[JPL] Hendrix/Mitchell

[ANTNYBROWN at aol.com]

In a message dated 9/13/07 3:08:24 PM, pgsaxo at pacbell.net writes:

> I always thought if Jimi would have put Mitch back in the band with Billy 
> Cox on bass, that would have been awesome.
> 
Jimi did, I saw the Experience in this configuration (which lasted nine 
months according to Mitch's book, Jimi Hendrix: Inside the Experience [1990, 
Harmony Books]) at the very last concert they ever played on September 6, 1970. 
There was a three day ("Love and Peace") music festival held on the Isle of 
Fehmarn off the northern tip of (West) Germany. I lived in Frankfurt, Germany (where 
my dad was stationed in the Army), and some high school friends and I 
attended it over the Labor Day weekend (Friday-Sunday). They advertised EVERYBODY, 
and half the acts actually played, as was quite typical for German pop music 
festivals back then. Some of the groups that did perform included The Small Faces 
with Rod Stewart, The Incredible String Band, Fat Mattress with NOEL REDDING, 
even SLY &TFS showed up--three hours late. Hendrix was the headliner to close 
the Saturday night set, but a terrible storm blew through and scheduling went 
out to lunch, with some bands hitting the stage at 2AM. Hendrix postponed 
until Sunday afternoon, just as the sun came out. I remember them playing Spanish 
Castle Magic, Red House, and the most incredible Voodoo Child (slight 
return). When they finished, they left in a helicopter, off into the shining sun. 

I, too, am a true Mitch fan, and believe as does everyone else in the 
influence he had on Hendrix. His use of broken triplets is pure Elvin (Bonham, too, 
owes a HUGE debt to EJ) and his temporal elasticity is Tony, Tony, Tony. When I 
conducted the Smithsonian oral history interview with EJ in June 2003, (his 
wife) Keiko recounted how Mitch had stood outside of their apartment for a 
couple days, too shy to come in and meet Elvin. I also saw the original Experience 
at the LA Forum in April 1969. Mitch had a black, double bass Ludwig kit, 
Hendrix had a stack of Marshalls and Noel had a rank of Sun amps. They were in 
their prime, and I remember that night like it was yesterday. That is why I was 
disappointed when I last saw Mitch. He seemed out of it, not really his 
usually remarkable self. He recounts in his book how Billy Cox was flipping out 
during the festival's delay, but Billy played fine, and Mitch was, I hate to say 
it, sloppy. He does write, "Our actual performance was OK and our adrenalin was 
pumping as well, but we did do a slightly shorter than usual set (p. 156)." I 
am glad he remembers their last gig fondly.


Anthony Brown, Ph.D.
Antnybrown at aol.com
www.anthonybrown.org
1253 Haskell Street
Berkeley, CA 94702
(510) 428-2126

GIVE THE DRUMMER SOME! THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN JAZZ DRUMMING, forthcoming 
on University of California Press.



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