If “We Are the World” marked The Greatest Night in Pop, then the Monterey International Pop Festival can easily be considered one of the most remarkable weekends in rock history. Yes, Otis Redding gave the performance of a lifetime and Ravi Shankar secured his legendary status, but it was Jimi Hendrix whose set goes down in history as fire, culminating in him setting his guitar ablaze during a transcendent rendition of “Wild Thing.” That night will no doubt be part of the upcoming doc about the life, times and experiences of Jimi Hendrix.
Director Bao Nguyen – who was also behind the Bruce Lee doc Be Water – said of his approach to his Jimi Hendrix film, “Telling the story of Jimi Hendrix during his pivotal years in London is both a profound honor and a unique responsibility. London has always been a city that inspires me. Having lived there, I felt a deep connection to its creative energy, much like Jimi did when his creativity reached extraordinary heights.” The film is authorized by the estate of Jimi Hendrix.
That’s a more limited scope than some might expect but zeroing in on core years in the life of Jimi Hendrix might be a wise choice. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Nguyen’s documentary will only go up to Monterey Pop in 1967. Hendrix died on September 18th, 1970, becoming one of the most famous figures among the so-called 27 Club, a group of musicians who prematurely died at the age of 27. Regardless of how Nguyen wants to centralize the film, this will absolutely be one to keep an eye out for. André 3000 previously played Hendrix in 2013’s Jimi: All Is by My Side.
Jimi Hendrix was obviously a virtuoso on the guitar but he never really gets enough credit for his vocals. Sure, who doesn’t love the shredding on “Voodoo Child” and “Machine Gun” but it has never seemed fair to overlook the emotion and depth he brings to “The Wind Cries Mary” and “Little Wing”. Refined? Hardly. But it was always right for the music.
Are you a fan of Jimi Hendrix? What songs stand out as his best for you?
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