Copyright: Caesar Glebbeek
October 2-8, 1968: He performed at the Honolulu International Center (now known as the Blaisdell Center) on October 5 with a free performance at Thomas Square afterwards.
May 27-June 2, 1969: He performed at the Waikiki Shell on May 30 (cut short by sound problems), May 31, and June 1 (free show).
July 29-August 14, 1970: He performed on the slopes of Haleakala, Maui on July 30 for the "Rainbow Bridge" film and on August 1 at the H.I.C. for Jimi's last official U.S. concert appearance.
UniVibes International Jimi Hendrix Magazine has printed a comprehensive "Jimi Hendrix Plays Hawaii" article (47 pages!) in issue (#36). The article, written by world reknown Jimi Hendrix historian Caesar Glebbeek, includes pictures and articles that haven't been published since those "heady" times. Also featured are interviews with over 30 locals who promoted, jammed with, or otherwise interacted with Mr. Hendrix while he was here in Hawaii.
HEAR MY MUSIC
POWER OF SOUL -
As a young boy growing up in Seattle, Jimi listened to scores of records from all the popular musicians of the time including Fats Domino and James Brown to Elvis Presley and Little Richard. Music was his lifeblood. As his interest in music piqued, his father, James "Al" Hendrix gave Jimi a guitar-a simple gift of music that, unbeknownst at the time, would be the foundation for one of the most celebrated musical careers in history.
While modern news media branded Hendrix as the psychedelic wild man, his music was deeply rooted in the richly expressive sounds of blues, soul, and R&B. After his discharge from the 101st Airborne (Screaming Eagles) in the early 1960s, Hendrix began his unsuspecting career as a traveling guitarist with many of the big rhythm and blues tours. Over the course of the next four years, Hendrix would be an active touring member of such acts as The Isley Brothers (1964), Gorgeous George And The Odells (1964), Sam Cooke (1964), Little Richard (1964/65), Ike And Tina Turner Review (1965), Curtis Knight (1965), and finally King Curtis (1966) before splitting off to form his own band, Jimmy James & The Blue Flames which saw Hendrix settle down in New York. And that's where history would be made.
Discovered by ex-Animals bassist, Chas Chandler in the heart of Greenwich Village, Chandler whisked Hendrix away to London, changed the guitarist's first name from Jimmy to Jimi, paired him with drummer, Mitch Mitchell and guitarist-turned-bassist, Noel Reddingand formed The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Over the course of the coming four years, Hendrix would record three incredibly influential albums, Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold As Love and Electric Ladyland and forge the foundations for First Rays Of The New Rising Sun and a wealth of, as yet, unreleased hidden studio gems. Along the way he created new musical ensembles such as Gypsy, Sun And Rainbows for the Woodstock festival in 1969 and the monumental all-black trio, the Band Of Gypsys whose 1970 self-titled release has since been regarded as one of the earliest examples of the evolving sounds of Funk.
As a result of Jimi's trailblazing approach to creating new sounds and music styles, his songs remain an influential catalyst for today's musicians regardless of their background or heritage. As a celebration of Jimi's musical output, Experience Hendrix is teaming with some of today's hottest musicians to produce Power Of Soul: A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix, a spectacular 16-track album set debuted May 4, 2004 on compact and limited edition vinyl.
Originally geared as an all out R&B/Soul inspired tribute disc, once word hit the street that Experience Hendrix, led by album co-producer Janie Hendrix, was preparing a new Jimi Hendrix tribute project, the phone literally rang off the hook from artists from all musical genres calling to see if they too, could be a part of this special project. Much in the traditional sentiment of Jimi Hendrix himself, where he always wished for wide inclusion and participation, Janie opened the project to participation from artists in other fields.
The result of the growing collaboration is this hotly anticipated release co-produced by Janie Hendrix, ex-Earth, Wind & Fire guitarist Sheldon Reynolds and John McDermott. Explaining the album's mission, Hendrix says [Power Of Soul] reflects Jimi's philosophy about life and music. Jimi was a consummate musician who loved music from many, seemingly diverse and disparate genres. I think that, being that he played first and foremost as a means of expressing and pleasing himself, he was not overly concerned about limiting himself by doing only what was expected of him. We have approached this album from the same perspective."
"Compiling an album such as this has long been a dream for our family. We are deeply grateful that the power of Jimi's appeal continues to inspire new generations of musicians to perform and record his music. We have welcomed many tributes to Jimi's genius over the years, but with Power Of Soul, we have created our very own celebration of his special gifts. To honor Jimi's enduring legacy, we choose to feature contributions that encompassed rock, R&B, blues, and funk. Each of these artists bears witness to Hendrix's imprint on their music. From the contemporary R&B styling of Musiq to the deep country blues of John Lee Hooker, Jimi's creative spirit-the pure inventive freedom he drew upon to originate these signature songs-stands undiminished."
Earlier this month, Experience Hendrix put the finishing touches on the new release during mastering sessions at New York's famed Sterling Sound where long-time Experience Hendrix collaborator George Marino served over the mastering process.
Similar to 1993's, Stone Free: A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix, which was also co-produced by John McDermott, Power Of Soul will carry a similar background theme where the proceeds from the sale of the release will help fund the United Negro College Fund. "Established with the royalties gathered from Stone Free," explains Hendrix. "All of the producers and participating artists embraced our commitment to continue supporting the scholarship fund in Jimi Hendrix's name at the United Negro College Fund. Since the fund's inception, monies generated in the past have already begun to make the dreams of many students bear fruit at thirty-nine UNCF affiliated schools across the United States."
Contributing artist Kenny Olson (lead guitarist for Kid Rock) applauds the funding of the UNCF saying, "Jimi had such a major impact on all walks of life, musically, more so that anybody else. It's just amazing what he what he's done for the world of music himself. The guy wasn't a taker, he was a giver with everything that he did."
Power Of Soul kicks off with a few words of "Gratitude" (0:18) by Jimi's father, James "Al" Hendrix to help set the project's tone. Platinum selling singer/songwriter Musiq contributes Hendrix's debut anthem "Are You Experienced?" (4:23) as the album's second track. Recorded during a break in production on his own album release - Soulstar - Musiq explained his involvement with the project to Rolling Stone magazine last year. "When I do remakes, I try to identify with the point the artist was trying to make instead of just doing the song over," he says. "Why did this person make this song? Why did they do it the way that they did? It's about the artist and paying homage, but after awhile it tries to go past the artist and get to what the artist was trying to get to. I had a whole lot of fun with it."
Long time Hendrix-family supporter Carlos Santana contributes the album's second song "Spanish Castle Magic" (4:09) featuring Corey Glover on vocals, Stanley Clarke on bass and the late Tony Williams on drums.
Music superstar Prince joins Power Of Soul with a special rendition of Hendrix's blues standard, "Red House" which he's recast into "Purple House" (3:39) complete with alternate lyric and musical arrangements. Prince has long been recognized for his incorporation of numerous elements from Hendrix's own repertoire to help create a style, sound and presence that can only be defined as uniquely Prince. Joining Prince is Sly Stone alumnus Larry Graham on bass.
Just as Hendrix left his indelible mark on the lights of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and a host of others, Jimi's incendiary musicianship also had a long lasting effect on Sting. Having previously recorded "Little Wing" for his own Nothing Like The Sun album in 1987, here Sting contributes "The Wind Cries Mary" (4:31), a track he recorded in 1995 with former Miles Davis and Mahavishnu Orchestra guitarist John McLaughlin.
Earth Wind & Fire, lead by founding member Maurice White contribute "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" (3:38) to Power Of Soul. The group is joined by EWF alumnus and project co-producer Sheldon Reynolds (lead guitar) along with the likes of Ricky Lawson and Verdine White to make for a super R&B and funk-fused tribute.
Legendary funk and R&B bass player Bootsy Collins (AKA "Bootzilla") joins the foray with fitting representation of Funk music's debt Jimi Hendrix. Their rendition of "Power Of Soul" (4:48) also features Parliament-Funkadelic founder George Clinton plus a host of musicians from the P-Funk mob including Ron Jennings, Chris Walker, "Catfish" Collins, Garry Shider and many others.
The story of Hendrix going to London with ex-Animals bassist Chas Chandler simply on the promise that he'd get to meet Eric Clapton is one of the most fabled stories in the annals of rock history. True to his word, Chandler did get Hendrix and Clapton together and the two fostered a lasting friendship through to Hendrix's passing. Shortly following one of Cream's performances in 1967, Clapton spoke of Hendrix afterwards explaining, "[Jimi had] been here for about six months, and he played this gig that was just blinding. I knew what the guy was capable of from the minute I met him. It was the complete embodiment of the different aspects of rock & roll guitar rolled up into one. I could sense it coming off the guy." Their warm friendship and shared love of blues luminaries such as Muddy Waters, Elmore James and others comes through in Clapton's excellent interpretation of "Burning Of The Midnight Lamp" (4:23).
Another revolutionary artist who follows the inspirational works of Hendrix is guitarist Lenny Kravitz. For years Kravitz has shied away from paying tribute to Hendrix musically through cover songs, but he's always pointed to Hendrix as strong influence on his own style. " Jimi Hendrix was just so fluid. His hands were connected to his soul, you know? His playing was just so emotional. You could feel the fire. You could feel the blues. You could feel the sadness. It's unbelievable." And when asked what he picked up from Hendrix, he quickly quips, "What you can do with an electric guitar! And how to blend rock & roll and blues all together in songs."
"I didn't really get into Hendrix until I moved to California from New York and I was about twelve or thirteen. I moved to L.A. and heard Smash Hits. It was unbelievable. It was everything: It was psychedelic, it was funk, it was blues, it was rock."
For his involvement in Power Of Soul, Kravitz contributes his favorite Hendrix song "Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)" (3:08). "It's just so soulful, so electric," says Kravitz. "It's like floating in water!"
Power Of Soul's impressive roster yields another R&B/soul interpretation of Hendrix's music with the album's ninth track "Who Knows" (3:16). Performed by Devoted Spirits, an all-star R&B collaboration featuring Reynolds, keyboardists George Duke and Larry Dunn, Ricky Lawson and Morris Pleasure.
One of music's brightest young stars - Robert Randolph & The Family Band - join the Power Of Soul lineup with an intense, fiery rendition of "Purple Haze" (4:37). Hendrix fans may remember Randolph's stunning live version of "Purple Haze" at the 2002 San Diego's Street Scene festival. This new studio recording incorporates Robert's trademark pedal steel guitar along with the accompaniment of Danyel Morgan (bass), brother Marcus Randolph (drums) and Jason Crosby (keyboards).
An all too brief recording "Going Home" (0:43) by one of Jimi's close friends Velvert Turner is featured on the album and includes organ accompaniment by Sheldon Reynolds. Sadly Turner passed away in December 2000 before further recordings could be completed.
"Power Of Soul began with R&B legend Chaka Khan," explains Janie Hendrix. "Long a favorite of Jimi's father Al Hendrix. Her forceful rendition of "Little Wing," framed by the stinging guitar of Kid Rock's Kenny Olson, jump started a multi-year effort to create this album." The Chaka Khan/Kenny Olson rendition of "Little Wing" (3:40) shows how Hendrix's influence can crosses different musical boundaries. "Jimi was way ahead of everyone else," says Olson. "This guy was about creating great music and I think this album will show how influential that music was. I think the record will shine a lot more on his various music styles and how these different artists were influenced by them."
The renowned vocal ensemble Sounds Of Blackness are joined by Reynolds and keyboardist Derek Clark on an upbeat gospel/R&B fused rendition of "Castles Made Of Sand" (3:06). Reynolds, long an admirer of Hendrix explains Jimi's influence saying, "he was so true and free to push the bounds of expression. I often feel if many artists were allowed to express who they really are we would have many more who touch like Jimi. He was the flagship of what happens when an artist is able to give us the power of their soul."
The hard driving, power-chord filled work of Eric Gales comes to the forefront on his fiery rendition of "May This Be Love" (4:26). A fellow left-handed guitarist, Gales has in recent years been keenly associated with the Hendrix legacy after he was signed to the family's Rock label - Hendrix Records in 2000. His label debut That's What I Am caught the attention of guitar enthusiasts around the country particularly on his gritty rendition of "Foxey Lady."
Cee-Lo Green joins the production of Power Of Soul with his unique interpretation of "Foxey Lady" (3:40) by blending rock and R&B in musical twist that mirrors the Rap and neo-soul styling for which that this one-time Goodie Mob member has become highly touted.
Blues legend John Lee Hooker who called Hendrix, "a great, great blues man," will make an appearance on Power Of Soul with a stunning interpretation of Hendrix's classic "Red House" (4:04) "Although I wanted to meet Hendrix," says Hooker "I never did, but I loved his music, oh yeah!" For the ageless blues wonder, John Lee Hooker, paying tribute to Hendrix is an inspiring musical opportunity, "Music is a healer. When I'm down and feeling blue and lonely, I have my guitar and my songs, and I play a little bit and it heals me. It heals my mind from that low feeling you got about your loved ones."
It was through Carlos Santana that the Hendrix family met and became good friends with John Lee Hooker. Each the legendary guitarist visited Seattle an invitation to Al Hendrix to come and enjoy the show was extended. "The two shared an instant bond and would come to share many laughs," explains Janie Hendrix. "John Lee often spoke of his love for Jimi's playing and regretted that he never had the opportunity to work with him. He had hoped to contribute a new recording to Power Of Soul, but his death came before those plans could be realized. In recognition of his admiration for Jimi and support for this project, we have included John Lee's dark, moody treatment of "Red House" first issued as part of his Don't Look Back album."
Power Of Soul is rounded out with a blazing musical inferno by Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble. This previously unreleased recording taped on October 20, 1983 by the King Biscuit Flower Hour at Ripley's Music Hall in Philadelphia, PA pits Vaughan in front of Chris Layton (drums) and Tommy Shannon (bass) for a spectacular rendition of "Little Wing / Third Stone From The Sun" (12:28).
Stevie Ray's admiration for Hendrix has manifested in numerous interpretations of his songs and inclusion in almost every live concert appearance and several studio albums. "Beyond simply revealing Stevie Ray's enormous admiration for Jimi," says Janie Hendrix. "This performance remains a compelling and passionate example of Stevie Ray's extraordinary ability."
Power Of Soul: A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix was released on May 4, 2004 by Experience Hendrix/Image Entertainment for a suggested retail price of $15.98. Power Of Soulwas also simultaneously released on limited edition, high-grade vinyl through Classic Records. The LP version includes a previously unreleased recording of "The Wind Cries Mary" by Seal. Order your copy at The Official Jimi Hendrix Web-site
Essay By: Steven C. Pesant
Noel was born December 25, 1945 in Folkestone, Kent, England.
RIP Noel!
There are of course, two versions of each of his most famous compositions, "She's So Fine" and "Little Miss Strange" as well as the version of "Red House" from the Paris Olympia Theatre on January 29, 1968 (which was previously released as part of the "Stages" Box Set) where Noel plays his bass lines on Keith Richard's guitar. Both "Dream" and "There Ain't Nothing Wrong" (which is also known as the often bootlegged track "Little One") can be found on the recent "Jimi Hendrix - Axis Outtakes"). There are a couple of fairly interesting takes of a loose jam titled "Noel's Tune". The set is rounded out with a couple of other weaker tracks with Noel's reed thin vocals.
My favorite track is the previously unreleased alternate, instrumental version of "She's So Fine". This disc is not available in retail stores and can only be purchased through Experience Hendrix. If you're a Hendrix fanaddict, you'll want to add this to your collection but if you don't have all of the essentials yet, get them first!
Their company Experience Hendrix LLC is claiming royalties from PPX Enterprises Inc, relating to when Hendrix played with a group called Curtis Knight And The Squires in PPX's New York studio.
The company launched a claim against PPX Enterprises Inc, and its president Edward Chalpin, relating to the alleged breach of a March 1973 agreement between PPX and the English administrator of Hendrix's estate.
The hearing, before Mr. Justice Buckley, in London, related to 71 disputed tracks.
Experience Hendrix argued that there had been non-payment of royalties due and that records were released for which no licence was granted under the agreement.
But it only succeeded in winning an injunction restraining future releases or licences of recordings on which Hendrix performed in any capacity - other than 33 master tapes to which it agrees that PPX is entitled.
It's claim over royalties succeeded to the extent that PPX must account for royalties due on those 33 tracks in the future - but not in the past. The judge rejected claims relating to delivery up of masters and an unspecified amount in damages.
PPX had argued that there had been a prior oral agreement between all the parties that it was entitled to every master that had at any time been previously released or licensed by it.
The judge, who dubbed it an "extraordinary case", ruled that PPX, which was given permission to appeal, must pay 70% of Experience Hendrix's estimated £300,000 costs bill, with an interim payment of £75,000.
Seattle, Washington July 28, 1970
August 17, 2002, 12:44 AM EDT
SEATTLE -- Leon Hendrix, the brother of rock icon Jimi Hendrix filed suit Friday to gain what he considers his fair share of Hendrix's estate.
Hendrix died more than three decades ago at the height of his career. His legacy was controlled by his father, Al Hendrix, who died in April at age 82, leaving nearly everything to his adopted daughter.
In the father's will, Janie Hendrix was given control of Experience Hendrix LLC and the Hendrix estate, worth about $150 million to $240 million. Leon Hendrix got a souvenir gold record.
The suit argues the will and living trust are invalid because Al Hendrix signed them under Janie's undue influence.
"It's my legacy and heritage," said Hendrix, a struggling artist and musician who has lived in his late brother's shadow for decades.
Attorneys for the Hendrix estate and Experience Hendrix declined comment. Janie Hendrix didn't return phone calls.
Experience Hendrix was created in 1995 after Al Hendrix regained full control of the music, name and likeness of Jimi Hendrix after a two-year court battle. The company has turned out memorabilia and reissues of Jimi's music.
Jimi Hendrix, born and reared in Seattle, became a virtuoso of the electric guitar, striking awe among audiences and accomplished guitarists. He died in 1970 in his London flat at the age of 27.
Copyright © 2002, The Associated Press
September 25, 2004, 12:29 AM EDT
The case, the latest of several that have entangled the Hendrix estate in the last decade, concerns the last will of Jimi's father, Al Hendrix, who inherited the rights to Jimi's music when the rock star died in 1970.
Jimi's brother, Leon, says he was unfairly written out of the will at the behest of his stepsister, Janie Hendrix, who runs the company in charge of the estate, Experience Hendrix LLC, with Jimi's cousin, Robert Hendrix.
But Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ramsdell upheld the will Friday, saying "Janie was the family member Al trusted the most."
Leon Hendrix criticized the decision outside court.
"This is the Hendrix's," he said. "This is the family right here, you know — bloodline."
His lawyer said no decision had been made on a possible appeal.
A 1996 version of Al Hendrix's will would have directed 24 percent of the estate to Leon Hendrix, 38 percent to his stepsister and the balance to other beneficiaries. But it was rewritten in 1997 to exclude Leon.
Al Hendrix died in 2002.
Janie Hendrix's attorney, John Wilson, said Al Hendrix decided on his own to write his son out of the will, but Leon Hendrix's lawyer said the father was infirm in his old age and could not comprehend even simple legal issues.
Jimi Hendrix had released just three albums before he died at age 27, but he had an extensive catalog of unreleased tracks. For about two decades after his death, his estate was run by a California attorney who sold many of the copyrights to other companies.
At the urging of Janie Hendrix, Al Hendrix sued the lawyer in the early 1990s to regain the rights he had sold. That case was settled but left the company in debt.
According to Janie Hendrix, her father did not want money paid to the beneficiaries listed in his will until the debt was paid off. That is expected to happen in 2010.
Copyright © 2004 Associated Press
DATE: August 12, 2003
-- Jimi Hendrix
The monumental seven-film PBS series "The Blues", executive produced by Martin Scorsese premieres Sunday, September 28 from 9-11 p.m. and will air on consecutive nights through October 4.
Along with the release of soundtrack albums for each of the films, the five-CD deluxe box set "Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues--A Musical Journey" was issued on September 9, 2003.
In addition, 12 individual artist "best of" compilation albums were issued under the "Martin Scorcese Presents The Blues" banner. Experience HendrixExperience Hendrix has prepared the Jimi Hendrix entry in the series, "Martin Scorcese Presents The Blues: Jimi Hendrix". This album features 10 superb examples of Jimi's blues explorations. In addition to such favorites as Electric Ladyland's "Voodoo Chile", the album boasts two previously unreleased recordings, "Georgia Blues" (Note: An alternate mix of this song is also available as "Mother, Mother" on the "Two Great Experiences" CD by Lonnie Youngblood featuring Jimi Hendrix) and "Blue Window" (Note: Recorded with members of the Buddy Miles Express in February, 1969). The album also includes an essay by Jimi's longtime girlfriend Faye Pridgon. Pridgon shared Jimi's enduring passion for blues and her essay provides compelling new insights into Jimi's quest for his favorite blues recordings as well as the joyous evenings spent exploring the deep collection of blues 45's & 78's owned by Pridgon's Georgia born mother. "The most phenomenal fact of Jimi's dedication to and respect for this underclassed art form known as Blues was that he dared to embrace this homegrown sound, denounced and orphaned by the majority of its founding people," details Pridgon in her essay. "It was as though the Universe assigned him to personally defend the almost homeless, bastard music from which he insisted all others (American, at least) were born."
Apart from "Red House", none of the album's ten tracks are repeated from the 1994 compilation Jimi Hendrix: Blues. "Martin Scorcese Presents The Blues: Jimi Hendrix" presents Hendrix pushing the boundaries of the genre, incorporating such elements as horns, keyboards, harmonica, and even twelve-string guitar together with his own trademark improvisational style. The album spans the course of his entire career, ranging from the sparse, solo 1970 recording of "Midnight Lightning" reminiscent of John Lee Hooker through to incendiary renditions of "Hear My Train A Comin'" and "It's Too Bad".
DATE: August 18, 2003
-- Billy Cox
In the aftermath of the Band Of Gypsys, Jimi Hendrix looked to refocus his career and meet the challenges of a new decade. His Fillmore East concerts with the Band Of Gypsys had yielded the long awaited album he required to resolve a bitter, longstanding lawsuit. Jimi's manager Michael Jeffery wanted the guitarist to reform the original Experience immediately and resume a schedule of recording and public appearances. To initiate this strategy, Jeffery summoned former Experience bassist Noel Redding to his New York office in early February 1970. The root of Jeffery's desire to reunite the original Experience was clear, the group had provided Hendrix with the platform for his international success. Nonetheless, Jeffery's gambit was not without risk. The relationship between Hendrix and Redding had soured.
The bassist had elected to quit the group in June 1969 and in the interim had enjoyed little contact with Hendrix. Undaunted, Jeffery forged ahead and arranged for an interview with Rolling Stone-- the leading counter culture media outlet of that era--to announce the reformation of the original Jimi Hendrix Experience. "It looked as if there was going to be another tour with Noel," remembers Mitch Mitchell. "Suddenly Jimi called one night, just completely out of the blue, and he said, 'I don't want to go there.' To be frank with you, I didn't object. Obviously, Jimi had played with Billy Cox quite a bit through the Band Of Gypsys. My first playing with Billy had been the Woodstock situation. That was just a nightmare. No offense to the other players with us, but that band, [laughter] oh boy! It just wasn't happening. As it slimmed down to a three piece, things were looking a lot better. When Billy came into the band properly, if there is such a thing, as a three piece unit, it gave me a lot more freedom. I started to feel incredibly happy."
With Cox installed as the bassist, the Experience rehearsed for a string of US concert dates that were set to begin April 25, 1970 at the Los Angeles Forum. Hendrix had brokered a hard fought agreement with Jeffery that made him available to perform on weekends while reserving the weekdays for studio recording. Electric Lady Studios, Jimi's own state of the art recording facility in Greenwich Village, was nearing completion and the guitarist was eager to make use of it. "We had just started to get into the situation of doing a tour spread over a few months, but just working the weekends," explains Mitchell. "This was such a change after all of those stupid years of two shows a night which were just ridiculous. There were still a lot of countries that we would have liked and should have gone to. Japan, Australia, you name it. There again, Jimi could be a manager's worst nightmare, because he would live in the recording studio given half the chance. But maybe that was the right thing. Jimi was just starting to give himself a chance to expand."
"At that time, Jimi was on a roll," continues Billy Cox. "We were in the studio all the time. If we weren't in the studio, we were touring. We knew that we had these commitments but we made up our minds to have fun while we are doing them. There were no free rides so you had to do what you had to do. We made it enjoyable and the camaraderie we shared made the work fun."
It had been Michael Jeffery's decision to have Jimi to perform in Berkeley. Jeffery had grown increasingly aware of his protégé's reluctance to maintain an active touring itinerary at the harried pace of the previous two years. To counter this critical revenue shortfall, Jeffery began to ferment plans to document Hendrix's performances. His concept was to create a film that could be toured around the world to generate cash and maintain the guitarist's high profile while Jimi toiled in Electric Lady Studios. The powerful impact that that Jimi's appearance in both Monterey Pop and, more recently, Woodstock had created had not been lost on Jeffery. Berkeley had developed as a flash point in the heated battle over the Vietnam War and other emerging social and political issues. "Jeffery thought he could make millions with footage of Hendrix performing there," remembers Bob Levine, a member of Hendrix's management team. Jeffery assigned the project of filming Jimi's concerts to Peter Pilafian and instructed road sound engineer Abe Jacob to professionally record the performances for posterity.
With Berkeley as his chosen location, Jeffery secured an agreement with promoter Bill Graham to have the Experience to perform two shows at the Berkeley Community Theater. Hendrix had filled the spacious, nearby Oakland Coliseum the previous year and could have easily done so again, but Jeffery elected for the more intimate theater setting as the venue for the filming. All of the available tickets for both shows were quickly snapped up and on the evening of the concerts, more than a thousand empty-handed fans were turned away. Tensions between patrons, venue security, local police, and those without tickets escalated. Pilafian's film crew documented the gate crashing, as some scaled the building's wall, others tried to break in through the roof, and some resorted to throwing rocks at those with tickets trying to gain entrance.
Ensconced safely backstage, Jimi was unaware of the turbulence that surrounded the building. The sold out house roared its approval as Jimi and the Experience took the stage. Jimi prefaced the concert with a request he often made of his audience, asking them to "forget about yesterday or tomorrow. This is our own little world tonight.' The evening's second set, presented here in its entirety and original sequence, began with Hendrix's modest description of, 'an instrumental jam…to check our tuning. Alright?' That jam would in fact be "Pass It On," a charged, early version of what would ultimately take form in the weeks that followed as "Straight Ahead". Such animated spontaneity was a hallmark of Hendrix concerts and this second Berkeley set provides further compelling testimony as to how unique each and every Hendrix concert truly was.
The Experience, as Mitch Mitchell has explained, used the stage, particularly during the 1970 tour, to build up such promising new material as "Pass It On" and the evening's magnificent second number "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)" "The stage experience. That was the beauty for me of playing with Jimi," states Mitchell. "I miss him so much for that, because the music always came first. This guy was expanding as a musician and it felt good to get away from the audience perception of him. Jimi was getting very bored with it, as I was, because by that time the act was playing pretty large arenas and you still had situations where people expected the breaking of a guitar or setting it on fire and not just playing new music."
"Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)" was followed immediately by aspirited take of "Lover Man". "Lover Man" was a favorite of Hendrix's live repertoire and this version finished with a rousing flourish as Hendrix ground the strings of his Fender Stratocaster against his microphone stand. As the audience erupted with applause, Jimi delved deep into his songbook and kicked off the notes that announced "Stone Free," the first song he composed for the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1966. A shining take of "Hey Joe" continued that momentum. Jimi adopted a slower, blues influenced tempo for the song that he had not previously utilized. This superb reading was marred momentarily by a jolt of unwelcome amplifier interference, but Hendrix's free form flight would not be impeded.
By now it was clear to everyone in the venerable theater that this was indeed a special performance to be savored. Each song seemed to blend into the next, with nary a pause interjected between songs lest Hendrix temper his enthusiasm. A searing "I Don't Live Today" came next, punctuated by Hendrix's ringing sustain and tremelo bends. Cox and Mitchell insistent rhythmic interplay alternatively challenged and supplanted Hendrix throughout the number, making clear the impact Cox had upon this new edition of the Jimi Hendrix Eperience. Cox's rock steady rhythmic support granted Hendrix the freedom to soar in new directions-even within songs that had been among Hendrix's first Experience recordings. "The older songs were new to me," explains Billy Cox. "They were old to Mitch and Jimi but they enjoyed the flavor that my bass playing brought to them. It was refreshing for them because I always did something extra or different in the songs."
Hendrix followed next with "Machine Gun," which he dedicated the all of the soldiers fighting in both Berkeley and Vietnam. Where Cox had revitalized classic Experience numbers such as "Hey Joe" and "Stone Free", here Mitchell helped recast the signature of the Band Of Gypsys. "With 'Machine Gun,' when Mitch did it, he came in with a different flavor and that was good," explains Cox. Mitchell's intricate drumming may have, as Cox suggests, changed the song's flavor, but none of the song's brooding intensity was diminished. Jimi's breathtaking solo remains as strident today as it did that evening.
Jimi was a seasoned professional who knew how to pace a performance. From the ashes of his incendiary "Machine Gun" came a sprawling "Foxey Lady" which immediately lightened the mood. To the delight of the audience, Hendrix incorporating many of his trademark stage gyrations, thrusting the guitar between his legs and playing with his teeth. The crowd had been worked to a fever pitch when Jimi offered his rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner". Like "Machine Gun," "Star Spangled Banner" too had evolved from its mighty Woodstock standard while losing none of its biting impact. A rousing "Purple Haze" set up an extended "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" which Hendrix closed with a loose vamp of "Keep On Groovin'" another of his fertile works in progress. This song, chosen to close the 1971 documentary Jimi Plays Berkeley has long defined the special value of the Berkeley concerts in the Hendrix's legacy.
(Essay By: John McDermott)
I was fortunate enough to attend the Honolulu premier of this movie at the Pipeline Cafe on the night before the official release and it was the closest thing to attending a Hendrix concert as you can get these days. There's something about being in a room packed with other Jimi fans still cheering him on 32 years after he died that defies description.
For many years there was a misconception that this concert was not "up to par" but those notions are quickly dismissed while watching this DVD. There are many highlights but "Red House" really stands out for me. Some bonuses are added to the DVD release, like multiple camera picture in picture, which allows for simultaneous viewing of multiple camera angles on the aformentioned "Red House" and three other songs. A "behind the scenes" interview with film director Murray Lerner is also included exclusively on the DVD.
I highly recommend this release in both the "Special 2CD Edition" and it's companion DVD release. If you weren't able to see Jimi during his all too brief career, buy this CD and turn your stereo up to "Eleven" and Experience Jimi Hendrix! ;-)
This single disc release is priced at $15.00 (Plus S/H) and is once again available exclusively through Authentic Hendrix.
Here's the "official press release" from Experience Hendrix:
We begin in Paris at the famed Olympia Theater. These raw, direct to two-track live recordings made for French radio document the Experience's triumphant return to Paris almost one year to the date of their 1966 showcase as a support act for Johnny Hallyday. By the time of their October 9, 1967 performance, the Experience had captivated Europe via "Are You Experienced" and such memorable singles as "Hey Joe" and "Purple Haze". An exuberant, sold out house roared their approval throughout the evening.
This Paris performance came just eight days after sessions for what would become "Axis: Bold As Love" had resumed at London's Olympic Studios on October 1, 1967. The Experience was in top form on this evening. Two superb examples of this spirited performance were included as part of the 2000 Jimi Hendrix Experience box set. "The Wind Cries Mary" and "Catfish Blues" made perfectly clear the appeal and historical value of these Paris radio recordings.
The Experience roared out of the gate with "Stone Free" and followed, much to the frenzied delight of the audience, with vibrant renditions of "Hey Joe" and "Fire."
Beyond the songs already set aside as part of the Jimi Hendrix Experience box set, two additional Paris performances have not been included on this release. Technical problems commenced during the latter half of "Catfish Blues" and a malfunctioning microphone rendered "Burning Of The Midnight Lamp" and "Foxey Lady" unusable.
Thankfully, Jimi's vocal microphone was restored just prior to the start of B.B. King's "Rock Me Baby." A compact "Red House" prefaced a grinding, muscular take of "Purple Haze."
Jimi then followed with "Wild Thing," replete with incomprehensible feedback swoops and a rousing, tongue in cheek lead vocal that emphatically closed the show.
From Paris we move to San Francisco and the Fillmore Auditorium. In the interim, the Experience had completed "Axis: Bold As Love" and had come to San Francisco to kick off their US tour in support of the album. Impresario Bill Graham had booked the group to perform eight concerts over four consecutive nights. The Experience performed at the Fillmore Auditorium on February 1st and 4th while the Winterland Ballroom hosted the performances on the 2nd and 3rd. Each of the eight performances were sold out.
Sadly, none of Jimi's San Francisco performances in February were professionally recorded. Eight months later, all six of the Experience's October Winterland appearances were preserved on tape but no such plans had been set in place for these concerts. Fortunately, an amateur stereo recording drawn from the stage monitor soundboard provides us with another compelling chapter in Jimi's rich legacy. This rough hewn, two-track recording documents Jimi's second show on February 4th, the eighth and final performance of his four-night stand.
Bill Graham had organized an extraordinary roster of talent on this evening. The Experience topped a bill that included renowned blues guitarist Albert King and local favorites Big Brother & The Holding Company, fronted by Janis Joplin. Albert King was a favorite of Jimi's. The left-handed blues giant wrenched stinging single notes from his trademark Gibson Flying V. Although King like Hendrix played a right-handed guitar flipped over, he did not restring the instrument, leaving the high E string at the top in reverse order. King had refined his distinctive guitar technique over years of performances in taverns, hardscrabble juke joints, and occasional package tours. By the time of this Fillmore appearance, King was just beginning to enjoy wider critical and commercial success. The guitarist had been signed to Stax Records, the R&B based recording home for such popular artists as Otis Redding. His most recent album, "Born Under A Bad Sign", had a marked influence on a younger generation of guitarists such as Eric Clapton whose group Cream covered the title track on their best selling "Wheels Of Fire" double album later that summer.
Perhaps in homage to King, Jimi revised his set list for this Fillmore performance. It is not known what other songs, if any, were performed apart from those preserved on this recording. Nonetheless, seemingly in place of such Experience favorites as "Fire" and "Foxey Lady" came three consecutive blues numbers. "Killing Floor" was throttled back from the furious tempo Jimi had employed at the Monterey Pop Festival the previous summer. This Fillmore rendition was more in keeping with the pacing of Howlin' Wolf's original 1966 Chess Records arrangement.
Jimi followed "Killing Floor" with "Red House," his own blues masterwork. "Red House" stands today as one of the guitarist's finest achievements, yet the song was virtually unknown to everyone in the venue on that evening. "Red House" had yet to be released on disc in the United States. Much to Jimi's disappointment, Reprise had elected to hold "Red House" back when the company issued its US version of "Are You Experienced" in August 1967.
Jimi's version of "Catfish Blues," an early Experience stage favorite, came next before the proceedings took an unusual turn. Mitch Mitchell invited Buddy Miles onstage to take over his drum kit prior to the start of the next number. "We're going to muck things up even further and have Buddy Miles from the Electric Flag come up and play drums," instructed Mitchell humorously. Mitchell's invitation was completely unscripted but it was the type of gesture, he explains, that both challenged and stimulated the respective members of the band. "What it comes down to with Jimi, with myself, and even with Noel to some degree, was that it always felt good and it was agreed that we'd try to play with as many people as possible," explains Mitchell. "That was a really important thing to the members of the band. Buddy Miles was with the Electric Flag at Monterey and there came a time when I thought, 'Christ, I'd like to hear what Jimi would sound like with him.' So we were playing in San Francisco at one of the Experience gigs and Buddy was there. I said to him, 'Do me a favor, swap seats with me and play.'" With Miles in place, Jimi launched into a loose, extended instrumental reading of "Dear Mr. Fantasy," the title track of Traffic's second album. The Experience, and Hendrix in particular, had befriended the group in London and thoroughly enjoyed their music. Dave Mason, Chris Wood, and Steve Winwood would all later contribute to Jimi's Electric Ladyland. Buddy Miles was based in San Francisco at that time, as the city was home to the Electric Flag. The drummer always relished the opportunity to play with Jimi no matter what the occasion. "My goodness, let me put it this way," explains Miles. "Playing with Jimi Hendrix was probably my greatest musical achievement. I would think to any musician it would be the ultimate compliment, because you know your playing with the world's greatest musician."
"Dear Mr. Fantasy" is presented here in two separate parts. When the recording was originally made, the first side of the tape ended abruptly and came off the spool. The amateur tape operator then hurriedly flipped the reel over, rethreaded the tape and snapped on the record button. The recording resumed, preserving the balance of the jam complete with Jimi's bagpipe like guitar effects near the close. Mitch Mitchell returned to the stage as Miles exhorted the audience to make their approval for the Experience drummer heard. Jimi then apologized for not being able to play longer. He offered "Purple Haze" in grateful recognition to an audience and a city that had so warmly embraced him in the eight months since Monterey. As "Purple Haze" built to its crescendo, the recording that had been documenting the concert came to a sudden close. Perhaps Jimi continued with another number or returned to provide an encore. Unless additional documentation or a second, separate recording should ever surface, we may never know. Until then, listen and enjoy!"
Here is the track listing:
Stone Free
Hey Joe
Fire
Rock Me Baby
Red House
Purple Haze
Wild Thing
Live At The Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA. February 4, 1968 [Second Show]
Killing Floor
Red House
Catfish Blues
Dear Mr. Fantasy (Part 1)
Dear Mr. Fantasy (Part 2)
Purple Haze
One of the biggest problems that most critics had with the previous (Allan Douglas) administration of Jimi's estate was how Jimi's music was being released in a "piecemeal fashion" with little or no regard to context or artistic integrity. Sadly, this release is a reminder of those days. ;-( As an example, the hastily withdrawn 1970 Band of Gypsys' Reprise Records 45 RPM release of "Steppin' Stone" and "Izabella" shows up on a CD for the first time here. It's too bad that there's nothing else on the Studio Disc that's previously unreleased.
Disc Two is a disparate collection of twelve "Live" recordings presented as a kind of concert. Once again, it's a pleasant enough listen, (Hey, it is Jimi! :-) but the performances are from ten different concerts at various times and with all of the different bands throughout Jimi's career. "Wild Thing" from The Experience's first major American performance at the Monterey Pop Festival on June 18, 1967 is presented here (again), and so is "Foxey Lady" from his last (recorded*) American concert performance on Maui, Hawaii July 30, 1970. "Freedom" from the Isle of Wight concert on August 30, 1970 is also here.
The serious Hendrix fan will already have most of these recordings in their collections and the three original releases are still the recommended starting point for those who haven't already been Experienced.....
For the completist, of course, there is that previously unavailable 1970 single though.
*Jimi's last American concert appearance was at the Honolulu International Center in Honolulu, Hi. on August 1. 1970
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