Jeff Beck @ Vienna

Beck, Jeff Beck. The only name you need to know when one thinks of incendiary guitar solos. Beck's 66th birthday is just two weeks away, but he shows NO signs of aging gracefully. Beck is out on the road once again promoting his first studio album in seven years, Emotion & Commotion.

Beck's incredible career stretches back to 1963, when he played guitar for The Tridents. Famously, Beck replaced a disgruntled Eric Clapton in 1965, who departed The Yardbirds immediately after they scored their first hit single with "For Your Love" in 1964. Beck himself spectacularly walked out on The Yardbirds while on tour in 1966, with Jimmy Page taking over as lead guitarist.

Before forming the Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart on vocals, Ron Wood on bass, and Mick Waller on drums in 1968, Beck recorded his own solo single "Hi Ho Silver Lining", which enjoyed modest success in England in 1967. A second Jeff Beck Group followed before he joined up as Beck, Bogert & Appice in 1972.

Jeff Beck tore up the stage at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia, on Monday, June 7, 2010. His talented backing musicians were Jason Rebello on keyboards, Rhonda Smith on bass & vocals, and Narada Michael Walden on drums. Without wasting one moment, Beck demonstrated his virtuosity on guitar dispelling any doubt about his ability to execute lead guitar.

Beck featured five songs off his latest album Emotion & Commotion, three titles from 1999's Who Else! , and another two numbers came from You Had It Coming released in 2001. A pleasant surprise was an instrumental version of "People Get Ready" that appeared on Flash. The popular 1985 single reunited Beck with his former lead singer Rod Stewart.

Beck brought the performance to a poignant peak with a silent tribute to John Lennon by playing "A Day In The Life". Sir George Martin invited Beck to play on his final solo album In My Life from 1998, prior to teaming up with his son Giles to produce the Love album in 2006. Beck commanded a standing ovation on this inspiring piece.

Returning for an encore, Beck offered his musical gesture as a dedication to the legendary Les Paul who passed away at 94 years old in 2009, with a rockabilly romp through "How High The Moon". The evening climaxed with the moving "Nessun Dorma", an aria from Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot.

During thunderous audience applause, Beck received a bouquet of flowers from an admirer, but graciously handed them to a woman seated in the front row. Beck and his touring entourage took a bow together before exiting the stage. The guitar mastery of Jeff Beck is simply magical on stage.

Vienna setlist: Eternity's Breath * Stratus * Led Boots * Corpus Christi Carol * JB/NMW shred * Hammerhead * Mna Na Heireann > bass solo * People Get Ready * Rollin' & Tumblin' (Rhonda Smith vocals) * Never Alone * Big Block * Over The Rainbow * Blast From The East * Angel (Footsteps) * Dirty Mind * Brush With The Blues * I Want To Take You Higher * A Day In The Life * Encore: How High The Moon * Nessun Dorma

RockonTour Issue #105
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