Jeff Beck: Rock 'n' Roll Party Honoring Les Paul (CD on Rhino)

Band: Jeff Beck
Label: Rhino
Title: Rock 'n' Roll Party Honoring Les Paul

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Band:Jeff Beck
Title:Rock 'n' Roll Party Honoring Les Paul
Reviewed By:Lisa Torem
Date Published:20/02/2011

Label:Rhino
Format:CD
Release Year:2011
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British guitarist Jeff Beck spent a year and a half with the Yardbirds and provided cutting-edge ideas and instrumentation. In 1967 he formed the Jeff Beck group with singer Rod Stewart, bassist Ron Wood and drummer Aynsle Dunbar. Through the years he has also worked with Mahavishnu Orchestra keyboardist Jan Hammer, numerous other projects and has been a studio regular. This year he won Best Pop Instrumental Performance at the recent 53rd annual Grammy Award and is back with a live album, 'Rock ‘n’Roll Party Honoring Les Paul'.

The album is a treasure for many reasons. First off, Beck has included songs made famous by his muse, the extraordinary guitarist, Les Paul, but he has also enlisted the talents of vocalist Imelda May, Brian Setzer (The Stray Cats), Gary U.S. Bonds, Trombone Shorty and Darrel Higham. This live recording, which was taped at the Iridium Jazz Club, NYC, is not only raucous and lively but it awakens brilliant period songs with soul and savvy.

‘Double Talking Baby’ is a Stray Cats favorite and features glistening electric guitar, zig zag rhythms, heartfelt twang and piping hot blues patterns.

‘The Train Kept A Rollin’’ tugs feverishly as Beck sings in the style of “the King” – it’s got a kick that recalls the sound of a spacecraft zooming into the horizon.

When Imelda May sings, ‘Cry Me a River’ she exhibits remarkable restraint, though you can detect the big band quality in her voice, and when she and Beck collide, they are perfectly synched.

She sings, ‘How High the Moon’, another American songbook standard, as Beck’s high-octane rockabilly-blues fusion trails her every move. ‘Sitting on Top of the World’ ignites May’s saltier side; the album’s material really allows her to express many moods.

Les Paul and Mary Ford’s version of ‘The World is Waiting for the Sunrise’ stayed on the Billboard charts for 31 weeks. Beck is such a wild man here that you figure he’s playing ‘The Flight of the Bumblebee.’ The more sedate ‘Vaya Con Dio (Go With God)' is a bit of a siesta break. All concerned tone it down. May sings the verses in English and the chorus in Espanol.

‘Tiger Rag’ goes back to the Original Dixieland Jass Band recording in 1917; the spelling is not incorrect, by the way. “Kittie, Kittie, Kittie, here, puss, puss, puss,” purrs May while Beck stomps out a truculent juxtaposition.

'The Peter Gunn Theme' is one of the sexiest instrumentals ever written and made more incendiary, here, with shrieking brass from Trombone Shorty. It makes 'The Pink Panther Theme' sound like something out of Mother Goose. Another instrumental, ‘Apache’ is spine-tinglingly intense with its military drumming and weeping tones. Still, another stunning instrumental is ‘Sleep Walk’ which completely transports you to a Polynesian atoll.

Gary U.S. Bonds conducts a call and response with the totally entertaining ‘New Orleans.’ It turns out he was playing down the road and Beck encouraged him to join in.

‘Please Mr. Jailer’ makes great use of May’s blues interpretational intelligence and it has amazing lyrics. “That night in October 1953/How could he be in Frisco/He was home with me,” she sings with a tear lodged in her caterwaul. Beck’s crisp solo work winds around her yearnings as the hard-core bass and gutsy brass rise.

The last song was performed by Eddie Cochran in 1957 and has been covered by dozens of bands. ‘Twenty Flight Rock’ is about a poor bloke in love. The good news is that his gal wants to see him. The bad news is that the elevator is broken and she lives on the 20th floor. You really can’t blame him if he’s “too tired to rock,” can you?

The even better news is that 'Rock and Roll Party' really does provide the fireworks, humour, sensitivity and cultural perspective required to have an amazing and engaging celebration.

Track Listing:

01) Double Talkin' Baby
02) Cruisin'
03) The Train It Kept A Rollin'
04) Cry Me A River
05) How High The Moon
06) Sitting On Top Of The World
07) Bye Bye Blues
08) The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise
09) Vaya Con Dios
10) Mockin' Bird Hill
11) I'm A Fool To Care
12) Tiger Rag
13) Peter Gunn
14) Rocking Is Our Business
15) Apache
16) Sleep Walk
17) New Orleans
18) Walking In The Sand
19) Please Mr. Jailer
20) Twenty Flight Rock

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Rock 'n' Roll Party Honoring Les Paul - CD
Fantastic live collection of rock 'n' roll covers recorded in New York City by guitarist Jeff Beck

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