PERFORMING THIS WEEK... LIVE AT RONNIE SCOTT'S

Holy crap, there's a new Jeff Beck live DVD out there!.

...I thought as I saw this at the record store. This is why it's important to keep those local independent brick and mortar record stores open: you'll never know what you'll find browsing.

As near as I've been able to find out, Jeff Beck (THE Beck, not that other guy) hadn't been touring in a long time, but rather was sticking to special performances. To make up for it, sort of, he did a week's worth of shows at London's Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in late November 2007. I've never been there, but it looks a little large as some jazz clubs go but still reasonably intimate. I'm pretty sure you don't need binoculars to observe any performances there.

Jeff has assembled an interesting set of musicians, the oldest being Jeff himself (b. 1944), Vinnie Colaiuta (1956) on drums, Jason Rebello (1969) on keys, and Tal Wilkenfeld (1986) on bass. Vinnie I know best from association with Zappa, Jason's new to me but I found out has worked with Sting, Tal (new to the music scene) hails from Australia and judging from her performance she is someone to really keep your eye on. Guests appearances by Joss Stone, Imogen Heap, and Eric Clapton, heyyy.

The set list, not really the proper term as it must have been culled from all the shows, is an impressive collection of material spanning Jeff's career so far. Original stuff includes Beck's Bolero {is this not actually a cover?}, Led Boots, Scatterbrain, Angel, Blast From The East, Rollin' And Tumblin'. Also some nice covers thrown in for good measure including Eternity's Breath!, Cause We've Ended As Lovers {never really seemed like a cover to me}, People Get Ready, A Day In The Life, You Need Love). You also get some interviews as bonus material and the DVD booklet is a nice read. 21 tracks altogether, mixed in Dolby 5.1 and DTS surround sounds with a 16:9 video format, I might add.

Wish I was there but this is the next best thing. It's one hell of a way to experience one hell of a guitarist. It's a live assortment, but due the quality and quantity I am rounding this one up.

Jeff Beck. A mythical name, a rebellious genius and a surefire rock icon. Not the easiest chap to get along with, his much storied spats with almost everybody have become legendary. Contrary to his other 2 "guitar god" colleagues Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton, Beck ventured beyond fame and fortune and "Frankly" (pardon the obvious pun) , Jeff "did it my way", going against all monetary logic in setting up groups which he would then deep- six, impish smile on his racing car face. Where Page milked the metallic Zeppelin for all its worth and Clapton shed his Tears from Heaven , maintaining his blues/pop image, Jeff eagerly dived into the most complex form of prog at the time (fusion jazz-rock) , kneeling at the Mahavishnu shrine and uniting with keyboard whiz Jan Hammer to discover new horizons, delving into electronica in his latest ventures. Truth (another pun) is that Jeff never gave a rat's ass about hit records, his irascible temperament made him brood over his instrument and he never really had anything beyond cult status (influencing a zillion guitarists like Slash, Perry, Satriani, Vai and May, among others). So why is this DVD such a winner and a MUST have? Intimacy to start, Ronnie Scott's is a fabled London jazz club that seats circa 250 people, showcase to the greatest stars since 1959 (Weather Report, Miles Davis, Vaughan, Evans, Fitzgerald , Mayfield and even Dream Theater!). Secondly, a whopper of a band featuring the incredible Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, the efficient Jason Rebello and most of all, the lovely and hugely talented Tal Wilkenfeld , a 22 year-old beauty from Down Under with impeccable credentials and exuberant attitude. Her beaming smile is alone worth the price, such a rare joy to witness in our plasticene world and marmalade life. Thirdly, the concert is not a conventional paying "gig" but rather an event that spanned 5 consecutive nights with 21 amazing tracks that span years and bands. Brief salutes to John MacLaughlin, Jan Hammer and Billy Cobham tunes, a superb curtsy to Stevie Wonder, another jaw drop on the Beatles' majestic "A Day in the Life", some blues standards with a cameo appearance by pal Eric Clapton, sizzling avant-pop with Imogen Heap (this was a surprise), R'n B with guest Joss Stone and a wide selection from his solo work, mostly penned by keyboardist Tony Hymas. I was expecting to hopscotch through less compelling pieces but I found myself unable to approach the skip button, totally subjugated by the spectacle. For such a snarly reputation (you see small hints of it in the Interview section), Beck certainly turns the tables on his few detractors on this stellar DVD, his obvious delight and warm cheerfulness is extremely addictive, showing quite convincingly that one can be a classy, enthusiastic show-off and not a surly, arrogant technician like Stanley Clarke or the lads from ELP. Jeff Beck mesmerizes with his guitar caresses, exhorting impossible sounds from his fretboard , a heady mix of sonic finesse and Hendrixian sexuality, unendingly elevated by the evident adulation from his bandmates. Tal is the other visual showcase, a curly red-haired beauty bass phenom who is happy to be in the presence of a true master and is unafraid to show her zeal. She easily reproduces Lee Sklar's momentous bass run on Cobham's masterpiece "Stratus", solos manically on the preposterously tasty "Cause We Ended Like Lovers" and holds down the bottom end in complete unison with Colaiuta , easily a top 50 drummer of all-time (endless sessions and a demanding career with Zappa , Sting and Joni Mitchell). The Clapton-Beck guitar duets are to die for. This was one hell of a show and a timeless adventure into a phenomenal talent, I guess you had to be there (like Robert Plant, Page, BonJovi and Brian May). If you want to sit back and spend the night catching your yo-yo jaw from hitting the floor, then go out and get this masterpiece. From the opening classic "Beck's Bolero" to the gentle ambient climax "Where Were You", you will be stunned into submission. Others have reviewed this glowingly, I can only add more fuel to the fire. 5 Boleros

Have you seen this concert footage? If not you are missing an important document that preserves for all-time the mind-blowing guitar technique and genius of one of the greatest electric guitar players of all-time. The song selection, the band members present, the vocalists' contributions, are all sublime and masterful--plus we are here seeing the introduction to the world one of the new blood in bass player Tal Wilkenfeld. Vinnie Coluaita may be the best drummer of the past 25 years--How lucky are we to get these artists all playing such gorgeous, powerful songs? Whether he plays his own tunes or covers classics from others' pens, Jeff Beck is a master--raises every song and every performance to a new level never before imagined. Thank you, Jeff Beck! Thank you, Ronnie Scott's! Thank you video technology!