November 22 2008
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Experience Hendrix... (On Tour) Print E-mail

by Mike Canavan

Buddy Guy
Buddy Guy (photo Credits: Steven C. Pesant / © Authentic Hendrix, LLC)
There are many, many imitators, but only one original. That well-worn phrase is true of all innovators, and most Jimi Hendrix fans would quickly voice those sentiments in regard to the late guitar hero. Janie Hendrix apparently agrees. It is her job, and that of the family-run company she heads, Experience Hendrix, to promote and preserve the legacy of the stepbrother she barely knew; and it’s a job she doesn’t take lightly.

Experience Hendrix won’t lend its name to just any Hendrix tribute. For them to get behind a show it has to be a cut above and have something special to offer. It is great news then, that for the first time since 2004; a tour with their backing (the aptly named Experience Hendrix Tour) is preparing to take to the stage. The tour will kick off in Washington, DC on October 16, pass through New York, New Hampshire, and New Jersey, and arrive at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, Connecticut on October 20. In some ways, the tour is as much a history lesson as it is a musical event, with participants ranging from those who learned their craft alongside Hendrix, to those who learned it from him. And what they have lined up is unbelievable.

To begin with, the past is brought to life by the presence of his two legendary Woodstock festival sidemen: drummer Mitch Mitchell who made up one third of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and bassist Billy Cox, Hendrix’s old friend and army buddy. Of course, the lineup of any Hendrix tribute would have to include a who’s who of first-rate guitarists, and the show’s organizers have done their homework here. Appearing on the stage are guitar greats Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, as well as pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph. The show also boasts a number of special guests, including Robby Krieger of the Doors, Mick Taylor of the Rolling Stones and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, and Hubert Sumlin, who played with both Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters.

Jonny Lang
Jonny Lang
Also on hand will be Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon, also known as Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Double Trouble, Native American band Indigenous, Memphis guitarist Eric Gales, Kenny Olson of Kid Rock’s band, and Guitar World’s music transcriber and Hendrix guitar instructor Andy Aledort.

Those involved with organizing or performing in the show are confident not just of the success of the tour, but of its importance and relevance, even now, in the year that Hendrix would be turning 65 years young. Billy Cox said, “It’s a thrill for me to play Jimi’s music for audiences now as it was in the early 1960s. The Experience Hendrix tour just shows you how timeless this music really is.” Janie Hendrix added, “Everyday, we see how Jimi’s musical legacy continues to transcend generational and cultural boundaries. This tour is our way to give live audiences a concert experience that reflects the genius of his unifying spirit.” Hendrix himself clearly thought there was more to the music he was making than just sound. “Music doesn’t lie,” he said. “If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music.” Of course, he lived and worked in a time when a great deal of social change was brought about, or at least instigated by popular music. This lesson was not lost even after all these years on everyone from politicians choosing popular songs as campaign theme music, to organizers of globe-spanning benefit concerts as recent as Live 8.

Robert Randolph
Robert Randolph
As with the shows played in February of 2004, the audience is expected to be comprised of a thorough mix of young and old. Not surprising. While other performers from the 60’s and 70’s might still be beloved, they remain distant, unmovable fixtures, part of their time. But each successive generation has found a reason to claim Hendrix as its own, and budding young guitarists who inevitably attempt to learn the riff from Smoke On The Water first, will often try to make the opening bars of Purple Haze their second triumph. The innovation and boldness in his music is not only still relevant, it is still contemporary.

For a show with as much historical importance as this, Waterbury’s Palace Theater is certainly an apt venue. Nearly a hundred years old, the hall has hosted concerts by everyone from The Tommy Dorsey Band to Bruce Springsteen. Closed since 1987, the doors have re-opened with an eclectic mix of shows including Merle Haggard, A Christmas Carol, the opera Tosca, and Riverdance. The Experience Hendrix Tour will find a good home there. The show promises to be lively, interesting, and something well beyond expectation. Much like a young man called James Marshall Hendrix.



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