Open Mic Night - Posthumous Perpetual Popularity

Stepping aside again this week and bringing a dead guy to the mic.

It's always been considered cool to say you like Hendrix, and if you asked your average Misfit Mallrat wearing a Hendrix T what his favorite Hendrix song is, he's just as likely to say, "Purple Rain" as he is "Purple Haze."

I've heard some Hendrix bootlegs, and some of it is truly dreadful, unlistenable noise, but for all the hype, Hendrix is not overrated like say, Clapton. (Oh, yes...I said it.) I'm not sure what song of his HASN'T been used in advertising at this point, but the catalog must be dwindling.

The number presented here is why I like Hendrix. He played it at Woodstock. Up until now, I had always known it as simply "Instrumental Solo." I learned in researching this post (I make every effort to blog responsibly and try to get my facts straight) that the number is called "Villanova Junction Blues." It will never leave my iPod. It has, for lack of a better word, a real groove.

It's up in the top of the sidebar until next week's Open Mic Night music replaces it.

Archived Open Mic Night Music is found here.

Super Bonus Extra Extravaganza

Found this video at YouTube of the same performance. Not nearly enough camera attention is paid to the man's hands, but the video shows how effortlessly he played, calmly directing his band without the distorted guitar faces (G.E. Smith anyone?) and needless posturing (name any rock guitarist) of so many lesser axemen. I know he did the play-the-guitar-behind-the-head thing and other grandiose showman tricks of the trade, so maybe he was just tired this day. Other finds on YouTube reveal that he never played the song the same way twice. Audio is much better in the MP3 in the sidebar.