On June 9, 2010, legendary guitar hero Jeff Beck assembled some friends together at The Iridium Jazz Club in New York City to pay tribute to the late Les Paul. This date would have also been Les' birthday, which made the event even that more special. In front of a small crowd packed with stars (watch the many scans around the venue before and during the set and you'll catch Warren Haynes, David Bowie, Kirk Hammett, Paul Shaffer, Nils Lofgren, Steven Van Zandt, Steve Miller, and Meat Loaf), Beck is joined by a band that includes Darrel Higham (vocals/guitar), Al Gare (bass), Stephen Rushron (drums/vocals), Jason Robello (keyboards), Dave Priseman (trumpet), Leo Green (sax), Lou Marini (sax), and the beautiful Imelda May (vocals). Also showing up for the occasion are guest stars Gary U.S. Bonds, Trombone Shorty, and Brian Setzer. It turned out to be a joyous evening honoring the music of Les Paul, as well as his influence on the music industry, so get set for 2 + hours of old time rock 'n' roll and rockabilly.
For starters, the high-definition video quality of Eagle Vision's Blu-ray disc is simply fabulous. You really do feel like you are seated in the small Iridium club right in front of the stage. The audio is superb, and the picture quality immaculate. For lovers of 1950's and early 60's rock and roll, the set list will be a treat. It's a mixture of Les Paul staples and early rock classics that were obviously influenced by Les, and Beck uses a variety of vintage guitars to get all the trademark sounds down perfectly. Kudos to his band, who really hit the mark here, especially vocalists Higham & May. Watching Beck and Setzer trading rockabilly licks on "Twenty Flight Rock" and "Shake Rattle and Roll" is also worth the price of admission alone. Other highlights include the rockin' take on "Train Kept A Rollin", the sultry "Walking in the Sand" (featuring a great vocal from May), a rousing "Rock Around the Clock", and stellar versions of "How High The Moon", "Poor Boy", "Cry Me a River", and "Peter Gunn".
Toss in some fun extras, including an early 80's clip of Beck and Paul doing a blues jam with Billy Squier, and a fascinating interview with Jeff talking about and showing off some of his vintage guitars, and you have a must have Blu-ray for Jeff Beck, Les Paul, and old time rock 'n' roll fans.
Track Listing
1 Baby Let's Play House
2 Double Talkin' Baby
3 Cruisin'
4 Train Kept A Rollin'
5 Poor Boy
6 Cry Me A River
7 My Baby Left Me
8 How High The Moon
9 Sitting On Top Of The World
10 Bye Bye Blues
11 The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise
12 Vaya Con Dios
13 Mockin' Bird Hill
14 I'm A Fool To Care
15 Tiger Rag
16 Peter Gunn
17 Rocking Is Our Business
18 Apache
19 Sleep Walk
20 New Orleans
21 Walking In The Sand
22 Please Mr Jailer
23 Casting My Spell On You
24 Twenty Flight Rock
25 The Girl Can't Help It
26 Rock Around The Clock
27 Shake, Rattle & Roll
Bonus Content
1 Interview with Jeff Beck
2 Behind The Scenes
3 At home with Jeff Beck & his guitars
4 Jeff Beck & Les Paul – Rock 'n Roll Tonite
5 Les Paul & his little black box
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