Joe Bonamassa On The Late Jeff Beck – He Was The Best Rock Guitar Player Of All Time, He Lived In Rarefied Air
On a recent episode of my Talkin’ Rock with Meltdown podcast/web series, I had the fortune of speaking with blues legend, Joe Bonamassa. During our conversation, he mentioned the late, great guitarist, Jeff Beck. I thought I’d ask him to tell us a little more about him.
He said he toured with Beck in Europe, doing shows and festivals with him. “His show was always amazing. To me, he was the best rock guitar player of all time because for six decades he would reinvent himself every decade, and come up with something that, I’d go “Oh, man. I wish I’d thought of that!” He was just so creative, so influential. Like, when (David) Gilmore says Beck is his favorite. Beck is at the top of everybody’s list. It’s either Eddie (Van Halen) or Jeff. And, sadly they’re both gone.”
He went on to recall some meetings he had with Beck before shows. “I will say this, the most entertaining, and the most incredible guitar playing I’ve ever heard, was when Jeff was just sitting in his dressing room. He had a little guitar amp and he had his guitar, and he was just playing to kill time before the show. And you’d just hear everything from (guitarist) Cliff Gallop to these insane phrases and melodies, and you’re like, the guy’s not human. And it would just be improv.”
“He lives in rarefied air, talent-wise, that not a lot of people will experience in their life.”
Joe is coming through Detroit, playing the Fox Theater on November 18th. He told me how much he loves that place and you can read about it here.
-Meltdown-
Blues Guitar Legend Joe Bonamassa On His Current Projects, Jeff Beck And More
Joe Bonamassa was nice enough to join me last week to talk about his latest albums/projects, plus, his upcoming show at the historic Fox Theater. He told me how much he loves that place. I actually made a separate story just for his comments on the Fox. You can read about there, here.
Joe told me about his latest live album, Tales Of Time, which he recorded at the legendary Red Rocks concert venue in Colorado. He said that weather was an issue with the two shows he played there to capture his live show. He said the weather was much better the second night, and that’s where most of the tracks come from.
Speaking of live albums, he already has another recorded and ready to drop next year. This one though is completely different. That one was recorded at the Hollywood Bowl with an orchestra. He told me about the challenges of making that album, and how proud he is of it since he’s lived out in southern California for a couple decades. “It makes them completely different” was his response when I asked him if the orchestra breathed new life into these songs.
Blues Deluxe Vol. 2 is out, twenty years after the first Vol. 1. He spoke to the making of that album as well.
Does he still have the fire he had as a younger guitar player? “Yeah…the minute the fire goes away is when you got to hang it up.” He said he’s not there yet.
What about any legendary guitar players he hasn’t played with yet? He’s played with so many, there’s not many he hasn’t played with. He told me, which I’ve heard before, the bigger the star, the nicer the person.
I wrapped it up by asking about the late Jeff Beck. “To me he was the greatest rock guitar player of all time. For six decades he was reinventing himself.” He spoke to seeing Jeff before the shows, playing his guitar in his dressing room. He said it was the most incredible thing. “He lives in rarified air.”
You can watch my conversation with Joe, below….
Meltdown started on the mighty WRIF on the evening of Halloween, 1995. Technically, his first on-air shift was the morning of November 1st. Moving to the Motor City from Buffalo, N.Y., he has built a career and family. Over his almost three-decade stint at RIFF, he's had the privilege to work with some of the biggest personalities in Detroit radio history. He boasts of being just the second-afternoon drive jock in the station's illustrious 53-year history.
Along with his love for rock music and attending concerts, he's also an avid Harley-Davidson enthusiast and hockey player. He plays year-round and manages to squeeze in a few charity games throughout the year. Meltdown writes about the Detroit Red Wings, rock music, and Detroit concert venues.
