For rock legend Jimi Hendrix, uttering these prophetic words may come as a surprise to some. He was at the peak of his career; he was sought after by women all over the world; he was living a rags-to-riches fairy tale. Yet Jimi's dying wish was to play with the cool cats of the jazz world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay One has to wonder if Jimi recognized the impact he would, in turn, have on the greatest musicians of all time. While he was a demigod in the public eye, he also earned the respect of those he admired most. His peers considered him a prodigy, almost a scholar; his lack of training was no match for the innovation and raw talent that propelled him to superstardom. Yes, many musicians were perplexed by Jimi's abilities. While they may not have known how he did what he did, his influence on many styles of music, the role of the guitar, and pop culture is undeniable. In the field of jazz-rock fusion, Jimi's presence is omnipresent. From Miles Davis to John McLaughlin, everyone wanted to pick Hendrix's brain. Jimi's life story is guided by one element: his passion for music. He was born in 1942 to an uncaring military father and a neglectful young mother, who died shortly after losing custody of her children. Jimi's fate as a rock legend was sealed when, as a child, he developed an attachment to a broom; he carried it everywhere with him, pretending it was a guitar. After teaching himself to play by ear on a second-hand one-string ukulele, Jimi switched to acoustic guitar as a teenager and was eventually rewarded with an electric guitar. his own guitar by his father. Soon, the talented young musician was giving nice concerts in clubs. After winning first place at the famous Apollo Talent Show, Jimi began recording and building his reputation. Before he knew it, Jimi was on the verge of superstardom, particularly in Britain, where major English rockers and their fans began to notice Jimi's guitar skills and magnetic presence. on stage. Jimi grew up on a steady diet of blues, rock, and folk, which can be heard in his gritty and passionate playing. Around 1967, Jimi's record collection was an eclectic mix of Bob Dylan, Tim Hardin, Albert King, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery and Ravi Shankar.1 He was also impressed by the complexity and improvisation uninhibited by jazz. , and he surely incorporated these elements into a unique style. He is said to have “idolized”1 the multi-instrumental jazz virtuoso Roland Kirk, known for playing his instruments simultaneously. When they reunited at a club in early 1967 after meeting on a plane, Jimi was starstruck. Yet despite young Jimi's fear of disappointing his mentor, when they began playing, Jimi's rock and Kirk's jazz backgrounds were a perfect match. For what? They were both rooted in the blues; Jimi was right. As such, abundant jazz influence can be heard in Jimi's solo and group efforts. His songs may be rock based, but his lines swing. A swinging rhythm found its way into The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Check out Mitch Mitchell's refined 6/8 timing on "Manic Depression" and his jazzy ride cymbal on the middle section of "Third Stone from the Sun" (Are You Experienced?). Jimi's seminal album, Electric Ladyland, was produced as a series ofextended and improvised jams. In this way, the album pays homage to jazz. The long, bluesy, smoky improvisation jam on “Rainy Day Dream Away” evokes more of a lounge jazz vibe than a catchy rock tune. Likewise, Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile" is one of the classic "great early jazz-rock jams." Like Miles, Hendrix simply dictated the mood of the song and let the band improvise. He created these sounds from what he felt and heard; Jimi didn't read a note of music. This intuitive sense of sound amazed many jazz greats, including Miles Davis. By 1968, Miles was listening to Jimi's music a lot. Miles actually took inspiration from Jimi when he produced the album In a Silent Way: Miles' meticulously planned recordings gave way to more informal jamming. Then, after the session, the best pieces were assembled into an album. Hendrix also deserves credit for his use of effects and rapidly evolving studio technology. His 1967 album Axis: Bold as Love was praised for its finely produced four-track recording. Miles also took advantage of these emerging techniques to take his band's most organic sound and integrate it into a polished, marketable product. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it is clear that Miles had great respect for Hendrix. When asked what he thought of Jimi Hendrix's music, Miles replied, in his characteristic rasp, "It's that fucking 'Machine Gun,'" referring to the strange, violent, unpredictable and to the screaming and virtuoso guitar solo of the Band of Gypsys. song. Miles watched Hendrix perform live at the Fillmore in 1969 and reportedly kept telling himself, “What the hell is he doing? ”, which, in Miles’ language, is surely a sign of great respect. Some critics called Hendrix "loud"; However, Miles recognized Jimi's revolutionary ideas and artfully applied them to his own music and production. Miles would soon meet the quiet young genius behind the music he so admired. He was introduced to Jimi and his music by his funky, feminist musician wife, Betty Mabry. One day, he was called by Jimi's manager, who wanted Miles to help Jimi incorporate more jazz elements into his music. Jimi was eager to learn; he even talked about going back to school to learn to read and compose music. Jimi appreciated Coltrane's "sound sheets" and Miles' similar use of the trumpet to create sound effect. So the two started meeting up to talk about music. Even though Jimi didn't read music, Miles greatly appreciated his talent: Jimi was simply brilliant, a natural, self-taught musician. He would pick things up from whoever he was, and he would pick things up quickly…he had a natural ear for playing music. So I played him different stuff, showed him that way... Then he started incorporating things I told him into his albums. It was great. He influenced me, and I influenced him, and that’s how you always make good music. Jimi's singing friend, Terry Reid, was in the Hendrix house during one of these lessons that likely began the birth of Miles' new sound. He remembers it fondly: “It was magnificent. It was a tasteful game, nothing flashy or over-the-top. In the context of jazz, Jimi was always pushing the boundaries, and all these jazz players respected him like they didn't respect anyone else in rock. » When Jimi expressed interest in a more formal session with Miles in a recording studio, he didn't think about the logistics. Miles, frustrated that his salary is only a fraction of that of the mighty Hendrix (Miswas often in debt to Columbia for their heavy advances), demanded $50,000 up front for the session from Jimi's manager, Mike Jeffrey. When drummer Tony Williams heard about it, he also made demands. Jeffrey refused the request and the session never took place. Hendrix, on the other hand, had higher ideas. He was already trying to get Paul McCartney on board. He sent this telegram to the Beatles' bassist in October 1969: "We are recording and making an LP together this weekend in New York. How about coming out and playing bass, call Alvan Douglas at 212-5812212. Peace Jimi Hendrix Miles Davis Tony Williams." Shortly before his death, Jimi had even planned to meet Gil Evans to discuss making a live album - Jimi was to be the soloist in a concert at Carnegie Hall of orchestral arrangements of Gil on his famous guitar (In a tragic but touching gesture of respect, Gil Evans presented the concert as a posthumous tribute to Jimi, who had grown tired of the pressure of composing and performing for popular tastes).he wanted to experiment. was a collaborative musician, eager to seek out the best mentors and colleagues to improve his craft. Miles also began seeking to emulate his new pal Jimi's sound; he even tried to transpose Jimi's guitar playing for the trumpet. Gil Evans, also a fan of Jimi's sound, reworked "The Wind Cries Mary" into "Mademoiselle Mabry": listen to the laid-back rock groove and well-known step pattern in both tracks. Miles would later pay homage to Hendrix. using small sonic touches, like the bass line of “Fire” in “Inamorata”; he also transformed Hendrix's Band of Gypsys-era "Message to Love" into "What I Say." When seeking out the young, black audiences who flocked to Sly Stone and James Brown, Miles sought out Jimi's scorching soul: "Since Jimi and I got closer, I wanted that kind of African groove because the guitar can take you diving deeply into the blues, Miles began to create a new accessible music, black music, based on groove and guitar: the one that would give birth to jazz-rock fusion. He began to hire guitarists who adopted a very similar style. of that of Hendrix One of these players is Pete Cosey His playing is irregular, unpracticed and even absurd at times, but his spontaneity and intuitive sense of color and rhythm complement Miles' new '70s sound. However, it was the addition of John McLaughlin that would determine the direction of Miles' next major innovation: Bitches Brew. He needed a smoking gun and he found one in McLaughlin. was accused of hiring a "rock" guitarist, Miles responded: "I didn't use John as a rock player...but for special effects." John is no more a rock player than I am a rock trumpeter. » The guitar is largely what helped create the psychedelic, chaotic and groundbreaking effects that distinguish Bitches Brew. The thick, distorted, and powerful chords and effects that dominated Purple Haze also add color to Miles' soundscape. Miles is correct when he says McLaughlin was added for "color"; Hendrix himself was not just a "rock" guitarist, but a musician who communicated emotions with pure electronic noise: Jimi's real achievement was opening up music to electronics. Electronics became his instrument, while the guitar only served as a control device. He was the first to explore the vast and unfathomable land of electronic sounds, the first to play "live electronics" - more than anyone who uses that slogan today - and the first to transform electronics into.