“He was the best guitarist on the planet,” Aerosmith’s Joe Perry said of a musician who pushed the boundaries of blues, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll
AP – “Jeff was such a nice person and a great guitarist iconic genius – there will never be another Jeff Beck,” he wrote Tony Iommiguitarist of black saturdayon his Twitter account, one of many tributes to the musician who died on Tuesday 10, at the age of 78, after “suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis,” said his agent Melissa Dragich, in a statement released Wednesday.
Beck was a guitar virtuoso who pushed the boundaries of blues, jazz and rock’n’roll, influencing generations along the way and becoming known as ‘the’ guitarist among guitarists. He first rose to prominence as a member of the Farmyard birds and then embarked on a solo career that incorporated hard rock, jazz, funky blues and even opera. He was known for his improvisation, love of harmonics and the twist of his favorite guitar, the Fender Stratocaster.
“Jeff Beck is the best guitarist on the planet,” he said Joe Perriguitarist of aerosmithto The New York Times in 2010. “It’s head, hands and feet above all of us, with the kind of talent that only comes along once every generation or two.”
Beck was part of the pantheon of late 60s rock guitarists, inclusive Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page And Jimi Hendrix. He has won eight Grammy Awards and been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice: once with the Yardbirds in 1992 and again as a solo artist in 2009. He ranked fifth in the magazine’s list Rolling stone of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”.
“Jeff could channel music from the ethereal,” Page tweeted Wednesday.
Beck has played guitar with singers as diverse as Luciano Pavarotti, Macy Gray, Chrissie Hynde, Joss Stone, Imelda May, Cyndi Lauper, Wynonna Judd, Buddy Guy And Johnny Depp. He has made two albums with Rod Stewart – truthsince 1968, e beck-hellofrom 1969 – and one with a 64-piece orchestra, Emotion and emotion.
“I like an element of chaos in music. That feeling is the best thing ever, as long as you don’t overdo it. It has to be in balance. I just saw Cirque du Soleil and it sounded like complete staged chaos.” he told the magazine. Guitar world in 2014. “If I could turn that into music, I wouldn’t be too far from my ultimate goal, which is to delight people with chaos and beauty at the same time.”
Beck’s career highlights include teaming with bassist Tim Bogert and drummer Carmine Appice to create the power trio that launched Beck, Bogert and Appice in 1973, touring with Brian Wilson And friend and a tribute album to the late guitarist Les Paul, Rock’n’Roll partynamed after Les Paul.
Beck’s album credits include Talking bookthe reference album of Stevie Wonder since 1972. His guitar solo is lovingly performed in the ballad Looking for another pure love earned him a warm Wonder “Do it Jeff” which was included on the album edition.
Geoffrey Arnold Beck was born June 24, 1944 in Surrey, England and attended Wimbledon Art College. His father was an accountant and his mother worked in a chocolate factory. As a boy he built his first instrument, using a cigar box, handle and string from a radio-controlled toy airplane.
He was in a few bands – including Nightshift and The Tridents – before joining the Yardbirds in 1965, replacing Clapton but just a year later making way for Page. During his tenure, the band created memorable singles: Heart full of soul, I’m a man And Shapes of things.
Beck’s first hit single was the instrumental Beck’s Boleroof 1967, which featured the future members of the Led ZeppelinsPage and John Paul Jones, and the drummer of WHO, keith moon. The Jeff Beck Group – with Stewart singing – were later booked to play the 1969 Woodstock music festival, but their appearance was cancelled.
Beck later said there was unrest in the band. “I could see the end of the tunnel,” he told the magazine Rolling stone In 2010.
Beck was friends with Hendrix and they performed together. Before Hendrix, most rock guitarists focused on a similar style and technical vocabulary. Hendrix blew it up. “He went in and reset all the rules in one night,” Beck told the Guitar world.
Beck teamed up with the legendary producer George Martin – also known as “the fifth Beatle” – to help him shape classic jazz fusion with the fusion of genres in Shot after shot (1975) and wired (1976). He joined Seal in the Hendrix tribute, without stonecreated a jazz fusion group led by synthesizer Jan Hammer and paid homage to rockabilly guitarist Cliff Gallup with album crazy legS. still launched Speaker in 2016.
Beck’s guitar work can be heard on film soundtracks such as The Power of Rhythm, Love is Blind, Casino, Honeymoon for Three, Gemini, Out of Control Bouncer And A fun game. It still appears in the classic Blow Up – After that kiss, by Antonioni. Beck recently completed a tour in support of his album his with Depp, 18 and was heard on the album Patient number 9in Ozzy Osbourne.
Beck’s career never reached the commercial heights of Clapton. A perfectionist, he preferred to make instrumental records that were well received by critics and left the spotlight for long periods, spending his time restoring vintage cars. He and Clapton had a strained relationship at first, but they became friends later in life and toured together.
Why did the two wait nearly four decades to tour together? “Because we were all trying to be big bananas,” Beck said Rolling stone in 2010. “I just didn’t have the luxury of the hit songs that Eric has.”
“Jeff Beck was on another planet,” he said. Rod Stewart in a statement Wednesday. “He brought me and Ronnie Wood to the US in the late 60s in his band, the Jeff Beck Group, and we haven’t looked back since. He was one of the few guitarists who, when he played live, heard me sing . and say, Jeff, you were amazing, man.”
Beck leaves his wife, Sandra.
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Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
