James Marshall Hendrix (born: 11-27-1942) was a black man who became a rock and roll hero, a flashy super-star who seemed to be the essence of the spaced-out, druggy sixities, Hendrix was, in reality, quiet, withdrawn, and somewhat inarticulate, except when he had a guitar in his hands.
I have studied Jimi’s music style, guitar playing technique(s), and his career since 1968 following the first LP release, “Are You Experienced” (8/26/1967).
Through his music, he has showed me how guitar would be played in the new future by creating a whole new palette of musical styles and directions. For me, he was an important link in the chain of guitar playing development which included Django Reinhardt, Charlie Christian, and Wes Montgomery. Jimi was part of a lineage of American music genius-innovators like Armstrong, Ellington, Parker, Miles, Trane: black men in America. Yes, America where weird cultural events are combined to produce the world’s music, only here could the blues have been made, and only America could produce Jimi Hendrix.
While there are many songs of Jimi Hendrix that are my favorite, I find the following to be a particular classic. Besides being one of Jimi’s best lyrics, “Little Wing” (Axis: Bold as Love – 2/10/1968) stands out as one of his most beautiful musical efforts as well. I am in awe of the song’s wonderful chord structure and specifically the way melody wraps around, and around, again and again begging to be heard just one more time.
In this arrangement, I asked the band to reduce the tempo to stretch the melody until it almost cry’s out, “Take Me, I’m yours.” (It’s alright, she says it’s all right, take anything you want from me, anything.)
“Fly on, Little Wing”
This recording was made in a garage, filled with old, “Big Iron” tube equipment from the 50’s and 60’s, as a demo for the Southern California Antique Radio Society of what this technology sounds like. Today’s digital recording equipment and the old “Big Iron” of ages past have high contrast differences. I best understand it in terms of Kodak color 35mm film: do I want the Kodachrome, or do I want the Ecktachrome film. Both films record an image very clearly, but Ectachrome produces stark cold reds and blue colors, while the Kodachrome gives all the warm variations among the colors. I prefer the Kodachrome!
Notice the sound of the “surf style” fender guitar in one speaker against the saxophone in the other. Absolute beauty to hear the crystal clear ring of wire strings against the blue, snarl of the reedy sax.
This song was worked out in two (2) hours with artists I was not familiar with before this project. This was a squeeze effort, with only three sessions at two hours each to provide the recording engineer with four songs for his demonstration to the Antique Radio Society. The drummer was not added to the sound mix until the very last session, the last day to record, and he played wonderfully. Listen to those drum rolls.. Wow!
This is a totally, impromptu LIVE recording with even the background chatter at its end. Soak in the sound and enjoy!
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