Joe Beck - 1984 "Friends"

Recorded using DMP's live to two-track digital recording process, this album features Michael Brecker (ts), Don Grolnick (p), Mark Egan (b) and is a fine collection of jazz & fusion material.

Studio and session guitarist Joe Beck was well known for hits when backing vocalist Esther Phillips on Kudu in the '70s, although his session credentials over the years also included the likes of Miles Davis, James Brown, Paul Simon, Frank Sinatra, and Gil Evans. During the '80s he made a series of competent fusion and pop-jazz recordings for DMP and had a big hit recording with Dave Sanborn on CTI in 1975. His career continued into the '90s and beyond with albums like 1991's Relaxin', 1997's Alto, and his 2000 collaboration with Jimmy Bruno, Polarity. Beck was active throughout most of the new millennium’s first decade with recordings on a variety of labels, including a number of CDs on Whaling City Sound, such as 2002's Just Friends, 2007's Tri07, 2008's Coincidence (a duo recording with John Abercrombie), and 2009's Golden Earrings. The latter album, featuring Beck and singer Laura Theodore performing music made famous by singer Peggy Lee, proved to be Beck’s final recording - the guitarist was diagnosed with lung cancer soon after work on Golden Earrings had been completed and died from complications of the disease in July 2008 at age 62.

Track listing:

01. Snow Scene (08:35)
02. Belle Touche (05:24)
03. Theres Always Time (10:28)
04. Minor Infractions (05:40)
05. Friends (06:40)
06. NYC (07:00)
07. Skating In Central Park (08:21)
08. Golf Swing (06:11)

Personnel:

Joe Beck (Guitar);
Michael Brecker (Sax Tenor);
Don Grolnick (Piano);
Jay Leonhart, Mark Egan (Bass);
Steve Gadd (Drums).