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A good article on Tal Wilkenfeld, Jeff Beck’s Young Aussie Bass Prodigy
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This is a little article that came out from the good folks at Gibson. I hope you enjoy. -- Compton
Meet Tal Wilkenfeld, Jeff Beck’s Young Aussie Bass Prodigy
The questions really began soon after Eric Clapton’s 2007 Crossroads Festival
aired on PBS. Emails crisscrossed the world as music fans attempted to
identify the impossibly young-looking woman laying down the sinewy bass
lines for mercurial English guitar god Jeff Beck. She even took a
memorable solo turn on Beck’s Blow by Blow
classic, “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers!” Some speculated she was Beck’s
daughter, while one writer insisted she couldn’t be more than 14―“Who’s that girl?”
The usual guitar and musician blogs were also soon abuzz about the fresh-faced young woman who seemed to have come out of nowhere to share the spotlight at Chicago’s Crossroads Festival with an ax legend whose previous bass players had included such notables as Stanley Clarke and Pino Palladino. Her presence was especially remarkable considering how often Beck has chosen to play in a trio format (with drummer Terry Bozzio and keyboardist Tony Hymas) in recent years, eschewing a bass player altogether. This past March Wilkenfeld’s rapidly rising public profile even prompted the readers of Bass Player magazine to vote Tal the Year’s Most Exciting New Player.
The Crossroads broadcast woefully neglected to list any individual band member credits, which only deepened the mystery
surrounding
the identity of the young bass wiz. Rest assured that despite her fresh
schoolgirl looks, Sydney-born Tal Wilkenfeld is an adult (most bios
list her birthday as circa 1986)―merely a third Jeff’s age, rather than
a quarter!―yet a musician whose resume already includes working with a
stylistically far-ranging roster of veterans that includes Herbie
Hancock, Chick Corea, Steve Vai, and the Allman Brothers.
All this from a young musical prodigy who’s been playing the bass less than five years― she took up guitar at 14 in her native Sydney, before switching over to the electric bass just three years later. “I’ve always just picked up any instrument and been able to play it―I could sit down at the drums or the piano and just play for fun,” Tal says of her musical gifts. “But as soon as I started playing bass I knew it was my instrument. It was like, ‘Yes this is it. I don’t even want to play guitar anymore, this is amazing.’”
guitar guitar lessons jeff beck tal wilkenfeld bass bass lessons eric clapton pbs crossroads chick corea
This is a little article that came out from the good folks at Gibson. I hope you enjoy. -- Compton
Meet Tal Wilkenfeld, Jeff Beck’s Young Aussie Bass Prodigy
The questions really began soon after Eric Clapton’s 2007 Crossroads Festival
aired on PBS. Emails crisscrossed the world as music fans attempted to
identify the impossibly young-looking woman laying down the sinewy bass
lines for mercurial English guitar god Jeff Beck. She even took a
memorable solo turn on Beck’s Blow by Blow
classic, “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers!” Some speculated she was Beck’s
daughter, while one writer insisted she couldn’t be more than 14―“Who’s that girl?” The usual guitar and musician blogs were also soon abuzz about the fresh-faced young woman who seemed to have come out of nowhere to share the spotlight at Chicago’s Crossroads Festival with an ax legend whose previous bass players had included such notables as Stanley Clarke and Pino Palladino. Her presence was especially remarkable considering how often Beck has chosen to play in a trio format (with drummer Terry Bozzio and keyboardist Tony Hymas) in recent years, eschewing a bass player altogether. This past March Wilkenfeld’s rapidly rising public profile even prompted the readers of Bass Player magazine to vote Tal the Year’s Most Exciting New Player.
The Crossroads broadcast woefully neglected to list any individual band member credits, which only deepened the mystery
surrounding
the identity of the young bass wiz. Rest assured that despite her fresh
schoolgirl looks, Sydney-born Tal Wilkenfeld is an adult (most bios
list her birthday as circa 1986)―merely a third Jeff’s age, rather than
a quarter!―yet a musician whose resume already includes working with a
stylistically far-ranging roster of veterans that includes Herbie
Hancock, Chick Corea, Steve Vai, and the Allman Brothers.All this from a young musical prodigy who’s been playing the bass less than five years― she took up guitar at 14 in her native Sydney, before switching over to the electric bass just three years later. “I’ve always just picked up any instrument and been able to play it―I could sit down at the drums or the piano and just play for fun,” Tal says of her musical gifts. “But as soon as I started playing bass I knew it was my instrument. It was like, ‘Yes this is it. I don’t even want to play guitar anymore, this is amazing.’”
guitar guitar lessons jeff beck tal wilkenfeld bass bass lessons eric clapton pbs crossroads chick corea
That's refreshing to see! A hot 18 year old female jazz bassist!!! How cool! I love that tune - I saw Beck and John McLaughlin play that in New Orleans several years back. Anyway, she's really great, thanks so much for that
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Wow, she's absolutely awesome and to be playing with such masters is amazing for someone her age. She definitely has the talent.
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This girl is absolutely amazing! I didn't know about her! She kick ass, at only 22 to have such a career!! She is some kind of Steve Vai of the bass guitar, or what?
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wow - Saw Jeff Beck many moons ago + that is a Classic Album* Love Stanley Clarke + Al DiMeola*
saw Clapton too + Stevie Ray Vaughan came out for the Encore + traded Licks*
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Wow that is amazing!! I will certainly be following this girls career!! Thanks!
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A couple ago, when I first heard of Tal, all I could think was she sounded so much like Jaco Pastorius, it limited her.
She still has a lot of Jaco in her style, but she's come so stinkin' far! Amazing what perseverance, hard work and determination will do. (Maybe I can borrow some of hers?)
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We saw Tal play with The Allman Brothers a few years back and were just floored. She didn't just sit in though, she took over bass duties for Oteil on the long version of Liz Reed, and wowed the crowd when she did the post drum solo bass solo. Very impressive indeed.
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I wanted to love this,but the bottom line is she sounds like an 18 year old kid with potential that is just not realized at this point. I teach here in the LA area and have a couple of kids(boys and not as pretty) who are just as good if not better. The Jeff Beck stuff is just lame although it's not entirely her fault(Beck was a great rocker and is now a lukewarm jazz noodler with no direction but the paycheck). Don't believe the hype - there are way cuter girls around and just as many better unknown bass players. I don't know, call me a hater, but I'm not buying into this.
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