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Music

Jeff Beck

JEFF BECK with TYLER BRYANT at Massey Hall (178 Victoria), Tuesday (October 18), 7:30 pm. $55-$85. RTH. See listing.


In the classic rock pantheon, Jeff Beck is something of an enigma. As the guitarist who fell between Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page in the Yardbirds, he brought his signature style to some of that band’s greatest songs, including Heart Full Of Soul, which still sounds as raw and thrilling as it did 46 years ago.

But since that early chart success, Beck has kept a relatively low profile. He tours steadily and releases albums – his latest is 2010’s Emotion & Commotion (Atco) – that keep his fans happy even when critics are less enthusiastic. In his free time, he builds hot rods.

In keeping with that under-the-radar persona, the 67-year-old doesn’t seem overly interested in media attention, choosing to be interviewed via email rather than phone.

“I live a very quiet and peaceful life when I am home,” he says, doing little to dispel the notion that he’d rather let his guitar do the talking. “During the last few years that’s changed a bit, especially when I come to London. But it’s nothing crazy.”

Beck’s playing is almost as laid-back. Inspired from a young age by the jazz standards and, later, rock ‘n’ roll he heard on the radio, he’s never been a shredder. Even when he’s playing rings around a song – which he can and does do – there’s space between the notes that speaks to his love of guitar pioneer Les Paul.

“I was six when I first heard Les Paul’s How High The Moon,” he says. “It blew my mind then and still does today. When I heard the sounds his guitar was making, I knew I wanted to do what he was doing. I have the greatest respect for him.

“I made my first guitar with some wood bought from the local wood shop. It was horrible, but I played it as much as I could and never looked back. When I got my first real guitar, it was heavy, but that just spurred me on even more.”

Following Paul’s death in 2009, Beck headlined two tribute shows in New York, where he was joined by Irish singer Imelda May for How High The Moon. It wasn’t his first time onstage with May, who appears on Emotion & Commotion and whose big voice and retro attire likely appeal to Beck’s rockabilly roots.

But while it’s almost a cliché to see a pretty young singer share the stage with a grizzled veteran, Beck has in fact frequently featured women in his band – unusual for rockers of his generation, who usually relegate women to backing vocals, if they’re included onstage at all.

In the 90s, Beck collaborated with virtuoso guitarist Jennifer Batten, who played on Michael Jackson’s Bad. More recently, he recruited bassists Tal Wilkenfeld and Canadian expat Rhonda Smith. Australian Wilkenfeld, who was 21 when she joined Beck’s band, is considered something of a prodigy and didn’t dumb down her skills in order to let Beck shine. Smith has a similarly formidable reputation, spending almost 10 years in Prince’s band, as well as performing with everyone from Little Richard to Justin Timberlake.

“I’ve been fortunate to work with some amazing women throughout my career,” Beck says. “Women can bring a different dimension to the music and their playing. Take Rhonda, for example. She’s an incredible, passionate and talented musician, and brings a different vibe and look to the band. She has the crowd in awe every time she plays.

“Tal and Rhonda, besides being fantastic players, also have this ‘wow’ factor. The bass is a big instrument, and you get these women mastering and controlling it with ease. Rhonda’s stage presence is fantastic, and when she does her solo, the crowd goes crazy.”

music@nowtoronto.com

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