Photos and Review by Jim LaValley
Galleries: Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy
Two guitar greats stopped by Foxwoods Grand Theater to a sold-out arena for a pleasant night of blues. I have never seen or photographed Buddy Guy, but I have Jeff Beck a few times including with Stevie Ray Vaughn in 1989.
The show was a couple of days before Buddy Guy’s 80th birthday and a few folks from the crowd wished him a happy birthday. He greeted them with a smile. What a great entertainer and story teller. As he sings the blues, he would stop and start telling a story while plucking at is guitar to emphasize a point. At one point he stopped and said, “I have to get this off my chest. I wish everyone else was like me, because they would never have a frown on their face.”
Clapton has even dubbed Buddy Guy as the “best guitar player alive”. Buddy Guy is known as the bridge between the blues and rock and roll because of his influence with great such as Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Buddy opened with “Five Long Years” (Eddie Boyd Cover) that showcased his story telling along with his unique style of playing the blues. He then went into “I Just Want to Make Love to You” (Willie Dixon Cover), having fun with his joyful storytelling while gesturing to the audience. You can feel the blues as he performs, he pulls it out of you. At another point in the set he said, “If I get too loud for you’all, please let me know”……as he picked softly on his Fender guitar.
He definitely brought an instant smile to everyone’s face while he was on stage. Great Show!!
Jeff Beck put on an instrumental guitar clinic backed by his great band. Jeff Beck is one of the few musicians who have been twice inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – with the Yardbirds and as a solo artist.
If like watching guitar greats, you must check out Jeff Beck and Buddy Guy.