You can add Jeff Beck's name to the list of major artists prepping new studio albums for 2014.
The following news item recently appeared on Beck's redesigned website:
"After taking a very short, well-earned break post his recent tour with Brian Wilson, Jeff has been spending most of his time with his new band in the studio. We won’t say too much at present. Suffice to say — Watch this space — It will be Epic!!!"
The band in question is Rhonda Smith (bass), Lizzie Ball (violin), Jonathan Joseph (drums) and Nicolas Meier (guitar). The can see the whole gang in the photo to the left.
The new, still-unnamed release will be Beck's first studio album since 2010′s successful Emotion & Commotion, which peaked just outside the Top 10 on Billboard's albums chart. The album featured his cover of a Puccini aria, "Nessun Dorma," which earned Beck a Best Pop Instrumental Performance Grammy.
Beck has been busy of late. As mentioned above, he recently completed a tour with Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson and is featured on Wilson's still-upcoming album. According to Beck, the album has "the flavor of Pet Sounds. Once you hear it, you'll be whistling the songs for the rest of your life." Beck plays guitar on several tracks.
Beck also appears on Fun on Earth, the recently released album by Queen drummer Roger Taylor. He plays on "Say It's Not True," which you can hear below. The track is Taylor's remake of the first Queen studio single to feature Paul Rodgers on vocals. The song, which was written by Taylor, was originally released in 2007 to benefit Nelson Mandela's AIDS foundation.
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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
