Happy 2010 Video Birthday to Jimi Hendrix, Musical Genius and Guitar Virtuoso

by Robert Wilkinson

There's really nothing I could say to add to the legend that is Jimi Hendrix. Today the Sagittarius Fire Guitar Master would have been 68, as impossible as that seems. He left us a magnificent musical legacy, both in terms of performances, guitar technique, and production innovations that have changed the way music is done forever. Today we have videos.

A superstar flaming nova for only 4 years, he changed the face of music forever, not just in terms of guitar sonics, but also through his pioneering use of the studio. His innovative techniques created effects that have been studied in countless advanced music engineering and production courses in colleges around the world over the decades since the debut of "Electric Ladyland." Today we remember this extraordinary Sagittarian Fire god and musical genius.

From All Music Guide, a fitting intro in case you have lived in another Solar system these past 45 years:

In his brief four-year reign as a superstar, Jimi Hendrix expanded the vocabulary of the electric rock guitar more than anyone before or since. Hendrix was a master at coaxing all manner of unforeseen sonics from his instrument, often with innovative amplification experiments that produced astral-quality feedback and roaring distortion. His frequent hurricane blasts of noise and dazzling showmanship -- he could and would play behind his back and with his teeth and set his guitar on fire -- has sometimes obscured his considerable gifts as a songwriter, singer, and master of a gamut of blues, R&B, and rock styles.

I once read of a meeting between Jimi and the legendary Son House, one of the three "Fathers of the Blues." It is said that upon hearing Jimi, Son House proclaimed him "the One." In case you don't know who Son House was, he was the source and inspiration for Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters. As an aside, it is generally accepted that W.C. Handy is THE "Father of the Blues," with Jelly Roll Morton the third though Blind Lemon Jefferson, Charley Patton, and Blind Willie Johnson also are in contention for the third spot. In the interest of equal time, the "Mothers of the Blues" were Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and Ida Cox., with Mamie Smith and Alberta Hunter also in contention.

Anyway, enough blues history. Jimi was the consummate performer, fusing blues, jazz, and rock in a unique blend that no one before or since has ever done. In these videos you will see things done with a guitar never done before in history. On a final historical note, for those into supernatural trivia, there are also some very interesting timing connections between Jimi's life, Robert Johnson's life, and the jukejoint he was killed in involving whirlwinds and tornadoes for those who want to check them out. Voodoo Chile indeed!

On with the show! For your enjoyment, here are 57 minutes of Jimi at his best! Check out

Jimi Henrix- Live at Woodstock '69 His performance of "Red House" is awesome, along with almost everything else he did. Be sure to watch enough of the set to get to the most incredible version of "The Star Spangled Banner" ever done! I was in college at the time it hit the airwaves, and it sure flipped out warmongers and hypocritical "patriots" everywhere. Jimi (who once served with the 101st Airborne, the "Screaming Eagles") wanted to replicate the sounds of war, bombs, and planes, and succeeded in high style. Stick around for "Purple Haze" if you want to see some unbelievable guitar mastery.

I don't quite know how to follow the previous video, since it's a full set of the Master at his finest. Still, if you want more, here's two gems:

From the historic May 1970 Berkeley concert, here's Jimi doing "Voodoo Child." From the same concert, Jimi Plays the Star Spangled Banner at Berkeley. After Woodstock and before his untimely death that Summer at age 27, you can see an on-going transformation in just a few months. As a bonus, check out the home movie footage of a very young Jimi with a sax in his hands, courtesy of Al, his musician father. You'll have to endure an obnoxious ad up front, but the performance is worth it.

Here's an early Hendrix classic in black and white! Purple Haze performed by the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1967. Obviously a Warner Bros. promo clip, it shows him just after he exploded onto the scene. When I first heard "Purple Haze" I knew the world had been changed in a big way.

Here's Jimi Hendrix and the Experience playing "Purple Haze" on German tv in 1967.

To get a sense of his evolution as a performer these years, please check out the movie "Monterrey Pop," the D.A. Pennebaker classic film of the world's first Rock Festival where Jimi was introduced to America "up close and personal" when he burned his guitar on stage to finish his set. Talk about different - "Thank you very much for Bob Dylan's grandmother... I don't think I'm losing my mind....We're going to do the English and American combined anthem together... Wild Thing!"

If you don't want to buy or rent a copy, this year I found Jimi's entire performance (except for "Can You See Me") on you tube! The songs are in the order he played them.

Jimi Hendrix at the 1967 Summer of Love Monterrey Pop Festival "Killing Floor" and "Foxy Lady."

Jimi Hendrix at the 1967 Summer of Love Monterrey Pop Festival "Like A Rolling Stone."

Jimi Hendrix at the 1967 Summer of Love Monterrey Pop Festival "Rock Me Baby

Jimi Hendrix at the 1967 Summer of Love Monterrey Pop Festival "Hey Joe.

Jimi Hendrix at the 1967 Summer of Love Monterrey Pop Festival "The Wind Cries Mary."

Jimi Hendrix at the 1967 Summer of Love Monterrey Pop Festival "Purple Haze"

Jimi Hendrix at the 1967 Summer of Love Monterrey Pop Festival "Wild Thing."

Jimi at the Isle of Wight 1970 doing my personal favorite, "All Along the Watchtower." Bob Dylan, who wrote it, changed the way he did this in concert to this arrangement. I wish I had seen his face the first time he heard this version! Here's another version live in Atlanta from 1970 of "All Along the Watchtower."

From his first album, a live performance on Maui of the archetypally psychedelic "Foxey Lady." Yes, both spellings are accurate. "Comin' to getcha....." From the same show, two more songs from the "Are You Experienced" album, "Purple Haze" and "Fire," followed by the awesome "Voodoo Child" from "Electric Ladyland.

Here's Jimi doing a live performance in 1967 in France of the first song he wrote, the incredible "Stone Free." From the same show, another of his earliest hits, "Wild Thing. Wow!

Here's another amazing performance from 1 April 1967 in England of "Wild Thing, and from 1968, yet another great performance of "Wild Thing."

Here's Jimi doing one of his all time signature tunes in 1969 live on the "Happening for Lulu" show. Enjoy a magnificent performance of the legendary "Voodoo Child"

Here's a classic Jimi Jimi Hendrix interview with Dick Cavett. Lots of laughs and an explanation of Jimi's "Electric Church." From one of his two appearances on the show, here's Jimi performing ""Hear My Train A Comin" (courtesy of "Dave's world of fun stuff").

From his appearance on Dick Cavett in 1969, "Machine Gun." From the same show, even more great Jimi Hendrix guitar wizardry!

From a live performance in Stockholm in 1969, a great version of the Cream monster hit "Sunshine of Your Love." From the same show, "Hey Joe" and Jimi doing "Red House." From the Isle of Wight Festival in August 1970, another version of Jimi doing "Red House" just before his death.

Here's an instrumental studio version of the awesome "Axis - Bold As Love" done by the Experience, who it is said were hired by Chas Chandler because he needed a rhythm section that could keep up with Jimi's guitar pyrotechnics. An equally rare live instrumental version of "Axis - Bold As Love" here.

Here's an interesting performance of Experience bassist Noel Redding in 1990 doing "Little Miss Strange," one of the only songs on a Hendrix album written by Noel Redding or Mitch Mitchell. Also from 1990, here's the Rolling Stone interview with Noel Redding.

And of course, you can always go to Jimi Hendrix.com to get all the history, products, and commercialization of Jimi anyone could want. I suppose his dad managing Jimi's legacy was better than total strangers making money off a dead icon. Here's another "official" Jimi Hendrix website, Jimi Hendrix Foundation.

RIP Jimi, and a Happy 68th in Rock and Roll Heaven. In a few short years you blazed a fiery path across space and time.

ps. Thanks to Guitar Shorty for marrying Jimi's step-sister and teaching Jimi so many great licks, as well as major stage showmanship! I had the rare privilege of meeting Shorty a while ago when I was doing camera work at Kulaks Woodshed in LA for their live webcasts, and got to hang with this classy, elegant blues Master off and on for an entire evening.

Though relatively unknown, he is a true blues Master. For those who need official cred, he won the W.C. Handy award, tops for the blues. His flashy stage show predates Jimi's and involves things like playing guitar behind his back and other showboat techniques used by Hendrix and many other blues cats over the years. Thanks for everything, Shorty. I hope we meet again.

© Copyright 2010 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Charles]

Oh Robert, I don't see how an astrologer could do a tribute to Hendrix without linking to "The Stars That Play With Laughing Sam's Dice."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1om9cJTFBlQ

Alas, the only extant recording isn't so good, and was produced posthumously from unfinished master tapes. But this is one of Hendrix's legendary songs.

[Charles]

Oops, let me cite a better link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm_JxD5ACW4

That previous link to "STP With LSD" is cut off right before the good part.

[Robert]

Hi Charles - Thanks for the tip. I went to the link and found another that runs a lot longer. For those who want to check it out, here's the psychedelic masterpiece, "Jimi Hendrix - The Stars That Play with Laughing Sam's Dice" I would have included about 30 or 40 other numbers, but ran out of time and space for this year's tribute.

[EVAN]

Here is an AMAZING example of Jimi's inspiration at work in the minds and hearts of others!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5a073AookA

ENJOY :)

EVAN

[Kathryn Davison]

Be still my heart! Jimi singlehandedly woke me up from the drab suburban world of my youth and plunged me sonically into a landscape that made it worthwhile to get up in the morning.

By coincidence, i have travelled to, or lived in, nearly every town that he did, only to discover that it was another of his haunts. Jimi, if you're listening, please whisper in my ear so i can write a tune that will fire up the world like you did. thanks, Bro.