Guitar World article on Jeff Beck, with videos

[highplainsdem]

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/jeff-beck-dies-at-78

Famous for not using a pick, he developed a remarkably expressive guitar style – highlighted by stunning bends, impeccable phrasing and daring, elegantly executed melodic runs – that transcended genre,

“If you use a pick, you’ve got several fingers which are just redundant, they're not doing anything," he explained to Guitar World in a 1985 interview. "But with five fingers you can do all kinds of stuff you can't properly get at with a pick. You can do railing figures like bluegrass, you can pick out notes of a chord and twang them, push them, bend them, anything you want.”

-snip-

His first-ever solo release was Beck's Bolero, a dazzling, eons-ahead-of-its-time epic of an instrumental featuring Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and The Who's Keith Moon on drums. The song would go on to appear on Truth, the 1968 debut album of his Jeff Beck Group.

Where Beck's Bolero would inform decades of guitar instrumentals to come, Truth – and its 1969 follow-up, Beck-Ola – helped shape the sound of blues- and hard-rock guitar.

-snip-

The article goes on to praise the George Martin-produced Blow By Blow as what many consider Beck's greatest work, and includes this video:

[Skittles]

1. a legend

yes indeed

[highplainsdem]

3. Yes. Definitely one of the best, arguably the best ever.

And still productive, still touring, still recording new music - until that tragic illness.

[Skittles]

4. and by all accounts, a very nice guy

yes indeed

[argyl]

2. First saw him in 1968 just after he'd formed the Jeff Beck group.

It was at a place called Louann's, a dance club in Dallas which started in 1939 and was closed in 1970.
So they'd seen everything from Lawrence Welk to Jeff and Rod.
It was a helluva show and I believe the fully recorded concert can be found on YT. Pretty high quality for '68.

And the last time I saw him was in 2019 at the Tobin Auditorium in San Antonio. And in that 50 year span I was always a big fan. Even though as a budding guitarist I knew I'd never be as good as him. He'd make your jaw drop in in a flash.I never played professionally but do play for enjoyment.

He was a true innovator. At close to 80 years old he never quit exploring the things he could do with his Strat.
And he never quit working on his beloved cars.

He will be sorely missed.

[highplainsdem]

5. Yes, he will be missed.

I found a YouTube video (audio only) of that show at Louann's in Dallas in 1968: