The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
  1. #1

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    Haven't seen him discussed much. He passed in 2008.

    But, he left a great body of work - and was a world-class player.

    I've been listening to "Get Me Joe Beck", which is a live guitar trio (gbd) album. It's mostly standards, but they come alive in his hands.

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  3. #2

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    i met joe b a few times..he was a friend of a friend...he was a rocker with jazz chops...later he morphed into a more straight ahead player...fun guy



    rip jb

    cheers
    Last edited by neatomic; 08-10-2020 at 04:50 PM.

  4. #3

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    I have this CD. Here, Beck seems seems somewhat relegated to backing Jimmy's single note melodies. What other records would you recommend of Joe's?

    Last edited by AndyV; 08-10-2020 at 09:04 PM.

  5. #4

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    Beck was one of the busiest studio guitar players on the East Coast in the 60s and 70s, and hooked up with Esther Phillips for a few albums where he was the featured player.
    I remember reading an interview with him in GP where he stated, "There is no relationship in any way between bebop playing and rock playing."
    He should know, he could play both styles well.

  6. #5

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    in his later days joe turned to an alto guitar...he had one designed by rick mccurdy (abercrombie was also mccurdy user/endorser) ...and cort took that and came out with joe beck signature alto guitar...like his friend larry coryell, he was already a cort signature model endorser

    As described by jb-

    "It's pretty straight-ahead, really. Take your whole guitar and tune it down a fifth to the key of A, and then tune the middle two strings up an octave. What I've done is take the normal tuning of the guitar and changed it so that I have bass strings for my thumb; sort of a banjo register for my first two fingers, and then a low melody register for my other two fingers...So you don't have to change any of your fingerings; it's the same intervals as in normal tuning, just in the key of A, so it's A-D-G-C-E-A."

    later he had the rolls royce version of this alto design built by martin!---



    with john abercrombie..one of his last recordings issued- coincidence

    opening track-beautiful love



    cheers

  7. #6

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    I like Relaxin', which is more straight-ahead than much of his later work.

    Danny W.

  8. #7
    The album I have is called Get Me Joe Beck. Apparently, the last one he recorded and, from what I see on line, issued several years after his passing. It's a live album, but you wouldn't guess that from the quality of his playing or the quality of the recording, to my ear. Peter Barshay and David Rokeach, bass and drums -- both top Bay Area guys. I read that they'd only met the day before a two night run, at Anna's Jazz Island. The record was made the second night. I'd never have guessed they were only recently acquainted.

    Guitar trio format can sound thin or forced, I think, but not this album. The trio feels absolutely complete because of Joe's feel, grasp of harmony on guitar (flows beautifully and never sounds contrived) and gift for melody.

    What a remarkable player!
    Last edited by rpjazzguitar; 08-11-2020 at 01:06 AM.

  9. #8
    https://www.amazon.com/Get-Me-Joe-Beck/dp/B00JMAYNJI

    This links to the album.

    It's a guitar trio playing standards. That sounds dull. It's the opposite. His treatment of these tunes is stunning.

    I tend to think of guitar as a limited voice for a whole album. But, not in the hands of Joe Beck.

    And, nothing sounds weird or jagged. He's a master of reharm, smooth voice leading and appealing ideas.

    I know I'm harping on it ... but I listened the album yet again today and was blown away all over again.

  10. #9

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    I used to see Joe Beck and flautist Ali Ryerson playing around New Haven in the early 90's. Not a huge flute fan but they were fun.