/quote']

They let us know about the table minimum when we got the cheque, not when she asked us if we wanted a 2nd round.

"Sit down my son," is how Mr. Paul started our long, unforgettable conversation.

I said to Les that I wished I could play jazz guitar and he said he wished he could play blues better.

I saw the manager of the club force a family to buy t-shirts, mugs and CDs to reach the table minimum... and he didn't ask the table in a "gentle" manner. Fucking assholes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Velvet Rookie

Velvet

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I wish that happened to us. Waitress gave us a bill for $100 (or whatever the minimum is) and we said the four of us each had one drink, what gives? She said it was the table minimum now give us the $100.

No t-shirts, mugs or nuthin'.

Still ecstatic to have gone to the show.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jaimoe Newbie

Jaimoe

Posted
Posted
I wish that happened to us. Waitress gave us a bill for $100 (or whatever the minimum is) and we said the four of us each had one drink, what gives? She said it was the table minimum now give us the $100.

No t-shirts, mugs or nuthin'.

Still ecstatic to have gone to the show.

I was aware of the table minimum going in, however I wasn't aware that the servers would be indisposed for most of the night, making meeting a minimum bill requirement nearly impossible. I had to buy drinks at the bar, which of course didn't count. I felt sorry for the family beside me that got strong-armed by the bastard manager.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...