Last night The Wife and I had the rare pleasure of seeing Jeff Beck perform live, the first of two nights at the El Rey Theatre, capacity 700.

I knew we were in for quite the show when Beck opened with “Beck’s Bolero,” followed by “The Pump,” and then “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers,” featuring bass wunderkind Tal Wilkenfeld. Providing the muscular backbeat was Vinnie Colaiuta, one of the all-time great drummers, while keyboardist Jason Rebello impressed on more than one occasion with tasteful solos.

Now I’ve seen a lot of guitar greats (Beck’s Yardbirds’ alumni, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page; fusion giants, Al di Meola and John McLaughlin; and luminaries from rock’s pantheon, Ritchie Blackmore, Billy Gibbons, David Gilmour, Steve Howe, Alex Lifeson, Steve Morse, Keith Richards, Carlos Santana, Steve Vai, Eddie Van Halen), but there’s something about Jeff Beck that leaves everyone else wanting. Perhaps it’s his ability to swing from soulful lyricism to soul-sucking pyrotechnics in the same breath without ever seeming to lose his breath or sight of where he wants to take his solo.

Last night’s show also featured a two-song surprise cameo by Beck’s old cohort Rod Stewart (“People Get Ready” and “I Ain’t Superstitious), the first time the two have been on stage together since 1983.

To finish the set, Joss Stone took the stage to sing “I Want to Take You Higher.”

Honestly, I couldn’t imagine getting any higher after that incendiary set.