Magical Moment Photos

JEFF BECK AT THE "DAY ON THE GREEN" IN OAKLAND, CA. ON 6-6-76. PHOTO ART BY BEN UPHAM.

JEFF BECK-
“PROVES HE’S JAZZ-ROCK INNOVATOR”
BY NICK FOUNTAS
THE LOWELL SUN
LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTES
OCTOBER 18, 1976

Ten years, a near-fatal collision, and countless album credits later, Jeff Beck remains on the forefront as rock music’s premier guitarist.
His guitar virtuosity has been much hailed and often (unsuccessfully) copied.
His recent concert at Boston’s Music Hall represented another chapter in Jeff Beck’s life. His current performing tour with the Jan Hammer Group has astounded both record people and the public with the best of jazz-influenced rock.
Known as a perfectionist in music circles, Jeff cannot be an easy musician to cope with under the stress of an extended tour. But if the communication and feeling that he and Jan Hammer exude during a performance is any indication, the two virtuosos will play together for quite some time.
The show was opened by “Heart”, a six-piece rock conglomeration with a hit single high in the charts. The group’s saving grace are two ladies who can belt out tunes wilh the combined power of Janis Joplin and Maggie Bell. “Heart” can kick down the walls with gutsy rock and roll, but the stage act is prententious. They copy too many other people’s stage gimmicks. If they get out of this rut, it will be from the dedication and foresight of the two ladies, after reorienting their goals and methods.
Although the Jan Hammer Group serves mostly to back-up Beck, they were afforded the opportunity to perform six numbers before being joined by The Wiz. In a dazzling mini-set, the four-piece band performed much of Jan’s music from his past three solo albums. Hammer is an incredibly creative keyboardist who pays special attention to his Mini-Moog synthesizer. Fernando Saunders (bass), Tony Smith (drums), and Steven Kindler (violin) perform with ferocity characteristic of the most sincere individuals. They meld their personal styles and influences into a jazz-rock agglomeration that can wail.
Jan’s mini-symphony “Darkness/Earth in Search of a Sun” featured an eerie repeating pattern that paved the way for Beck’s dramatic introduction at the climax of the piece. The wonder-guitarist from Surrey emerged to a sold-out hall during the final crescendo to bring it to a powerful climax. It seemed that no introduction was necessary. Boston knew the man who had visited here so many times before, and we are sure he recognized many of the faces, too, standing and applauding before him. Beck began torturing his axe with “You Know What I Mean”, a funky tune from the “Blow By Blow” collection. Though the live versions differed somewhat from the original recordings, Jeff and Jan merged as one in an astounding display of talent. Hammer’s synthesis and Beck’s wailing, screaming guitar might have convinced the Rocky Mountains to chase and crush their spectre John Denver, for everyone knows those mountains enjoy a rock.
The performance also was recorded for possible future use as a live album. If the album materializes, reggae-inspired “She’s a Woman” will have to make its comical appearance. Jeff seems to have matured immensely over the past two albums, “Blow By Blow” and “Wired.” Less arrogant, his music has approached the level of maximum proficiency. His last two albums have been certified gold records.
Plagued in the past by futile attempts to find the perfect vocalist, he has given up his search in favor of his present instrumental format. This lends itself most successfully to Beck’s jazz-rock bag. Additionally, the loss of the Jan Hammer Group would deal a double blow to the public’s needs and expectations. Having seen that Beck is still in excellent form, many left the Music Hall thinking not about what they had just seen, but wondering what will be next in the ever-changing bag-of-tricks of Jeff Beck.

JEFF BECK DISCOGRAPHY:

1968 Truth
1969 Beck-Ola
1971 Rough and Ready
1972 Jeff Beck Group
1973 Beck, Bogert & Appice
1974 Live in Japan
1975 Blow by Blow
1975 UPP
1976 Wired
1977 Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live
1980 There and Back
1985 Flash
1989 Jeff Beck’s Guitar Shop
1992 Frankie’s House
1993 Crazy Legs
1999 Who Else!
2001 You Had It Coming
2003 Jeff
2006 Live at BB Kings Blues Club
2007 Official Boot
2008 Live at Ronnie Scotts
2010 Emotion & Commotion

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE JEFF BECK PHOTOS:
JEFF BECK PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM
AND
JEFF BECK FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM

JEFF BECK ON STAGE IN OAKLAND, CA. ON 6-6-76. PHOTO BY BEN UPHAM.

Andy Mellen
Winnipeg Free Press
Monday July 28, 1975

During his long and colorful career, Jeff Beck has acquired a rather notorious reputation as a moody, egocentric individual who has difficulties getting on with his fellow band-members for any appreciable length of time. While there may be substantial basis for such claims, it was a totally different Jeff Beck I spoke with briefly alter last Monday’s sensational performance in the arena. The tall, lanky Englishman, who has rightfully long been classified among rock’s premiere guitarists, revealed none of the above qualities during my conversation with him. In fact, he was quite the opposite — answering questions with ease and a surprising amount of candor. Unlike many rock musicians I have interviewed, Beck not only responded most openly but also seemed genuinely eager to talk about his music and some of the changes he’s been going through.

He actually initiates the conversation himself at times, a quality lacking in many of today’s superstars who tend to make you feel they’re really doing you a favor by condescending to allow you 10 to 15 minutes of their precious time. Beck was more than satisfied with the job done by himself and his band, and was especially happy with the crowd, which made him feel right at home. “That was a very good crowd out there tonight, very responsive he said, with those piercing eyes of his revealing just a slight twinkle. “Actually, we’ve had excellent crowds for most of the gigs on this tour.” Beck and his latest lineup, which was assembled solely for the current tour (“There’s no permanence to it at all, we’ll be going our separate ways once the tour is finished”) were bound for Toronto after the Winnipeg show. Prior to playing here, the band was in Vancouver and Edmonton.

Amazingly enough, it was the first time Beck had ever visited either of the Canadian cities. “I really haven’t much experience playing in Canada,” he noted. “Aside from popping into Toronto with the various bands, I just never seemed to get booked up here. Of course, I am a little lazy,” he added, breaking into one of those intense smiles which make you wonder whether he’s laughing or grimacing.

As I mentioned Saturday, he is an intense young man, both on and off-stage. When I asked him about his current life and playing situation at home in England, he became deadly serious, expressing his disgust with the English music scene and the outlandish taxation situation which has prompted many of his fellow musicians to take up permanent residence outside the U.K. “There’s nothing but rubbish on the radio, which is very depressing,” he commented angrily. “You know, Gary Glitter, The Osmonds . . .”

It was Beck’s basic dissatisfaction with the bulk of the current rock product which finally led him to concentrate on a new facet of his playing ability, resulting in the funky, totally instrumental approach utilized for Blow By Blow, along with the current stage show. “After the tour, I’ll be going home to England and hope to cut another album by the Ml,” he said. “I’ll be working with Stanley Clarke (the bassist with Chick Corea’s Return To Forever who recently gained considerable acclaim with an excellent solo effort), and we’ll see what comes of that.”

There was so much .more I wanted to ask, but at this point the group’s dressing-room was getting crowded, and it was obvious Beck was having difficulty trying to reply to my questions while posing for pictures, signing autographs and fielding the usual awestruck questions from young admirers who had slipped in while we were talking. I said my goodbyes, at the same time wishing Jeff Beck a speedy return to our city. I would hate to think that it will be another 10 years before Winnipeggers have another opportunity to see this tremendously talented musician’s musician in action.

JEFF BECK DISCOGRAPHY:
1968 Truth
1969 Beck-Ola
1971 Rough and Ready
1972 Jeff Beck Group
1973 Beck, Bogert & Appice
1974 Live in Japan
1975 Blow by Blow
1975 UPP
1976 Wired
1977 Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group Live
1980 There and Back
1985 Flash
1989 Jeff Beck’s Guitar Shop
1992 Frankie’s House
1993 Crazy Legs
1999 Who Else!
2001 You Had It Coming
2003 Jeff
2006 Live at BB Kings Blues Club
2007 Official Boot
2008 Live at Ronnie Scotts
2010 Emotion & Commotion

CLICK LINK BELOW TO SEE JEFF BECK PHOTOS:
JEFF BECK PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM