The jazz world is full of jazz snobs – that is, myopic, narrow-minded people who only care about straight-ahead jazz and believe that rock, R&B, country, reggae, dance-pop, folk, and hip-hop have no right to exist. But Joe Beck isn't one of them; he's an admirably versatile guitarist who has crossed paths with everyone from Gene "Jug" Ammons to Frank Sinatra to disco-soul goddess Gloria Gaynor. Unfortunately, Beck has spent so much time backing others that his own catalog isn't as large as it should be, but he still has a lot to be proud of – and this 2002 release is an appealing addition to his résumé. A generally straight-ahead jazz effort (with some fusion moves here and there), Just Friends finds a 57-year-old Beck in a trio with bassist Mark Egan and drummer Danny Gottlieb and paying a lot of attention to well-known standards.
Beck is back! A perfectionist, gifted with a sharp sense of self-criticism, Joe Beck (born on July 29, 1945, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvannia) was making good music (and a lot of money) when he disappeared from the NY music scene in 1971 to become a dairy farmer in Vermont. After his professional debut with Paul Winter’s group in 1964, he had played with such masters as Gary McFarland, Charles Lloyd, Chico Hamilton, and Gil Evans, on whose orchestra he was a member from 1967 to 1971. (One of his best albums with Evans, Where Flamingos Fly, only came out ten years later on the Artists House label).
Fifty five minutes of straight ahead jazz with a nice variety of tunes that allows the band plenty of opportunity to demonstrate their improvisational skills. The program includes seven jazz standards plus Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely". For each tune Joe Beck delivers innovative interpretations with clear articulate linear and chordal solos. No electronic modification of the guitar sound (which guitarists, including Beck himself, often used in the 1980's). Here the sound is clean in the tradition of Tal Farlow. Support from Jay Leonhart and the incomparable Grady Tate is superlative. Recorded sound is excellent. Recommended for fans of the guitar-bass-drums trio sound or for people who just like straight ahead jazz in it's purest form. If you are not familiar with Joe Beck and want to add some of his music to your jazz collection, this CD is a good place to start.
Venus Records 20th Anniversary Special Cocktail.
Beautiful ballads by Nicki Parrott, Eddie Higgins, Bill Charlap, Joe Beck Trio, Aaron Heick & Romantic Jazz Trio, Marilyn Scott and many others.