The 2007 Experience Hendrix Tour at Constitution Hall

by Rick Landers.

The 2007 Experience Hendrix tour kicked off at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. the evening of October 16, 2007, with a troupe of artists lined up to pay tribute to the most revered electric guitar player of our time, Jimi Hendrix. Experience Hendrix is a concert series sponsored by Gibson Guitar and blessed by Experience Hendrix, LLC, the Hendrix family-owned company established to preserve and protect Jimi's legacy. The tour continued to New York, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Rhode Island before returning to the Beacon Theater in New York for its finale.

Artists included authentic blues legends Buddy Guy and Hubert Sumlin, along with steel pedal player Robert Randolph, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Robby Krieger (The Doors), Eric Gales, Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones), Doyle Bramhall II (Eric Clapton), Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton from Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Double Trouble, Jonny Lang, Mato Nanji (Indigenous), Corey Glover, Kenny Olsen and Andy Aledort. Unfortunately, Lang wasn't able to make the D.C. concert due to a family emergency. Bringing it all home were Mitch Mitchell (drums) and Billy Cox (bass) who played with Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock in the summer of 1969 and were members of The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Gypsy Sun and Rainbows.

The D.C. show opened with Eric Gales on a St. Blues Guitar Workshop Telecaster-style lefty guitar playing a lively rendition of “Foxy Lady.” Shannon and Layton joined Gales on the smoke-filled stage that filtered red klieg lighting reminiscent of the late '60s. Gales slid into a turgid version of “May This Be Love” before handing the show off to Mato Nanji (Indigenous) who offered up “Little Wing.” Noel Hunt, of the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, then planted himself at the mic with Robby Krieger on lead guitar to cut their way through “Manic Depression.” Later, the posse grew to include Mick Taylor, Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell pumping out “All Along the Watchtower.”

Unfortunately, the sound mix was muddy with the songs sometimes finding their way to the back of the hall as a barrage of noise, a fact that apparently left some of the guest guitarists less than inspired and not up to what this tribute could have been. Things improved, however, when Buddy Guy and Hubert Sumlin came on stage and the audience roared its approval. Guy has a stage presence that’s immeasurable and Sumlin has the guitar stature that would have had Jimi tipping his feathered hat. Guy and Sumlin rose to the occasion and stole the show at that point by lowering the volume and focusing on single note nuance, proving that dialing an amp to ten and blasting away is not always the best way to articulate either the blues or Hendrix.

Then, when Robert Randolph took the stage and unleashed a sweep of his pedal steel, the sound and vibe of Jimi Hendrix were channeled and the crowd went wild. Finally, this tribute to Hendrix actually sounded like the man. Randolph is a sight to behold when he slips around notes with an ease and confidence that only a master can offer. Kenny Wayne Shepherd had been on stage earlier, but hadn't shown off his licks like he did when he stepped out to join Randolph. The virtuosos pushed their instruments to the limit, wrangling out duets that we hope were caught on video for posterity. Randolph and Shepherd delivered a performance that was pure magic and a genuine tribute to the great guitarist.

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Related Links
Eric Gales Talks about Upcoming Jimi Hendrix Tribute Tour
Experience Hendrix
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Michael G. Stewart Photography

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