Even when you expect the unexpected from Jeff Beck, he still finds ways to surprise. Blues, rock 'n' roll, soul, jazz, hard rock, electronica, even classical music: practically everything is fair game, and somehow it all comes out sounding unmistakably like Jeff Beck. Yes, even Flash deserves another listen.
The latest wrinkle is the addition of cellist Vanessa Freebairn-Smith, whose instrument adds another texture to a band already overflowing with them. Rhonda Smith remains on bass, Jimmy Hall handles vocals and harmonica, while Vinnie Colaiuta returns to the drum stool after his stint with Sting. It's an absurd concentration of talent, but nobody is here simply to show off. Every musician gives El Becko another surface to bounce against, another direction in which to push the music.
And Beck keeps pushing. Well into his seventies, he still refuses to settle into the comfortable role of guitar legend playing the classics. The sound changes, the musicians change, the repertoire wanders wherever his curiosity takes it, yet a couple of notes are enough to identify the man holding the guitar. How can someone say so much without opening his mouth?
Jeff Beck keeps reinventing himself while somehow always remaining Jeff Beck. The only predictable thing about the next time is that he'll probably sound different.
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