Jimi Hendrix (1942 - 1970)
Related: American music - guitar - rock music
Are You Experienced (1967) - Jimi Hendrix [Amazon.com] [FR] [DE] [UK]
As emblematic of its time as of its sorcerer-like creator, 1967's Are You Experienced unleashed Jimi Hendrix onto a world in the midst of such cultural and musical shakeups that it really didn't seem as "far out" as it actually was. It wasn't just Hendrix's virtuosic skill as a pure player that was so impressive; it was, even more, the range and scope of sheer sound that he coaxed, cajoled, and ripped out of his instrument. "Purple Haze," "Manic Depression," and "I Don't Live Today" filled ears with indelible sonic images, and songs like "Foxey Lady" and "Fire" pointed the way toward a new brand of rock-charged soul music. And how about a hand for drummer Mitch Mitchell? --Billy Altman, Amazon.com
Biography
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer who is widely considered to be the most important electric guitarist in the history of popular music. Jimi Hendrix played the guitar left-handed. As a guitarist, he built upon the innovations of blues stylists such as B. B. King, Albert King, T-Bone Walker, and Muddy Waters, as well as those of R&B guitarists like Curtis Mayfield. In addition, he extended the tradition of rock guitar: although previous guitarists, such as The Kinks' Dave Davies, and The Who's Pete Townshend, had employed feedback, distortion and other special effects as sonic tools, Hendrix, due to his grounding in blues, soul music and R&B, was able to use these devices in a way that transcended their sources. He was also an accomplished songwriter whose compositions have been covered by countless artists. As a record producer and musical architect, he was one of the first to use the recording studio as an extension of his musical ideas. Finally, his image as a rock star places him in the lineage of Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, and The Beatles.
The controversial nature of Hendrix's style is epitomized in the sentiments expressed about his renditions of the Star Spangled Banner, a tune he played loudly and sharply accompanied by simulated sounds of war (machine guns, bombs and screams) produced by Hendrix on guitar. The unforgettable renditions have been described by some people as a generation's statement on the unrest in U.S. society, and by others as an anti-American mockery; oddly symbolic of the beauty, spontaneity, and tragedy that was endemic to Hendrix's life. When asked on the Dick Cavett Show if he was aware of the outrage generated with the performance, Hendrix replied, "I thought it was beautiful." --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimi_Hendrix [Apr 2005]
Vomit
Hendrix remained in England, and on September 18th, he died in bed of suffocation (vomit inhalation) after taking too many of an unfamiliar German sleeping pill. --wikipedia.org, Jan 2004
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