I think this should probably be in "Bands".
It took me a while to “get” Jeff Beck, but I certainly do now. All it really takes is seeing a live performance. Unbelievable good at what he does, and anyone who plays with him is always top shelf.
That is Tal Wilkenfeld on bass, a true virtuoso prodigy IMO. Although, now at age 25 I suppose the “prodigy” part is passé. I’ve posted here about her before, I first heard about her when she was 17 and Sadowsky was giving her a “carte blanche” bass endorsement;
after she had been playing bass for a whopping 2 or 3 months. I thought it was a very un-Sadowsky like pub “stunt” (you know, like Fender giving that (IMO) talentless kid Pete Wentz a signature bass…), and said so in my normal arrogant fashion, until a buddy sent me audio he recorded at a seminar with her playing, and told me that this “publicity stunt” was going on the road with Hiram Bullock..
Wow, just wow.
She disgusts me; not with her, but with myself. Just pure genetic talent and pretty fun to look at also, IMO.
Makes me want to turn all of my high dollar basses into furniture, or maybe start a big bonfire…
This is when she had been playing bass for maybe 3 years;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gO7FI_ogvAThe
notes are one thing, check out the timing; the way she sits in the “pocket”, the technique and hand control, just the overall poise and demeanor of at the time (2007) “neophyte” 20 year old with a piddling
total of 3 years of bass playing experience.
Of course, just the fact that she is playing for Beck is pretty much the only endorsement really needed.
Anyway, if you can’t tell
I think she’s pretty good.
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Agree 100% with most of what you said, Ed. I was never a big fan of Jeff Beck's music. (Still not really, but I now respect the hell out of his talent and ability on the guitar).
It took seeing a live performance of Beck for me to really appreciate him. What stunned me was his use of the ENTIRE guitar. I mean, he is tweaking the tone and volume knobs between NOTES for G** sake. (You can see some of that in the video you posted). And his use of pinch (??) harmonics....well...I've just never seen or heard anything like it.
Tal Wilkenfeld wasn't with him when I saw him (at the Bogota in Atlantic City, June 2010) Rhonda Smith played bass. Let me tell you, she is no slouch herself!! Listen to it all, but check her out from about 1:35 on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZDaHEBTAtM
