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Experience Hendrix | 03.04 | Santa Barbara

March 12th, 2010 | No Comments

Words & Images by: L Paul Mann

Experience Hendrix :: 03.04.10 :: Arlington Theatre :: Santa Barbara, CA

Billy Cox – Experience Hendrix :: 03.04

A sold out crowd packed the elegant Arlington Theatre for the opening salvo in a guitar heavy super tour of legendary American axe-men. The Experience Hendrix Tour was born out of the first Jimi Hendrix Electric Guitar Festival in 1995. This first tribute concert was the headline act at Seattle’s (Hendrix’s hometown) annual Bumbershoot Arts and Music Festival. That show spawned more than a decade of similar tributes, culminating in what is now the second year of a nationwide tour.

The testosterone-laced atmosphere was evident not only in the all-male musical lineup onstage but also in the lobby, where the usual long line to the girl’s restroom was replaced by one to the men’s room. The mostly male baby boomer crowd had come to see generations of guitar wizards perform some of Hendrix’s most beloved songs. Along with the ten guitar gods, a rotating stage of supporting musicians, including Double Trouble drummer Chris Layton and Hendrix’s only surviving compatriot, bassist Billy Cox, brought the music to life in evolutionary ways.

The undisputed king of the electric guitar produced a treasure chest of music in four short years. His first album, 1967′s seminal Are You Experienced?, introduced the world to his distorted, blues inspired, psychedelic guitar playing. His revolutionary sound and style continue to influence almost every guitarist alive today. On his second album, 1967′s Axis: Bold As Love, Hendrix mostly turned down the distortion to reveal more inventive guitar playing and songwriting. His final album with The Jimi Hendrix Experience, 1968′s double-album Electric Ladyland, pushed electric guitar to the outer limits of sound.

After The Jimi Hendrix Experience broke up, Hendrix joined up with bassist
Billy Cox, with whom he had played in the army in the early 1960s. Cox was on board for Hendrix’s legendary Woodstock performance and the stellar live Band of Gypsys, the last album that Hendrix officially authorized before his untimely death in 1970. Cox is the last surviving member of Hendrix’s core band and provided pivotal bass for many of the songs at this concert, which reverently paid tribute to Hendrix.

Several generations of the nation’s best electric guitar masters took the music in a multitude of directions. The first part of the show covered much Hendrix-inspired territory, including a smoking opening set with Cox and Chris Layton joined on guitar by Ernie Isley from The Isley Brothers, who employed Hendrix as a touring guitarist before he made it big. Isley told a story about being an 11-year-old boy when Hendrix came to live at his house for two years.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd :: 03.04

Living Colour brought a whole new generational take on the music with a less bluesy, more modern, heavy metal style. Doyle Bramhall II brought the pace down with his trademark acoustic and pedal steel guitar picking, before launching into a few more electric numbers with Los Lobos‘ David Hidalgo.

Eric Johnson‘s set included an awesome version of “Are You Experienced?” that nicely simulated the backwards guitar effects from Hendrix’s studio version. Next up was a high-energy set by Jonny Lang joined by Aerosmith‘s Brad Whitford, which began with a heated version of “Fire,” followed by a soulful take on “The Wind Cries Mary,” and ending with “Spanish Castle Magic” with extended guitar soloing.

Then came Kenny Wayne Shepherd, who displayed the best Hendrix-like guitar jams of the evening. Joined by singer Noah Hunt (Kenny Wayne Shepard Band), Shepherd ripped through “I Don’t Live Today” and “Come On (Let The Good Times Roll)” before the masterful slow blues of “Voodoo Chile,” which morphed into the concert highlight jam of “Voodoo Child (Slight Return).” Shepherd seemed to channel Hendrix at this point, including playing guitar behind his head a la Hendrix himself.

In the next set, David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas from Los Lobos played tastefully, including a nice take on the beautiful “Little Wing,” but they had the unenviable task of following Shepherd, who had whetted the audience’s appetite for guitar heroics. One very awesome historic moment occurred during their set when they were joined by 78-year-old Howlin’ Wolf guitarist Hubert Sumlin, who offered up “Killing Floor,” a song that Hendrix memorably covered at the Monterey Pop Festival.

This was followed by the pairing of Living Colour and Joe Satriani for a set that included “Third Stone From the Sun,” “Foxy Lady” and “All Along the Watchtower.” All featured impressive shredding by Satriani, in his progressive, electronic style, that may have been the direction Hendrix himself was heading just before his untimely death.

The show ended nearly four hours after it began with Hendrix’s first single “Hey Joe,” a jam session involving Hidalgo, Rosas, Whitford, Satriani and Billy Cox.

The new Experience Hendrix tour coincides with the release of Valleys of Neptune, a collection of previously unreleased Jimi Hendrix music (JamBase review).

Continue reading for more pics…

Ernie Isley – Experience Hendrix Tour

Ernie Isley – Experience Hendrix Tour

Eric Johnson – Experience Hendrix Tour

David Hidalgo – Experience Hendrix Tour

Doyle Bramhall II – Experience Hendrix Tour

Jonny Lang – Experience Hendrix Tour

Jonny Lang – Experience Hendrix Tour

Jonny Lang & Brad Whitford – Experience Hendrix Tour

Brad Whitford – Experience Hendrix Tour

Vernon Reid – Experience Hendrix Tour

Living Colour – Experience Hendrix Tour

Vernon Reid & Joe Satriani – Experience Hendrix Tour

Joe Satriani with Living Colour- Experience Hendrix Tour

Joe Satriani – Experience Hendrix Tour

Cesar Rosas – Experience Hendrix Tour

Hubert Sumlin – Experience Hendrix Tour

Kenny Wayne Shepherd – Experience Hendrix Tour

Experience Hendrix Tour

Experience Hendrix Tour Dates :: Experience Hendrix Tour News :: Experience Hendrix Concert Reviews

JamBase | Electric Ladyland
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Jazz Fest: 2010 Lineup/Dates

December 15th, 2009 | No Comments

PEARL JAM, MMJ, CROWES, WSP, ARETHA AND MORE!

Jazz Fest ’09 by Adam McCullough

The usual dizzying assortment of musical talent will descend on New Orleans for the 41st New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The first weekend takes place April 23-25, 2010, and the second week is April 29-May 2, 2010. The lineups thus far are clustered below.

APRIL 23 – 25 (1st WEEKEND)

Lionel Richie, Allman Brothers Band, My Morning Jacket, Anita Baker, Dr. John, Darius Rucker, The Black Crowes, Steel Pulse, Jonny Lang, Band of Horses, The Levon Helm Band, Drake, Keely Smith, Baaba Maal, George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic, Imagination Movers, Ledisi, King Sunny Ade & His African Beats, Better Than Ezra, Blind Boys of Alabama, Elvin Bishop, funky Meters, Sax for Stax featuring Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum, and Jeff Lorber, Marcia Ball, Shawn Colvin, Pastor Smokie Norful, Terence Blanchard, Cowboy Mouth, The Campbell Brothers, Chocolate Milk, Sam Bush, The Voice of the Wetlands Allstars, Joe Lovano Us Five, Donald Harrison, Lena Prima, Tab Benoit, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles, Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. & the Zydeco Twisters, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Bonerama, Irvin Mayfield & the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Deacon John, Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters, Davell Crawford and One Foot in the Blues with special guests Dr. John and Jon Cleary, The Bounce Extravaganza feat. Big Freedia, Sissy Nobby, Katie Redd, Magnolia Shorty, and DJ Poppa, Bob French & the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band 100 Year Anniversary Celebration, Jon Cleary: Piano, Bass & Drums, Irma Thomas’ Tribute to Mahalia Jackson, The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong feat. Wycliffe Gordon, James Andrews, and Victor Goines, Papa Grows Funk, Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience, Theresa Andersson, Jewel Brown with the Heritage Hall Jazz Band, Joe Krown Trio feat. Walter Washington & Russell Batiste, New Orleans Klezmer Allstars, The Radiators–Pre-War Blues, Wayne Toups & Zydecajun, Grayson Capps, Kenny Neal, Treme Brass Band, Dr. Michael White & the Original Liberty Jazz Band feat. Thais Clark, Jeremy Davenport, Maurice Brown Effect, James Andrews & the Crescent City Allstars, Storyville Stompers Brass Band, Glen David Andrews, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas, Roddie Romero & the Hub City Allstars, Honey Island Swamp Band, OTRA, Leah Chase, Bill Summers & Jazalsa, Savoy Center of Eunice Saturday Cajun Jam, Mia X, Cheeky Blakk, and Ms. Tee, Wayne Toups & Zydecajun, Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band, Rotary Downs, The New Orleans Bingo! Show, Little Freddie King Blues Band, Andrew Duhon & the Lonesome Crows, Rumba Buena, Spencer Bohren, Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes, Louisiana LeRoux with Tab Benoit, Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble, Red Stick Ramblers, Guitar Slim, Jr., Kipori Woods, Kim Carson Band, Ivoire Spectacle feat. Seguenon Kone, The Revealers, Shades of Praise, Lionel Ferbos & the Palm Court Jazz Band, Sammy Rimington, The Electrifying Crownseekers, Tribute to Juanita Brooks feat. Betty Shirley, Germaine Bazzle, and Leah Chase, The James Rivers Movement, Leo Jackson & the Melody Clouds, Susan Cowsill, David Egan, Panorama Jazz Band, George French & the Storyville Jazz Band, New Orleans Night Crawlers, Midnite Disturbers, Ninth Ward Navajo Mardi Gras Indians, Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers’ Tribute to Rockin’ Dopsie, Sr., Frankie Ford, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Reggie Hall & the Twilighters, Gal Holiday & the Honky Tonk Revue, Mas Mamones, Lil’ Buck Sinegal Blues Band, Jesse McBride presents the Next Generation, Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Septet, Michael Ward, Bleu Orleans, Mahogany Brass Band, Untouchables, Furious Five, and Big Steppers Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, Creole Wild West and Golden Star Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, Mark Braud’s New Orleans Jazz Giants, Gospel Soul Children, Blessed, Watson Memorial Teaching Ministries, Louisiana Repertory Jazz Ensemble, Clive Wilson’s New Orleans Serenaders feat. Butch Thompson, N.O.C.C.A. Jazz Ensemble, Judy Spellman, Leroy Jones, Olympia Aid, New Look, and The First Division Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, Golden Comanche, Golden Blade, and Wild Mohicans Mardi Gras Indians, Free Agents Brass Band, The Wiseguys, Jambalaya Cajun Band, Jeffery Broussard & the Creole Cowboys, D.L. Menard & the Louisiana Aces, The Revivalists, Rockie Charles, Robert “1 String” Gibson, Beth Patterson, Patrice Fisher & the Honduran Connection, Original Dixieland Jazz Band, Tommy Sancton Quintet, UNO Jazz Allstars, Smitty Dee’s Brass Band, Comanche Hunters, Semolian Warriors, and Black Feathers Mardi Gras Indians, Willis Prudhomme & Zydeco Express, Goldman Thibodeaux & the Lawtell Playboys, Marc Stone Band, Betsy McGovern & the Poor Clares, Alexis Marceaux, Julio y Cesar, Sonny Bourg & the Bayou Blues Band, Chris Clifton, Miss Sophie Lee, June Gardner, The Guitar Woodshed feat. Steve Masakowski, Todd Duke, and Jake Eckert, Mount Hermon BC Mass Choir, Tonia Scott & Anointed Voices, Resurrection Baptist Church Mass Choir of Schertz, TX, Brass Bass Ensemble, Jai Reed, Loyola University Jazz Ensemble, Real Untouchables Brass Band, Divine Ladies, Dumaine Gang, and Ladies of Unity Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, Young Pinstripe Brass Band, Johnette Downing, Kat Walker Jazz Combo, Guardians of the Flame, Single Ladies, Keep N it Real, and Nine Times Men Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, Voices of Distinction, Nineveh BC Mass Choir, Kevin Thompson & the Sensational Six, Red Hot Brass Band, Lindsay Mendez, God’s House Westbank Cathedral Choir, The Gospel Stars, Da Souljas Brass Band, Single Men, Family Ties, and Big Nine Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, Delgado Community College Jazz Ensemble, Natasha Richard of Canada, Culu Children’s Traditional African Dance Ensemble, Jacquelyn Mayfield, Golden Voices Community Choir, John Lee & the Heralds of Christ, Greater Antioch Full Gospel Mass Choir, Black Mohawks, Seminoles, and Red, White & Blue Mardi Gras Indians, Archdiocese of New Orleans Mass Gospel Choir, The Bester Singers and the Dynamic Smooth Family Gospel Singers, New Orleans Young Traditional Brass Band with the Heel to Toe Steppers, Franklin Avenue Baptist Church Mass Choir, Carrollton Hunters Mardi Gras IndiansÂ…

APRIL 29 – May 2 (2nd WEEKEND)

Pearl Jam, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, Widespread Panic, The Neville Brothers, B.B. King, Jeff Beck, Irma Thomas, Gipsy Kings, The Dead Weather, Elvis Costello & the Sugarcanes, Teena Marie, Allen Toussaint, Gov’t Mule, Average White Band, Jose Feliciano, Steve Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers, Maze feat. Frankie Beverly, Kirk Franklin, Wayne Shorter Quartet, Gil Scott Heron, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Clarence Carter, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, Tye Tribbett, Juvenile & DJ Mannie Fresh, Take Six, Sugarfoot’s Ohio Players, Galactic, Stanley Clarke Band feat. Hiromi, Old Crow Medicine Show, Richie Havens, Marcus Miller, Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars, Pete Fountain, The Radiators, Blues Traveler, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Anders Osborne, Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, Rebirth Brass Band, Sonny Landreth, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Martin Sexton, Bernard Allison, Ruthie Foster, Jimmy Johnson Band, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Cyril Neville & Tribe 13, Dee Dee Bridgewater – A Celebration of Lady Day, Ellis Marsalis, Buckwheat Zydeco, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Clarence “Frogman” Henry, Louis Prima, Jr., Henry Butler, The Roots of Music Marching Crusaders, Selvy Singers of Arkansas, Aaron Neville, Chris Thomas King, Dala, Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band, The Davell Crawford Singers, BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, Inspirational Souls of Chicago, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, John Mooney & Bluesiana, subdudes, Iguanas, DJ Captain Charles, The Dixie Cups, Sherman Washington & the Zion Harmonizers, The Jon Batiste Band, Nicholas Payton, The Four Freshman, Amanda Shaw & the Cute Guys, Russell Batiste & Friends feat. Jason Neville, Pine Leaf Boys, Eric Lindell, C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band, Shamarr Allen & the Underdawgs, Banu Gibson with Swing Out & Tap!, Tribute to Juanita Brooks feat. Wanda Rouzan, Barbara Shorts, and Topsy Chapman, John Boutte, Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, Luther Kent, Astral Project, Germaine Bazzle, Soul Rebels, New Birth Brass Band, Big Chief Bo Dollis & the Wild Magnolias, Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole, PJ Morton, New Orleans Spiritualettes, The Johnson Extension, Orange Kellin’s New Orleans Deluxe Orchestra, Bobby Lonero’s Tribute to Louis Prima, Don Vappie & the Creole Jazz Serenaders, The Allen Toussaint Jazzity Project, Charmaine Neville, MyNamesIsJohnMichael, Kirk Joseph’s Backyard Groove, Paul Sanchez & the Rolling Road Show, Bobby Lounge, Big Al Carson, Lynn Drury, Vivaz!, Nova NOLA feat. Sasha Masakowski, Topsy Chapman & Solid Harmony, Coco Robicheaux & the Swamp Monsters, Fredy Omar con su Banda, Loose Marbles, Heavenly Melodies, Betty Winn & One A-Chord, Kent Jordan, Shannon Powell’s Organ Combo feat. David Torkanowsky and Charlie Gabriel, Forgotten Souls, Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie, TBC Brass Band, Westbank Steppers, Valley of Silent Men, and Pigeon Town Steppers Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, Apache Hunters, Wild Red Flame, and Mohawk Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, Jockimo’s Groove feat. War Chief Juan and Billy Iuso, Elysian Fieldz, Feufollet, Creole Zydeco Farmers, The Hadley J. Castille Family & the Sharecroppers Band, GROUPA – Nordic Folk Fusion, Tin Men, R. Scully Rough 7, Creole String Beans, Ernie Vincent & the Top Notes, Margie Perez, Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone & the XL Band, Kristin Diable, Jimmy Robinson, Kenny Bill Stinson & the ARK-LA-Mystics, Mem Shannon & the Membership, Bamboula 2000, Kora Konnection feat. Morikeba Kouyate of Senegal and Thierno Dioubate of Guinea, Papa Blue Viking Jazz Band of Sweden, Onward Brass Band, Dukes of Dixieland, Tim Laughlin, Val & the Love Alive Fellowship Choir, Jo “Cool” Davis, Zulu Male Ensemble, Phillip Manuel, Roderick Paulin, SUBR Jazzy Jags, Pinstripe Brass Band, Original Prince of Wales and Original Lady Buckjumpers Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, New Orleans Indian Rhythm Section, Fi Yi Yi & the Mandingo Warriors, 101 Runners, Evan Christopher & Tom McDermott, New Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot Orchestra, Pfister Sisters, Walter Payton with Snapbeans and File Gumbo, Brother Tyrone, Driskill Mountain Boys, Sunpie & the Louisiana Sunspots, Thomas “Big Hat” Fields, Mark Adam Miller, Benny Grunch & the Bunch, J. Monque’D Blues Band, Mia Borders, Lars Edegran & the New Orleans Ragtime Orchestra, Classie Ballou & the Family Band, John Rankin, Jonny Frishberg & Bayou DeVille, DJ Soul Sister, Zion Trinity, AsheSon, Los Po-Boy-Citos, Kumbuka African Drum & Dance Collective, Donnie Bolden, Jr. & the Spirit of Elijah, Ebenezer Mass Choir, Keith Frank & the Soileau Zydeco Band, Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band, Voices of Peter Claver, Sean Johnson & the Wild Lotus Band, Mario Abney Quintet, Lady Rollers, Original C.T.C. Steppers, and Nine Times Ladies Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, Baby Boyz Brass Band, Geronimo Hunters, 7th Ward Creole Hunters, and Young Magnolias Mardi Gras Indians, Lafayette Rhythm Devils, Joe Hall & the Cane Cutters, Eddie “ChopChops” Paris, Hot Club of New Orleans, Connie Jones & the Crescent City Jazz Band, Young Tuxedo Brass Band, Lady Jetsetters Social Aid & Pleasure Club, Ladies Sing the Blues feat. Gina Brown, Angela H. Bell, and Tereasa B., Julliard Jazz Ensemble, Craig Adams & Higher Dimensions of Praise, McDonogh #35 High School Gospel Choir, O. Perry Walker Charter High School Gospel Choir, Warren Storm, Willie Tee & Cypress, McMain High School Gospel Choir, Blodie’s Jazz Jam, Xavier University Jazz Band, Tulane University Jazz Ensemble, Pinettes Brass Band, Scene Boosters, Ole & Nu Style Fellas, and Secondline Jammers Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, New Wave Brass Band, Red Hawk, Black Seminoles, and Black Eagles Mardi Gras Indians, Dwight & Connie Fitch with the St. Raymond/St. Leo the Great Choir, N’Fungola Sibo West African Dance Company, Marisa y Mariachi Agave, Grupo Sensacion, Dee-1, Lucky 7, Franklin IV, Mardi Gras Indian Orchestra, Ray Abshire, Bonsoir, Catin, Dillard University Jazz Ensemble, Jamil Sharif & the Jazz Professors, Rocks of Harmony, Some Like it Hot, Kid Simmons’ Local International Allstars, The Wright Brothers, Tyronne Foster & the Arc Singers, St. Joseph the Worker Music Ministry, Heritage School of Music Band, New Generation, Undefeated Divas, and VIP Ladies Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, Highsteppers Brass Band, Trouble Nation and Wild Apaches Mardi Gras Indians, David & Roselyn, Paulin Brothers Brass Band, Morning Star BC Mass Choir, Arthur Clayton & Purposely Anointed, Gloria Bell & the Revelation Gospel Singers, First Emmanuel Baptist Church Choir, White Cloud Hunters and Wild Tchoupitoulas Mardi Gras Indians, Tornado Brass Band, Lyle Henderson & Emmanuel, Pastor Terry Gullage & the Greater Mount Calvary Voices of Redemption Choir, Gospel Inspirations of Boutte, Ayla Miller, Original Four, Original Big 7, and Bon Temps Roulez Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, Golden Sioux and Cherokee Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, Nashville Children’s Choir, Claudia Baumgartner, Saltimbanqui Puppet Theater of Mexico, Stephen Foster’s Foster Family Program, Hazel & the Delta Ramblers, N’Kafu African Dance presented by Young Audiences, O. Perry Walker Kuumba Players, Jazz Fest Residency Showcase feat. Seva Venet and KIDSmARTÂ…


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Experience Hendrix Tour 2010

December 14th, 2009 | No Comments

EXPERIENCE HENDRIX TOUR LAUNCHES IN MARCH, 2010
ALL STAR LINEUP INCLUDES JOE SATRIANI, LIVING COLOUR, DAVID HIDALGO, MANY MORE

Experience Hendrix, the fourth edition of the biennial concert tour that features an all star lineup of music greats paying homage to the music and legacy of Jimi Hendrix gets underway in early March of next year with special performances across the country.

Featured artists who will be performing music written and inspired by Hendrix include some of the best known and most respected artists in contemporary rock and blues, including Joe Satriani, Jonny Lang, Eric Johnson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Brad Whitford (Aerosmith), Doyle Bramhall II, Ernie Isley, Living Colour, Chris Layton (Double Trouble), along with bassist Billy Cox.

Cox, who first befriended Hendrix when the two were in the 101st Airborne Division of U.S. Army, played in both the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Band of Gypsys and performed with Hendrix at such landmark festivals as Woodstock and the Isle of Wight. Cox commented, “It’s a thrill for me to play Jimi’s music for audiences now as it was in the 1960s. The Experience Hendrix tours have shown how timeless this music really is.” Joe Satriani remarked, “I finally get to pay tribute to my hero the right way, onstage with an amazing, once in a lifetime, lineup of musicians!”

Sacred Steel, featuring Robert Randolph, Susan Tedeschi, and David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos are also performing on selected Experience Tour dates.

Various combinations of these music greats will be performing Jimi’s signature songs, including “Purple Haze,” “Voodoo Child (Slight Return),” “The Wind Cries Mary,” “Little Wing,” and “Red House.” As has been the case with previous Experience Hendrix tour incarnations, special guests are expected to sit in at many of the dates, making the concerts all that much more memorable for both new and veteran Hendrix fans. Past special guests have included Paul Rodgers, Buddy Guy, and Carlos Santana.

Shepherd, a veteran of several Experience Hendrix tours remarked, “Jimi Hendrix’s music has really inspired to push the limits of my own music. He didn’t observe any boundaries musically. He was an amazing player and a tremendous showman so I incorporated some of his showmanship in what I do.” As far as having been part of the Experience Hendrix touring phenomenon, Shepherd noted, “It touches you on the inside and gets you fired up.”

The Experience Hendrix Tour is presented by Experience Hendrix, LLC, the Hendrix family-owned company founded by James A. “Al” Hendrix, Jimi’s father, entrusted with preserving and protecting the legacy of Jimi Hendrix. Earlier this year, Sony Music Entertainment’s Legacy Division and Experience Hendrix entered into a worldwide catalog licensing venture to make all of Jimi’s extraordinary music, including classic albums, never before heard archive recordings, and filmed concerts available through all forms of media.

Launching on the west coast, the month-long tour will bring the troupe of players, each a headliner in his or her own right, to concert venues in major U.S. markets including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Minneapolis, Chicago, St. Louis and Atlanta.

Experience Hendrix 2010 Tour Dates

03/05/10 Fri Gibson Amphitheatre Universal City, CA

03/06/10 Sat The Joint @ Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas, NV

03/07/10 Sun Mesa Arts Center – Ikeda Theater Mesa, AZ

03/09/10 Tue Table Mountain Casino Friant, CA

03/10/10 Wed The Warfield San Francisco, CA

03/12/10 Fri Silver Legacy Hotel Casino Reno, NV

03/14/10 Sun Paramount Theatre Denver, CO

03/16/10 Tue Uptown Theater Kansas City, MO

03/17/10 Wed Orpheum Theatre Minneapolis, MN

03/18/10 Thu The Chicago Theatre Chicago, IL

03/20/10 Sat Fabulous Fox Theatre St. Louis, MO

03/21/10 Sun Riverside Theater Milwaukee, WI

03/23/10 Tue Akron Civic Theater Akron, OH

03/24/10 Wed The Wellmont Theatre Montclair, NJ

03/25/10 Thu Count Basie Theatre Red Bank, NJ

03/27/10 Sat Fox Theatre Atlanta, GA


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Guitar Center Searches For Next Great Blues Musician

September 23rd, 2009 | 1 Comment

Guitar Center Searches For The Nation’s Greatest Unsigned Blues Guitar Player

Joe Bonamassa

Has the recession left you with too much free time on your hands this summer? Looking for a creative outlet for your energies and possibly a new career path? If you consider yourself a pretty great guitar player (or serious blues guitar fan) – think about checking out Guitar Center’s King of the Blues.

King of the Blues is a nationwide search for the next great undiscovered blues guitar player. Guitar Center will host King of the Blues competitions in over 200 locations across the country, where aspiring musicians will compete for a shot at stardom, and a grand prize package worth over $35,000, including $25,000 cash plus gear and product endorsements. The program culminates in Los Angeles in November, where the top five finalists from around the country will showcase their talent in front of a live audience and a panel of celebrity judges, sharing the stage with renowned blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa and Grammy Award winner Pete Anderson, both of whom will perform.

King of the Blues is part of Guitar Center’s ongoing mission to provide emerging artists and musicians with career-altering opportunities and vehicles to achieve success. Other Guitar Center programs include Drum-Off and On-Stage.

Introduced in 2006, Guitar Center’s King of the Blues is designed to offer life-changing opportunities for unsigned guitarists. More than just a competition to find the most technically skilled players, King of the Blues is designed to seek out the most passionate, innovative and authentic undiscovered guitar players and give them a shot at stardom. Some of today’s most iconic and groundbreaking artists, including B.B. King, John Mayer, The Black Crowes and Kenny Wayne Shepherd have participated at past King of the Blues events. The winner of Guitar Center’s 2007 King of the Blues, Aaron Loesch, was invited to perform at Eric Clapton‘s Crossroads Festival in front of over 25,000 attendees.

How It Works:
Each contestant will perform live to 1 of 25 original backing tracks, developed by Grammy Award winning producer, Pete Anderson. All backing tracks are available for free download at guitarcenter.com/kingoftheblues. Contestants may bring and use any 6, 7 or 12 string acoustic or electric guitar, lap steel or pedal steel guitar, plus any audio pedal effects that can be set-up in a 5 minute time limit, all of which will be plugged into a selection of amplifiers provided by Guitar Center.
Local competitions have already begun in all 214 Guitar Center locations nationwide. One winner from each store will be chosen to move up to district competitions (24 locations), followed by regionally hosted semi-finals (6 locations) and culminating in the final King of the Blues Grand Finals competition in Los Angeles in November, where the grand finalists will perform in front of a live audience and a panel of celebrity judges.


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