When Jeff Beck inflamed Salerno, protagonist of an extraordinary live
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NoonJanuary 12, 2023 – 7:09 pm
He was at the port in July 1998 for the Salerno Blues Festival and said: «I tried to put the sea into the guitar». Beck didn’t need pedals like spaceships to create suggestions, his hands were enough for him
Of Carmine Aymone
It was July 1998, a quarter of a century ago, when Jeff Beck, one of the greatest guitarists in rock history, who died of meningitis at the age of 78, set the Salerno port area on fire with his guitar. The British guitarist and composer, was on the bill at the “Salerno Blues Festival”then historic event organized by Chicco Marin and Peppe Gomez with the artistic direction of Peppe Zinicola.
These were unrepeatable years between the 90s and the new millennium, years in which Naples, Salerno, Campania were still on the radar of the great international tours (we hope they will return), thanks to festivals such as the “Neapolis” which had inaugurated the year before with the live performances of David BowieOf Vasco Rossi and of Edward Bennato under the extinguished chimneys of the former Italsider area and which in 1998 proposed Rancid, Deep Purple, Asian Dub Foundation, Primus, Gama Ray.
Jeff Beckalso accompanied by Jennifer Batten (for years alongside Michael Jackson) gave the lucky ones who flocked to Salerno a live set that remained etched in their memory, proposing songs such as “What Mama Said”, “Savoy”, “Even Odds”, “Big Block”, “Angel”, “Sling Shot”, “ You Never Know”.
Jeff Beck he was one of the main pillars of the great “Temple of Rock Guitarism” and in that stage in Campania he showed all his genius. Beck didn’t need giant pedalboards like spaceships to create sounds, effects, suggestions, his hands were enough for him, skilfully modulating the vibrato lever of his Stratsthe dynamic use of the volume of his instrument (as a pianist does with the pedals), the touch on the strings, the surprisingly dynamic phrasing, the use of harmonics, hammer-ons and pull-offs, tapping, his “banjo rolls”.
Beck lived the Golden Age of British rock as a protagonist, “competing” on a par with myths such as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page. His refusal to be part of the band of friends also entered history Rolling Stonesin the place of Mick Taylor. Since 2009 included in the “Rock and Roll All of Fame”Beck in 1965 was recruited to the Yardbirds to replace Eric Clapton passed to the court of John Mayall: he himself will then be replaced by another legend of the “six strings”, Jimmy Page which will turn the New Yardbirds into Led Zeppelin.
To Beck we owe some extraordinary albums like “Truth” engraved in 1968 with Rod Stewart to the voice, Ron Wood on the bass, Nicky Hopkins on the floor and Mick Waller on drums,”Beck, Bogart & Appice” of 1973. In 1975 and 1976 as a soloist he released two other milestones “Blow by blow” And “Wired”.
In 1992 we find it in the album of Roger Waters “Amused to Death”. The last appearance of her guitar is found in the song contained in the new album by Ozzy Osbourne “Patient number 9”. The last tours around the world have seen him on stage alongside Johnny Deep.
Jeff Beck it has been a point of reference for all guitarists, from the biggest superstars to the very young and Salerno was kissed by his guitar one evening 25 years ago. A few minutes after that evening’s live, getting off the stage as she entered the backstage area, she stopped for a handful of seconds with some of us and, smiling, she said: «Playing a few meters from the sea has a very special charm, it’s magical, I tried to absorb all its energy and put it into my guitar».
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January 12, 2023 | 7:09 pm
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