Chives

That's a damn bold claim! Now you have me excited to give it a listen. Just have to get enough money for said record needle...who knows when that'll be. I'll let you guys know what I think once I do.

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blastingas10

Where is Hendrix's place in Prog Rock? I know he isn't technically prog, but he was psychedelic rock, and that's where prog has it's roots. But I think he was a progressive guitar player, sure he was mostly psychedelic blues-rock, with a little jazz, but he was really like nobody else before him. I think he was one of the most progressive guitarists in rock n roll history. He inspired so many and still to this day you hear so many guitarists who were obviously inspired by him. He really progressed guitar playing and made it what it has become.

Howard the Duck

"The Mermen Suite" from Electric Ladyland has some progressive elements to it - there's a concept, and song cycles

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mr dave

Progressing the instrument is not the same as composing progressive music. Especially not when the 'progress' of the instrument is little more than a mimicry of the original for the most part.

I can't remember the name of the specific Blues Association or Foundation or what but there was a group representing the Blues who refused to acknowledge Hendrix's music (maybe because his Delta was on Mars instead of the Mississippi) the only way his music made it in was because BB King donated his entire record collection to them (which included a copy of Axis:Bold as Love). If the people representing the Blues weren't keen on accepting Hendrix, I can't see the people representing Prog being keen on accepting him either.

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blastingas10

Well ya, I know he's technically not Prog. But he was psychedelic, and that's where Prog has it's roots. His guitar playing was far from a mimicry. I don't expect blues purists to accept the way Hendrix played the blues. There are also blues purists who think B.B. King ruined the blues. It doesn't really mean anything.

Also, as far as a live presentation of a rock performance goes circa 67-68, the lengthy improvisations that Hendrix and Mitchell would indulge in were way ahead of fellow early rock bands in terms of instrumental technique, creative ideas and sonic presentation, except for possibly Deep Purple, Soft Machine and a few others. Mitchell was a progressive drummer. He was also Keith Emerson's first choice for his new band, which would have been ELM instead of ELP.

While Hendrix may have not technically been Prog, he, with the help of Mitchell, really did progress rock music like few before him were able to do.

Howard the Duck

^^he would have eventually headed that way, though it'd be more jazz-oriented

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blastingas10

True. It's ashamed he had to die so young. There is some great material on some of his posthumous albums. He was heading towards Jazz, and jamming with Miles Davis. Davis compared his improvisation ability to that of John Coltrane. Quite an honor coming from Miles Davis. In the early days of The Soft Machine, Jimi would often fill in on bass for gigs and recording sessions so that Kevin Ayers could play guitar. He also jammed with Keith Emerson, it's been noted that Emerson really brought out something different in Jimi's playing. Jimi had always wanted to form a big band too, with more than just a bassist and drummer.

mr dave

There were only rumours and speculation about working with Miles Davis. A lot of people have hyped that possibility but really - I don't see it. The title track to the posthumous compilation South Saturn Delta is actually a big band track and is pretty awesome though I don't know how well a full album would work.

What I figure most likely to have happened is one particular George Clinton and a particular Bootsy Collins would have made a little room in the cockpit of The Mothership for The King of the Cosmic Blues. I mean really, it's not like Hendrix hadn't already started proto-funking the hell out of his tunes near the end it...

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Howard the Duck

he was already slated to work with Gil Evans, the jazz arranger and composer

when Hendrix died, Evans had to hire a Japanese imitator who was nothing like the real thing

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blastingas10

Not really, You can read about some jam sessions and encounters between Hendrix and Miles Davis in the Hendrix biography Room Full of Mirrors. They became pretty close, Davis also attended his funeral. Hendrix jammed with John Mclaughlin as well.

It's been said that Miles Davis also had his guitar players imitate Hendrix.