Jeff Beck Does Opera…WOW!
A few days ago I wrote how “I’m a Lot Like Jeff Beck…” If you missed that post, CLICK HERE.
That post has turned out to be one of the most popular ones I have written in awhile based on the viral activity and trackback links. In that post I spoke about how I agreed with Jeff about his views on heavy-metal music. I said:
“…while I love Rock-n-Roll, Smooth Jazz, Blues, Latin and New Age…I do not care for loud, screeching, shredding Metal at all. I recognize the talent, but I do not enjoy the music. Guitar music should be sensual, spiritual, uplifting and exciting — not “ear assault”. -GuitarDaddy
Well, I am about to add another genre to my growing list of favorites…and I have Jeff Beck to thank! Would you believe Opera?? Check this out:
Jeff’s new album “Emotion and Commotion” will release on April 13th. Today, NPR.org released the entire album on streaming audio on their web site. No restrictions, 100% free to listen to and I just listened.
Jeff Beck wrote the encyclopedia about bleeding sensual sounds out of a Stratocaster and his latest release is a new master-class chapter.
Track #8 is titled: “Nessun Dorma”, which to an old rock-n-roll-smooth-jazz-blues-latin-new-age music lover means nothing. So I did a little research and learned that Neussen Dorma is an aria (solo) from the final act of Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot and is one of the best-known tenor solos in all opera. Who knew?
Jeff uses his Strat to give the best interpretation of a Opera-Singing Tenor I have ever heard!
Just listen:
[Click the Arrow to play "Nessun Dorma" by Jeff Beck]
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That is exactly what I meant when I said: “sensual, spiritual, uplifting and exciting…”
Jeff-Beck - Emotion and Commotion
COMPLETE TRACK LIST
1. Corpus Christi Carol
2. Hammerhead
3. Never Alone
4. Somewhere Over The Rainbow
5. I Put A Spell On You featuring Joss Stone
6. Serene
7. Lilac Wine featuring Imelda May
8. Nessun Dorma
9. There s No Other Me featuring Joss Stone
10. Elegy For Dunkirk featuring Olivia Safe
Beck recorded several of the tracks with a 64-piece orchestra. Hardly heavy-metal!
This, GuitarBUZZ readers, is guitar playing at a totally magical level as each and every track blends a new and exciting sound from Beck’s amazing guitar skills.
Funny that you’re talking about Jeff & the opera…I just finished reading a nice article about Jeff in the recent “Guitar World” where he talks about this subject & how he enjoys Pavarotti’s version. Jeff said that” his guitar is not a voice but he played it like a spirited bluesy thing.” He also said that “big, deep, proper opera singing is something that I love.”
I have to say that Jeff Beck is never satisfied with the status quo. He’s always playing out of the box…literally!
This album showed up from Amazon while I was at work today, so I put it on while I wrote. I was really enjoying the album, and then “Nessun Dorma” came on and blew me away. I was completely caught off guard by the song’s beauty. The way that Jeff Beck articulates each note is a source of inspiration, and in my opinion, the gold standard.
Hey David – I agree completely. In my book, “Nessun Dorma” is the track where the “emotion” came from. I love it. -GuitarDaddy
Mr. David – This album is very special indeed. I have heard it now several dozen times while driving and it still is fresh each time I listen to it. No other album has had quite this effect on me and I seem to pick out something new each time. Jeff has a gift to articulate notes and sounds on his Strat like a human voice. Its not so much how fast or how many notes you play, but sometimes what you don’t play. He has that “something” that many strive for and never even come close……