Eric Clapton vs. Jimmy Page vs. Jeff Beck vs. Jimi Hendrix

[Kirk Garrett]

Yeah...it's infinitely more likely that Clapton simply felt outgunned in a spectacular way and suffered a case of dramatic "shrinkage" that made him want to disappear. As he and many other peers have stated many times, Hendrix's arrival shifted the very ground that hotshot Brit blues guitarists stood on.

[Doctor Jeff]

Eric Clapton on Jimi Hendrix performing with Cream: ‘He blew everyone’s mind’ - Planet Rock

[Drumbler]

Clapton - tasty, always on target with notes, technically very good, fine vocalist, excellent live performer.

Beck - skillful, uninteresting musically, technical, least important of this group.

Page - creative, flamboyant, musical, great synergy with band.

Hendrix - creative, interesting, flamboyant, exciting performer, technologically advanced.

[lammie200]

I don't want this to sound like I am picking on you, but of these four Beck is the only one that truly ventured into jazz with his own brand of jazz fusion. It is ironic to me that on a jazz guitar forum there have been people that have commented that Beck is uninteresting or boring. I don't hear it that way. If I do find him boring it is when he isn't playing his jazz fusion stuff.

[Kirk Garrett]

I don't want this to sound like I am picking on you, but of these four Beck is the only one that truly ventured into jazz with his own brand of jazz fusion. It is ironic to me that on a jazz guitar forum there have been people that have commented that Beck is uninteresting or boring. I don't hear it that way. If I do find him boring it is when he isn't playing his jazz fusion stuff.

There's a difference between "venturing into jazz" and...jazz.

[lammie200]

There's a difference between "venturing into jazz" and...jazz.

What is it?

[Kirk Garrett]

What is it?

It's Jeff Beck, and not Wes or Barney or....

But anyway, to my ears, Beck has basically nothing to say. Whatever the genre.

[Papawooly]

... a lack of discernible melody ...while wearing a sharkskin suit

[Tal_175]

What is it?

It's like cheese vs vegan cheese.
During the times I'm vegan, I avoid cheese all together. I rather have avocado spread than a vegan cheese on my toast.

[Hep To The Jive]

Jeff Beck had a very important album in the 90's, called Crazy Legs. It was a tribute to Cliff Gallup, who was his hero when he started playing. Of all Beck's albums that's the one I listened to the most.

Here's live:

[lammie200]

...

But anyway, to my ears, Beck has basically nothing to say. Whatever the genre.

Fair enough. I like all types of music. I like Beck's fusion music.

[jaco]

First, I love all these guys. Jimi's solo on "Machine Gun" from the Band of Gypsys live at the Fillmore , New Years Eve, may be the most incredible "rock" solo ever recorded.

[Litterick]

What is it?

Songs from old Broadway musicals played on an archtop guitar with a single pickup.

Bonus points for dropping out of Berklee.

[Greentone]

FWIW, when Cream was assembled, it was considered a jazz band fronted by a blues guitarist. Baker and Bruce came from jazz.

[Hep To The Jive]

Songs from old Broadway musicals played on an archtop guitar with a single pickup.

...in a restaurant with people talking over, on a $50 gig. Beck's failed!

[Stringswinger]

...in a restaurant with people talking over, on a $50 gig. Beck's failed!

Hey I resemble that remark (though I usually get more than $50).!

[Hep To The Jive]

Hey I resemble that remark (though I usually get more than $50).!

Me too, but not that much more... I think 'venturing into jazz' worked out better for mr. Beck.

And TBH, being a jazz guitarist myself(some would disagree with that), I'd say the world doesn't really need another guitar player doing songs from old Broadway musicals on an archtop guitar with a single pickup.

[John A.]

FWIW, when Cream was assembled, it was considered a jazz band fronted by a blues guitarist. Baker and Bruce came from jazz.

I think it was more that Bruce and Baker considered cream to be jazz, than that the were considered more widely as such. Bruce said in several interviews that Cream was really a jazz band, but nobody told Eric. But they were billed as the "cream" of the London blues rock scene (which is where the name came from), and they don't sound anything like the jazz of the time. Rhythmically, they strike me as in a very different place from jazz, and their principal soloist (Clapton) really didn't play changes.

John

[Bach5G]

I’m too young (I was going to add “too off the beaten track” except I recalled Jimi briefly attended high school here) to have heard Jimi live. I’ve heard Clapton a couple of times (nice pop music). No Page.

One of the best concerts I ever attended was Beck when he was touring with Jan Hammer (maybe the MO bass player was in the band too). This was a little after BxB. Hammer played Jeff into submission. Jeff finally just smiled and surrendered. Literally. Incredible musicianship.

I have to admit that, at the time, I didn’t understand what the big deal about Jimi was, although I really liked AATW.

[Litterick]

I think it was more that Bruce and Baker considered to be jazz, than that the were considered more widely as such. Bruce said in several interviews that Cream was really a jazz band, but nobody told Eric. But they were billed as the "cream" of the London blues rock scene (which is where the name came from), and they don't sound anything like the jazz of the time. Rhythmically, they strike me as in a very different place from jazz, and their principal soloist (Clapton) really didn't play changes.

John

British jazz and blues were wrapped up together in the early sixties. The predominant jazz style in Britain since the Second War was Trad, which was a lot closer to straightforward blues than the jazz being made in New York. Before British blues created its own identity, it was seen as a kind of jazz. The early blues bands were staffed by jazzmen, particularly Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated, which employed Jack Bruce, Charlie Watts, Long John Baldry, Ronnie Jones, Danny Thompson, Graham Bond, Cyril Davies, and Dick Heckstall-Smith, among others.

[Hep To The Jive]

British jazz and blues were wrapped up together in the early sixties. The predominant jazz style in Britain since the Second War was Trad, which was a lot closer to straightforward blues than the jazz being made in New York. Before British blues created its own identity, it was seen as a kind of jazz. The early blues bands were staffed by jazzmen, particularly Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated, which employed Jack Bruce, Charlie Watts, Long John Baldry, Ronnie Jones, Danny Thompson, Graham Bond, Cyril Davies, and Dick Heckstall-Smith, among others.

Yea, that's what I read too. They probably wouldn't fair well on NYC jazz scene. But I love whatever they're where doing and calling it jazz, I'd probably preferred their version of it if I live in that time.

[John A.]

British jazz and blues were wrapped up together in the early sixties. The predominant jazz style in Britain since the Second War was Trad, which was a lot closer to straightforward blues than the jazz being made in New York. Before British blues created its own identity, it was seen as a kind of jazz. The early blues bands were staffed by jazzmen, particularly Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated, which employed Jack Bruce, Charlie Watts, Long John Baldry, Ronnie Jones, Danny Thompson, Graham Bond, Cyril Davies, and Dick Heckstall-Smith, among others.

Cream formed in '66 and the scene you're talking about had already started morphing into new scenes by then. I was responding to the statement that Cream were considered jazz, and I don't think is broadly the case (though, obviously, there are reasons people do think of them as jazz-like). From what I've seen of press from the time, interviews, etc., I don't think people were calling Cream jazz. Also, they were pretty consciously trying not to sound like the trad scene they came out of.

John

[pcsanwald]

I usually don't dig these kind of things, but:

Hendrix: could be inconsistent, but my god when he was on, not sure anyone could be better. "Axis: Bold As Love" is my personal favorite album, and he plays great throughout, including that ringing, doublestop R&B kinda comping. Has anyone ever played an intro better than "little wing"? I think not. His comping on "Wait Until Tomorrow" is killing, and his comping on "up from the skies" makes me feel like I don't know how to play guitar. And his guitar solo on the title cut is just epic.

Page: I love Led Zeppelin as much as anyone, but Page was a much better acoustic guitarist than electric, fairly sloppy soloist (Black Mountain Side vs. Whole Lotta Love come to mind). My favorite zeppelin is the "how the west was won" re-issue, which I think is ridiculously locked in and grooving.

Clapton: A lot of people think "Crossroads" is one of the great blues/rock guitar solos ever, I tend to agree. Back on rmmgj, someone pointed out that clapton plays with virtually no swing whatsoever yet has near perfect time, which I think is true. His bluesbreakers and cream work was his peak as a guitarist, for me.

Beck: I'll be honest, I never listened to a lot of Jeff Beck other than "Blow By Blow". What should I listen to? I like him, but he seems like way more of a guitarist's guitarist than the other cats in this poll.

The two cats that are missing for me here are David Gilmour and Duane Allman, both of whom are supremely melodic soloists.

[grahambop]

To me, Jeff Beck is saying something here, still one of my favourite tracks:

[grahambop]

And of course Goodbye Porkpie Hat, it was this track that got me interested in jazz.