Many people were disappointed that Jeff Beck's live 2010 world tour band was minus bass guitarist Tal Wiilkenfeld and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta afte they had been with Jeff on his 2009 tour.

(Both Colaiuta and Wilkenfeld also appear on Beck's latest album EMOTION & COMMOTION and Hancock's THE IMAGINE PROJECT).

Beck was informed by Colaiuta that he couldn't commit to a world tour in late December of 2009, and soon thereafter Wilkenfeld told Jeff she needed to do her, i.e. record her second solo album of which she had already received an advance for and was late with production schedule; and both Vinnie and Tal are kind of package in more jazzy settings. Beck called upon his buddy Narada Michael Walden and asked him to play with him on the Grammys, the mini-tour with Eric Clapton and the massive world tour from April to November.

He also asked Narada for a bass guitarist recommendation and specifically asked for a female to fill that void. Walden suggested ex-Prince bass guitarist Rhonda Smith, and futher told Beck that she sang also.

Beck more or less auditioned her on the phone, and then made arrangements for his Britush jazz/funk keyboardist Jason Rebello to fly to LA (where Smith lives) and rehearse with the new rhythm section.

They rehearsed for a few days for the Grammys and went through a few songs from Beck's catalog.

The performed a tribute to Les Paul with Imelda May on vocals and her husband on rhythm guitar of Paul and Mary Ford's biggest hit "How High The Moon" and received rave reviews.

Next up after a week of rehearsals was the six date tour with Eric Clapton called TOGETHER - APART.

Since then Jeff Beck and his co-horts have visited the Far East, Australia, Japan and the USA.

They are currnetly on tour in Europe, The tour is set to conclude in late November.

Word is he will be back to America for more dates in 2011.

Meanwhile Herbie Hancock secured Tal and Vinnie for his world tour. The two acts play on the same bill in Europe on July 22nd.

BTW, Jeff Beck appears on one cut on Herbie Hancock's album, the title track "Imagine".

This is a win-win for everyone - Vinnie and Tal fit Herbie well; and Narada and Rhonda make the Jeff Beck better live than it has ever been.

Good luck to all involved.