by Brian D. Holland.

Following a European tour, Jeff Beck has been touring the US this late summer and early fall. There are a few dates left on that short list as well. Hopefully he’ll come around again soon, because like millions of others I just can’t get enough.

Though Beck’s show in Mansfield, Massachusetts, Friday night, September 15, 2006, was a support role, the Brit guitar great will be headlining all of his other scheduled performances. He opened for Santana that night, and what a fine double bill it was. It was a packed venue when he came onstage, his signature Stratocaster in hand. The seats filled early for this opening act as they knew it would be a show to see and remember.

This version of The Jeff Beck Group soared through an hour-and-a-half of magical instrumental work, save for a couple of lyrical tunes when vocalist Beth Hart was summoned onstage. Some may be familiar with the singer, known for her Janis Joplin vocal similarity and sultry, bluesy style. She belted out ‘You Shook Me’ and ‘Going Down’. The rest of the band, made up of Jason Rebello on keyboards, Randy Hope-Taylor on bass, and the great Vinnie Calaiuta on drums, backed up the six string master competently through tasteful versions of 'Freeway Jam', ‘Beck’s Bolero’, ‘Nadia’, ‘Blue Wind’, ‘Two Rivers’, ‘Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers’, ‘Big Block’, ‘Behind The Veil’, and others. Following an enthusiastic ovation, Beck reemerged onstage and broke into a startling rendition of ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’.

Though I had a fairly decent view of this instrumental wizard, I found myself sporadically viewing the huge video monitor to the right of the stage. There I could see him pluck away at the strings on his signature yellow Strat with his thumb and forefinger, and also view his strategic use of the instrument’s whammy bar. Jeff Beck is truly an amazing stylist. His tone, as well as the volume and tone of the rest of the band, was soothing and agreeable throughout the set. Beck played the Strat through a sizeable pedal board and into a trio of Marshall JCMs and a few Fenders.

That’s not to leave out Carlos Santana (it was truly incredible to hear and witness two of the most signature and recognizable guitar stylists on the planet on the same bill), but I was there to write about the former Yardbird great. Santana played a two-hour set of tasteful Latin pop and contemporary hits on his signature PRS guitar, such as ‘Smooth’ and ‘Maria Maria’, mixed with interesting acoustic playing, and of course, the early material that made him what he is today: ‘Black Magic Woman’, 'Oye Como Va’, ‘Soul Sacrifice’, ‘No One To Depend On’, and more.

Visit Jeff Beck's website for tour dates.

Photo gallery

Jeff Beck in concert, Mansfield, Massachusetts, September 15, 2006. Photo by Nancy Holland.

Jeff Beck in concert, Mansfield, Massachusetts, September 15, 2006. Photo by Nancy Holland.

Jeff Beck in concert, Mansfield, Massachusetts, September 15, 2006. Photo by Nancy Holland.

Jeff Beck (left) and Randy Hope-Taylor in concert, Mansfield, Massachusetts, September 15, 2006. Photo by Nancy Holland.