Bold as Love: Local musicians reflect on, cover Hendrix
Write a letter to the editorSeveral of Charlottesville’s finest guitarists will band together to pay their respects to the original gypsy alien troubadour at Bold as Love, a Jimi Hendrix tribute concert at the Jefferson Theater. The sound of these guys channeling Jimi on one cover song after another should be something to behold, but we rounded them up and found that their personal reflections were just as interesting.
Eli Cook: Before I started even playing guitar, his music moved me in a way that no one else’s had before. Not only was he a ground breaking guitarist, but an amazing lyricist and arranger as well — that gets overlooked quite often. The only monster in the set is “Machine Gun.” The idea of trying to cover it is a little audacious, as the only version most people are familliar with is a very long masterpiece of live improvisation that displays more aggression, angst, and depth of feeling than pretty much any electric guitar piece since. But a challenge is always good, and something that Jimi would never have backed down from.
Performing: Machine Gun, Voodoo Chile
Ian Gilliam: Jimi was the first mainstream rock guitar player to combine his influences into a unique sound that almost made it hard to tell where it all came from. If you listen to Jimi with an ear pointed toward blues, you can hear phrases straight from Freddie King, Buddy Guy, and Guitar Slim, but the way Jimi brought those influences together to create a sound that was all his own was pioneering.
Performing: Remember, Nine To The Universe
Jay Pun: Hendrix has been a huge influence on my guitar playing since I first started. Even if you can’t actually hear Hendrix riffs in my guitar style, he definitely shaped me into who I am today. I can remember learning the strum pattern to “Purple Haze” and now I even teach it to my students. I have a poster of the Jimi Hendrix Experience that’s up in our music studio now. It’s amazing to have my students look at that and say they want to be Jimi.
Performing: 1983, Drifting
Andy Waldeck of XPS: I remember when I first heard Jimi at prep school in Connecticut. I was mesmerized. I sat and listened to the entire album, missing my classes, and stopping only to flip over the record. From that day on, my musical vocabulary has been tinged with Hendrix. He was, and still is, the ultimate guitar innovator. The sounds he was producing are amazing even by today’s standards, and his ability to weave magical little parts into others is incredible. There simply is guitar playing before Jimi, and guitar playing after Jimi, and that is the rule.
Performing: Fire, Waterfall
Aric Van Brocklin of the Chickenhead Blues Band: Guitar players in bands performing during the 1960s and 1970s who were expected to cover tunes by the Jimi Hendrix Experience either accepted the challenge and did the best they could or accepted their limitations and covered another artist, instead. But in either case there was respect; respect for an exceptionally creative artist who defined innovation and changed the way that the guitar was played. Here we are forty years after his death celebrating his talents and creativity. What if he were still alive today? Who knows, but his musical ideas remain alive for those of us who dare to work with them. Thanks, Jimi! God rest your soul.
Performing: Little Wing, The Wind Cries Mary
The Bold as Love Jimi Hendrix tribute show happens Saturday, January 15 at the Jefferson Theater. $10-$12, 8pm.
Where’s Jamal Millner?!?
Jamal would’ve loved to have been there, but alas he has another gig. Jamal taught me everything and hopefully this will be an ongoing thing with a whole new line up next time, where he along with others will be on the next show. This should be a really exciting show, regardless!
I want to come and play Manic dpression, and Dolly Dagger, I have something to prove in this area. I didnt even know about this show. We will put on our own Jimi Hendrix Tribute show this summer.
I was really hoping Jamal was going to be part of this as well. He’s a monster player. I can’t wait to hear everyone!
I’d also like to point out that like Eli said, Jimi was an amazing musician, not just a guitarist but a great songwriter and lyricist. This show is not only about “guitarists covering or channeling” hendrix’s music, but about musicians plating Hendrix tunes that influenced us. For our set, my interpretation of how Jimi influenced my style will definitely be shown, but of course Morwenna Lasko and her violin will indeed be shinning as some have even called her “The Jimi Hendrix of Violin.” She is proud to be the only female on this bill and we are really excited about our set as we also have some very special surprises. We also can’t wait to hear all the other amazing renditions of Jimi’s timeless music!
What about Bennie Dodd?
Jerry Goodman is a lot closer to being “The Jimi Hendrix of Violin” than anyone in this town is. Good to see there is room for a chick in the line-up anyway.
cookieJar, Jerry Goodman is one of the original Rock Violinists of course, but back in the 70’s. He hasn’t done much since Mahavishnu, some small projects, but nothing notable. He wasn’t Jean Luc Ponty (who really made the sound of that band in its height). Neither are living here and there are very few violinists that could play Hendrix or be as inventive as he in this town. I saw that girl Morwena play with Corey Harris once and she’s the bomb. She was trading rhythms with the late drummer Johnnie Gilmour at Fridays After 5 some years ago. I hope she shreds against some of those guitarists, that’d be killer!
Looking forward to see what XPS plays too, I saw Joe Lawlor play with Dave Matthews here in Charlottesville and THAT guy is AMAZING! I heard he was in a band called “Egypt” where they played original rock in the 90’s. I’m hoping one of the acts that night will play some of Hendrix’s blues stuff too! I bet Eli or the Chickenheads will do some of that.