Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Experience Hendrix




I am once again at home. It is the day after the night before. Last night was another great musical experience. A tribute concert called "Experience Hendrix" played at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. Some of today's finest guitar players, along with Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell, played a wide selection of Jimi Hendrix's musical legacy. Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell played bass and drums with Jimi Hendrix at such famous events as the original Woodstock and the Isle of Wight Festival. After the show I met Billy Cox and told him that I had seen him play with Jimi Hendrix in 1970 at the Atlanta Pop Festival. I also remembered last night that my friend Tom and I saw the original Jimi Hendrix Experience almost 40 years ago on November 15th, 1968 at the Cincinnati Gardens. We were 17 years old at the time. I still have the ticket stub showing the $5.00 price tag. The ticket for last night's "experience" cost $65.00! Still, it was worth every penny! I got to see Eric Gales, Eric Johnson, Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Sheperd, Brad Whitford of Aerosmith, Chris Layton, who played drums for Stevie Ray Vaughn, Cesar Rojas and David Hidalgo of Los Lobos, Hubert Sumlin, who played lead guitar for Howlin Wolf, and the always incredible Buddy Guy. Let me tell you, folks, there was some incredible guitar playing going on last night. The combination of musical virtuosity and all the memories generated by the great songs that have been part of my life made for a most enjoyable evening. The picture of the musician's tour bus was taken by my friend Bridget.

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