Jeff Beck: Master guitarist and blues rock pioneer
Jeff Beck is one of the most innovative and influential guitarists to emerge from the British blues revolution of the 1960s.
Mr. rock and roll, who died aged 78, was a quintessential journey musician – playing with celebrities, from Tina Turner to Ozzy Osbourne and Sir Mick Jagger.
However, despite his widespread influence, he is often described as the greatest guitarist that millions of people still do not know.
This is despite his numerous praises.
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Jeff Beck Twice Inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame (Yui Mok/PA)
He is the recipient of eight Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, as a member of the Yardbirds in 1992 and as a solo artist in 2009.
Beck, born in June 1944 in Wallington, south London, studied at Wimbledon College of the Arts before spending a short time playing in various blues and small rhythm bands around the capital.
In 1965, he joined the Yardbirds on the recommendation of Jimmy Page, later Led Zeppelin, replacing young guitar player Eric Clapton.
The band was successful but Beck’s time saw them reach commercial heights, recording most of their top 40 hits during his odd 20 months with them. .
These include influential tracks like the feedback-filled Shapes Of Things, major influences on Jimi Hendrix and Sir Paul McCartney, and the hallucinogenic Over Under Sideways Down.
Beck was eventually fired during a US tour after his band mates grew tired of his increasingly absenteeism and unpredictable temper.
In 1967, he found autonomy by forming the Jeff Beck Group, which originally consisted of Sir Rod Stewart on vocals and Ronnie Wood, now of the Rolling Stones, mainly playing bass.
Their work set the template for the heavy metal boom of the 1970s, with bands like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple bringing the sound forward.
During this time, Beck remained in demand.
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Nick Mason, of Pink Floyd, later revealed in his autobiography that his band considered asking Beck to join them following the departure of Syd Barrett.
And after Brian Jones’ death, he was approached about joining the Stones.
His solo phase, which began in earnest in 1974 with the release of Blow By Blow, was marked by experimentation.
Hiding from commercial success, Beck immersed himself in the fusion of jazz and funk, developing new techniques to draw feedback and distortion from his instruments.
His work as a collaborator over the years has been numerous.
He has played on soul legend Turner Private Dancer’s 1984 hit record, Kate Bush’s 1993 album The Red Shoes, Jon Bon Jovi’s 1990 solo album Blaze of Glory, and tracks by Jon Bon Jovi. Queen members Sir Brian May and Roger Taylor, etc.
Last July, he released a collaboration album with Johnny Depp.
The pair first met in 2016 and began recording the album in 2019 when Depp was also playing with Alice Cooper’s supergroup, the Hollywood Vampires.
The release comes as Depp makes a public appearance following the end of a defamation battle with his ex-wife Amber Heard.
https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/jeff-beck-virtuoso-guitarist-and-blues-rock-pioneer-42280148.html Jeff Beck: Master guitarist and blues rock pioneer
