Renowned by fans and fellow musicians as the greatest electric guitar player of all time, the six-string world is still reeling from the shock of Jeff Beck’s passing on January 10 at the age of 78.
Next week, the late guitarist’s widow, Sandra, along with Eric Clapton will honor Beck’s legacy with two star-studded concerts at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
Taking place on May 22 and 23, the epic A Tribute to Jeff Beck lineup so far includes Doyle Bramhall, Gary Clark Jr, Johnny Depp, Billy Gibbons, Imelda May, John McLaughlin, Robert Randolph, Olivia Safe, Rod Stewart, Joss Stone, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks and Ronnie Wood.
Members of the Jeff Beck Band, including bass player Rhonda Smith, drummer Anika Nilles and keyboardist Robert Stevenson, are also due to take part.
Proceeds from the event will go to one of the Becks’ favorite charities, the Southern Wildlife Care and Advisory Service.
Also helping to raise funds for the charity in honor of the legendary guitarist is the Rhino label who, today, released the Jeff Beck Tribute EP.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s new three-track EP is a must for fans and is comprised of previously unreleased material.
The collection opens with a track titled “Midnight Walker Lament” that combines the “Midnight Walker” instrumental (from the 2022 Jeff Beck and Johnny Depp 18 album) with a poem by Imelda May.
“Imelda’s poem on ‘Midnight Walker Lament’ on top of Jeff’s beautiful guitar work brings tears to my eyes,” said Sandra.
Track two is a live version of the song “Elegy for Dunkirk” that featured on Beck’s Grammy-winning 2010 album Emotion & Commotion. As per the studio version, it features opera singer Olivia Safe.
The third and final track on Jeff Beck Tribute is a live rendition of the Freddie King classic “Going Down” featuring vocalist Jimmy Hall and guitarist Carmen Vandenberg.
“‘Going down,’ an up-tempo tune, was played live at Jeff’s funeral with a powerful vocal from Jimmy Hall,” recalled Sandra.
"I said, ‘It’s just a guitar riff.’ He goes, ‘You should write a song with that. It’s catchy.’” Tossed off as a B-side, this 1974 classic-rock gem became a number-one hit
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