Up until a few weeks before his death in 2009, guitar pioneer Les Paul was still playing a weekly residency at the Iridium jazz club in New York, making it the perfect venue for über-fan Jeff Beck to present a tribute concert on what would have been his idol’s 95th birthday. It’s an intimate setting, with the viewer able to enjoy spotting famous faces in the audience – but it’s what’s happening on stage that truly thrills.
In order to help replicate the iconic sounds Paul created with his singer wife Mary Ford, ersatz rockabilly queen Imelda May weighs in with a multi-tracked vocal on such classics as How High The Moon and Sitting On Top Of The World. Gary US Bonds and Brian Setzer also turn up to lend a hand, but it’s definitely Beck’s party, and he clearly relishes the chance to get to grips with Paul’s trademark slap echo fret workouts.
The level of Beck’s fandom comes across in the bonus feature interview, recalling when he first heard Paul on the radio as a child and how nervous he was when he finally got to meet his hero in the 80s. Clearly, his love for the man and his music informs a riotous and reverential celebration.
