Johnny A.’s New Tribute to Jeff Beck and John Lennon

We’re all still mourning the January 2023 death of the great Jeff Beck. For 6-string virtuoso Johnny A., it seemed natural to channel his grief into music. Known for his series of instrumental albums, stretching from his 1999 release Sometime Tuesday Morning to his latest, Driven, A. has now released a heartfelt version of John Lennon’s composition for the Beatles, “You’re Got to Hide Your Love Away,” that doubles as a homage to Beck’s stellar instrumental work. Listen here.

“Loss is a universal human experience where the absence of something or someone significant causes an emotional or material vacancy,” A. says. “Each person copes uniquely; for me, music has always been a great healer.” And so, in that spirit, he crafted an arrangement that would feel very much at home on Beck’s immortal classic, Blow By Blow–or alongside the late wizard’s version of Cutis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready.”

A subtle introduction paves the way for A.’s Strat interpretation of Lennon’s vocal melody, with a fat, burnished tone plucked from Beck’s wheelhouse. From there the track builds in intensity even while preserving the song’s original emotional intention. A companion video is also in the works. For more, visit johnnya.com.