ACE FREHLEY, ZAKK WYLDE, METALLICA's Kirk Hammett Attend JEFF BECK's Tribute To LES PAUL; Report, Photos, Video Available
June 10, 2010, 14 years ago
According to The Associated Press, JEFF BECK honored his late friend and mentor, LES PAUL, with an intimate performance Wednesday night at his favorite haunt, the Iridium Jazz Club.
The legendary Paul played there every Monday night until his death last August, so it was an appropriate place for a celebration on the night he would have turned 95.
The small basement club was packed with an invitation-only crowd that included a who's who of rock music. MEAT LOAF, LITTLE STEVEN VAN ZANDT, ACE FREHLEY, ZAKK WYLDE, METALLICA's Kirk Hammett and many others visibly enjoyed the nearly two-hour set.
THE IMELDA MAY BAND, a rockabilly quartet from Dublin, backed Beck onstage who covered scorching versions of 'Walking In The Sand', 'Sleepwalk' and 'The Peter Gunn Theme'. Beck also played the YARDBIRDS classic, 'Train Kept A-Rollin', a song he covered in the 1960s. The set ended with BILL HALEY's 'Rock Around The Clock' and 'Shake, Rattle, And Roll'.
Metallica's Hammett, who considers Beck one of his idols, said: "He does everything with a smile while you're asking yourself, `How the hell does he do that?"
Former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley and Black Label Society's Wylde both summed the show up as "awesome."
The performance was filmed for PBS special later this year as well as a DVD.
Read the entire review here.
Check out more photos from Getty Images here.
