Jimi

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 29 Nov 2012 6:56 am

Well, we know Miles Davis thought highly of him and was in discussions for them to do an album together before Jimi died. The only thing that surprised Miles was that Jimi couldn't read music.

Miles' whole venture into fusion was inspired by Jimi and was encouraged by the woman in Miles life at the time who was Jimi's former lover.

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 29 Nov 2012 12:16 pm

Howdy my buddy Crowbear,Don't feel sorry for me.Here in the swamp I have so much more pleasant artist to listen to than Jimi such as Joe Fallen,Lynyrd Skynyrd,Balfa Toujours,Tony Joe White,Eddie Lejeune,Cypress Bottom Boys,etc.Those swampers KNOW where it's at.

YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 29 Nov 2012 1:08 pm

We all have our own cultural touch stones.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 29 Nov 2012 1:42 pm

I've read that Jimi stood at the side of the stage to watch Engelbert Humperdinck perform, who was on a package tour with him and others when his career started in GB. He was much more open than some of us incl. me.

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 29 Nov 2012 2:02 pm

On any number of websites you can see some of the folks Jimi played with before striking out on his own and it's pretty impressive - he learned from those people, one example being the great Curtis Mayfield.

You can also see a few interviews where he came off as being pretty humble about his abilities, there's one with Dick Cavett that comes to mind.

Charlie made a list of great players, and one of them was Roy Buchanan whom I had the honor and pleasure to see up close and live three times, and I was a great admirer of Roy.

And Roy Buchanan was a great admirer of Jimi Hendrix.

Dave Harmonson · Post by **Dave Harmonson** » 29 Nov 2012 2:43 pm

and the story told by Gene Parsons when The Byrds were playing at Fillmore in SF. A black man came back stage and saw Clarence White and told him he loved his playing. Clarence said thank you and what is your name? Jimi Hendrix

Robert Shafer · Post by **Robert Shafer** » 29 Nov 2012 4:41 pm

And just to complete the circle of Jimi's influence on the guitar world, kindly take a look at this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvKbbDBe ... re=related

An eminent cover. Thanks Larry.

A lovely tune. Thanks Jimi.

Jerry Jones · Post by **Jerry Jones** » 29 Nov 2012 5:18 pm

Jimi was once asked in an interview "What's it like being the greatest guitarist in the world", and Jimi replied, "I don't know, ask Phil Keaggy".

Will Houston · Post by **Will Houston** » 29 Nov 2012 6:50 pm

Nice find Robert. Reminded me of Steinar Gergertsen sp? He did an album of Hendrix stuff on steel a few years back. Unfortunately Steinar is no longer with us.

Jeff Scott Brown · Post by **Jeff Scott Brown** » 29 Nov 2012 7:27 pm

Bill McCloskey wrote:The only thing that surprised Miles was that Jimi couldn't read music.

It surprises me that Miles would have been surprised by that. There are so many accomplished rock guitarists, and were then, that don't read music that it would be unreasonable to assume anyone in particular did if you didn't know otherwise. I am not saying that Miles should have assumed that Jimi didn't read. I am saying that it is such a mixed bag that there isn't any justification for assuming one way or the other.

JSB

Bill L. Wilson · Post by **Bill L. Wilson** » 29 Nov 2012 10:17 pm

Saw him play at Memorial Auditorium in Dallas, in the 60's. He also played good slide guitar. Makes me think he could've become a good steeler.

Bob Ritter · Post by **Bob Ritter** » 1 Dec 2012 2:21 pm

Well I see everybody make good points about him. Jimi died at 27 years old just think if he had not died and kept on playing and practicing and getting better how good he could have become. I think he would have been awesome . I heard he was sick and tired of being the wild man with a guitar before he died and was ready to move on from that and take his music in a more serious approach.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 1 Dec 2012 5:31 pm

Geez, he wrote the whole book on high stakes rock guitar and stage style, every RnRHoF guitar god worships him, is still the face of psychedelic music, and did it all in 4 years of notoriety and 3 LPs, plus he'll live on longer than anyone but Elvis, how much better does he need to be? Kinda defines awesome to me.
He'd already moved on from the wildman persona a year before he died, yet is still the wildest thing around.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 2 Dec 2012 5:08 am

Interesting to read Dr. John's take on Jimi. I just finished Dr. John's autobiography and he knew Jimi from when he played in Little Richards band. Dr. John's take was that he thought Jimi got too caught up in all the effects but that his biggest problem was the fact he was in a trio and played so loudly. Dr. John said he would have to go half a mile away when Jimi was on stage and the volume STILL hurt his ears. He knew Jimi was coming off stage in major pain each night having to play so loud. And he thought the Trio format was killing him since he had the carry the band alone. He thought he was better when he played with Little Richard and didn't have to carry the whole band on his shoulders each night.

It was an interesting take.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 2 Dec 2012 2:39 pm

Yes, Bill, those are interesting comments. Jimi was indeed hot stuff prior to meeting up with Chas, well known in the black circuit and sought after, but his bandmates/leaders usually found him too different to accept for long. He was always in another world and not very willing to conform, playing loud and distorted or wavering from strict uniform code, or chasing somebody's girlfriend, etc., causing him to lose jobs constantly.
As far as the trio format "killing him", well, Jimi didn't leave room for anybody else when it was his gig, he would go on forever totally lost in his own trip. He often entertained the larger group concept, even futily tried it prior to/at Woodstock, plus he jammed with plenty around him while being gracious with playing space, but I doubt it would have ever really worked out, he was a hog. I preferred him that way.

Brint Hannay · Post by **Brint Hannay** » 2 Dec 2012 3:21 pm

Volume-wise, I was fortunate enough to see him at the Ambassador Theater in Washington, DC in '67--his first gig after being dropped from the Monkees tour (!). He was loud, for sure. I stayed all night and came back for more on following nights (it was a five-night run). But a few weeks later Vanilla Fudge played the same venue and I had to run out of the theater halfway through the first song with my hands over my ears, because the volume on the organ literally HURT!

Back then, the high volume was a new, rebellious, but not very wise, phenomenon. But it ushered in the modern era of live music where every kind of band in every kind of venue has six mikes on the drum kit and all instruments pumped through the PA at punishing volume, even in a club that holds 100 people. The Experience's volume was such that Mitch Mitchell's drums, un-miked, in a cavernous theater space, could still be heard just fine.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 2 Dec 2012 5:20 pm

Here is the exact quote. By the way, his autobiography is a great read.

" Later, after Jimi'd become a star, we did gigs with him at rock festivals, and his music would hurt my ears, he'd play so loud. I didn't pay a lot of attention to his stuff, especially all the experimentation he was doing with the wah-wah pedals and other gizmos. I thought he was a killer guitar player, but I wished he wouldn't have played so f'ing loud.
I knew the loudness, as well as other things going on, must have f'd with him in some kind of way. He'd come off this set in pain, his ears ringing, his head hurting. I'm sure all that s**t took a toll on him. You just can't stand right in front of that kind of volume and not expect to get away without some damage. When he was playing, I'd make sure I was inside a dressing room or a trailer, which was usually way behind the stage - sometimes as far as a half mile - and still it hurt my ears. That wasn't my style. I liked to savor the music while I was playing or listening.
I used to feel sorry for Jimi, especially the way he handicapped himself by working with just a trio. I don't want to knock the cats, but in the other circumstances I'd seen him - say, with Little Richard's band- he was single, free, and easy, and didn't have to hold up a show himself. "

By the way, for those that didn't know, Dr. John was an excellent guitar player as well as a piano player. His ring finger was shot off ( and reattached) but it put the damper on his career as a guitarist and he moved over to keyboards.

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 2 Dec 2012 6:47 pm

Hendrix unfortunately* died very shortly before the industry took a turn in favor of the artists. It's hard to look back, see the performances and read about the wild times, and realize that it was entirely possible to have a big hit album, the adoration of fans - and not have two nickles to rub together. These guys had no inkling that they were building a legend, they just discovered that they had to do 250 shows a year to eat. Mick Jagger the economics student figured out the part about beating England's 89% tax rate, but if there was any one man to "credit", it would be Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant. He was simply larger, louder, and more violent than any of the industry grifters could imagine, and he changed the band/hall payout split from 10/90 to 90/10 just by carrying a gun and throwing people in dumpsters. There are still "industry insiders" who thinks it's ridiculous that any musician just naturally deserves the "rights" to their own songs. So they started Spotify....

*(and mindblowingly stupidly, as did Duane Allman)

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 2 Dec 2012 8:43 pm

Dr. John's stories about getting ripped off for years is a very cautionary tale.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 3 Dec 2012 3:29 pm

David Mason wrote:*(and mindblowingly stupidly, as did Duane Allman)

About to finish Gregg Allman's autibio where he states no real $$$ rolled in til the live LP, which came out too late for Duane to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Even then the execs they signed with made out like bandits, just like in Jimi's case, they were green and allowed others to ream them.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 6 Dec 2012 9:41 am

From a Randy Newman interview in Uncut 2003,

I wrote "Suzanne" with Hendrix in mind, and I talked to him on the phone about it. He said, "You're a Sagittarius too, huh?" He was so lacking in confidence. So many people that are really good don't have a hell of a lot of confidence. It's unbelievable.

Clarence White on guitar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2vrNRwaSD0

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 6 Dec 2012 1:20 pm

So many people that are really good don't have a hell of a lot of confidence. It's unbelievable.

How times have changed - so many people nowadays have a tremendous amount of confidence, for no discernible reason.