I’ve had a busy week and didn’t have time to work on all my projects, so for today I thought it would be fun to share another musician who both entertains and inspires me.
Jeff Beck has a storied history as a guitarist. He played with the Yardbirds, the Jeff Beck Group, Rod Stewart, and as a session player on numerous albums. He’s also won seven Grammy awards. Unfortunately, he’s never had a great deal of commercial success despite his skill.
One of my favorite albums of all time – probably in the top five – is his 1975 album, Blow by Blow. He brought together a group of great studio musicians and songwriters, along with Beatles producer extraordinaire George Martin, and created an instrumental album that combined rock, jazz, fusion, and a touch of the blues.
There are so many great songs on this album that I have a hard time choosing a favorite. However, if I had to choose, I’d probably go with his cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers”.
This song is so sweet, melancholy, emotional. His guitar playing is spot-on, wringing every drop of emotion out of every note. It one of my go-to songs for a rainy day.
If you haven’t yet, please pick up a copy of this album, or stream it if that’s your preference. I think it has a little something for everyone.
I hope you give this a listen.