Jimi Hendrix 40 years on.

Tomorrow marks the fortieth anniversary of the tragic death of Jimi Hendrix at the age of only 27. His death was a terrible waste as he was scheduled to work with Gil Evans and even Miles Davis. He declared King Crimson after watching them live ‘’ The best band in the world!’’ and praised the Pink Floyd and according to Keith Emerson was even scheduled  to jam with E.L.P. sometime in late 1970. In an interview a few weeks before his death he had this to say about his new music:

 

‘’We are going to gather everything we’ve learned musically in the last 30 years, and we are going to blend all the ideas that worked into a new form of classical music. I dig Strauss and Wagner and I think that they are going to form the background of my music. It’s going to be a complete form of music and on similar lines to what Pink Floyd are tackling.’’   

 

Edited by Adams Bolero - September 17 2010 at 16:03

I still remember the day.  Very sad one.  I like to think what could have been, but realistically given the lifestyle (which many of us were almost living at the time) I doubt much of it would have come to fruition.  Nonetheless, a great loss, perhaps the greatest loss of the musicians of the era.  I'm listened to 1983...(A Merman I Should Turn To Be) at the moment.  Well it's too bad that our friends can't be with us today...

He plays some really beautiful lead chord work on the version of "Little Wing" off the album Hendrix In the West. Much more jazzy and overall impressive when compared to the version on Axis.

It was a very sad day for the music world, when Hendrix died. But...could he have stayed away from the heavy drugs and could he have stopped signing contracts with everybody with money, maby there could have been some more revolutionary music.

I listened to a live Band of Gypsys concert last night.  Then today I felt the need to finally revisit my Hendrix collection.  I'm multiple Jimi concerts in, it helps that I have nothing to do all day.  I think Jimi was really getting onto something close to the end of his career, his lead work during/after Band of Gypsys reaches me on a more emotional level than even anything he'd done before.  

Obviously in my top 10 favorite artists. The man cast a shadow that reached many genres, including metal, funk, punk, new wave and, of course, progressive.  

BTW, what is the PA opinion of the Gil Evans Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix album?  It's a mixed bag to me....a little too slick, but John Abecrombie tears it up and where else can you hear a tuba solo that really brings the house down?

It's an insult to Hendrix when in the past,...either Alan Douglas or the Hendrix estate have released more and more leftovers of his material. No doubt there has been some very important recordings that we all love....however, Hendrix himself being the perfectionist he was, is turning in his grave! Many years ago, the Isle of Wight concert was released on LP and available only as an import. I found the concert to be disgraceful to his playing and image as an artist. Many walk about today, speaking about the greatness of the Isle Of Wight performance. Trust me on this one.....it is God awful. Out of tune and more than usual, telling the audience he is sorry for that, and playing with zero emotion etc. Probably the worst performance of his life considering he had not slept. People are like........"Well, it's Hendrix and he can do no wrong! It wasn't Hendrix's fault that this crap was released. He would be turning in his grave if he knew. Let's be real.......there was great Hendrix and poor Hendrix and after reading his complaints about Electric Ladyland studios, the shortning of Purple Haze, the disenchantment of his fan's reaction to his new material....etc, I'm sure he would have much worse things to say about material released on him in the past 2 decades than I do.