Jimi Hendrix

[nyc chaz]

I heard early Django stuff back in the 70's and found it to be too old fashioned for my taste. I saw Bireli channel a later Django sound about 22 years ago and it drew me in. Having listened to Django's post war stuff, I now am a huge fan of Django.

And Les Pauls and Strats are still guitars that float my boat. Furthermore, you are spot on about the compositions of Jimi Hendrix. He was truly one of the greats.

I get what you are saying about it sounding old fashioned which turned off a lot of my friends to him.I grew up with an uncle who had a huge 78's jazz record collection and from early on he would play them for me so that sound was never a turn off for me as i grew up with it.

[AdroitMage]

One thing Jimi had in common with jazz players is that he improvised when playing his songs live. He didn't play the rhythm guitar nor his solos 'exactly' the way they were on the recordings. He was nice and free with it and improvised somewhat like a jazz player. His music wasn't jazz so he didn't improvise as much as a jazz musician would, but the improv element is in there.

He did so much with just a Strat, a cranked Super lead, a wah, a fuzz face, and univibe its truly amazing. Then there's the Octavia on Purple Haze and here and there on other songs.

I think he would have explored some jazzier stuff eventually, but he just wasn't there yet.

He got so much out of so few effects. I would love to hear what he would be doing today with all the amazing effects we have today, both digital and analog. Can you imagine? Most of the pedal effects we all take for granted didn't even come about until about the mid 70s. Hendrix would be like a kid in a candy store with all the amazing tools we have available today and I'm sure the music he would be making with them would be mind blowing it would be so good.

[supersoul]

Hendrix was a great guitar player, but that's only a part of whom he was. To me it's his songs and lyrics that really live on, as well as his aura.
My favorite album is Axis: Bold As Love; it's all great tunes. The solo in Little Wing cuts off early. It could have been a long jam but he wanted the focus to be on the song itself; the melody, the chords, the lyrics.
Those "albums" that came out after his death are so tantilizing. Rainbow Bridge and Crash Landing are both full of great tunes. I think he was going into a new period after Electric Ladyland and Band of Gypsies, where he stretched out a lot, and it's a damn shame he died before he could finish it.
He loved Dylan. Hendrix's lyrics are just as good if not better than Dylan's. He did All Along the Watchtower better than Dylan.

[supersoul]

Not true, saw him when I was in high school at Winterland, in San Francisco (concert poster below) and he was supersonic - in his second set anyway, his first set kind of sucked, guess the inebriants had worn off or not kicked in yet, not sure which. He played a fiery version of Red House.

Mick, I'm jealous you got to see Hendrix.
Another friend of mine saw the Doors twice. The first time was great, the second time Jim was drunk off his ass and the show sucked.
That's how it goes when bands are taking risks; it can either fly or crash.

[Mick-7]

I think he would have explored some jazzier stuff eventually, but he just wasn't there yet.

Miles Davis really dug Jimi and word is they talked about recording an album together right before Jimi overdosed on a girlfriend's sleeping pills - such a senseless way to go.