American musician and guitarist who transformed the electric guitar's expressive range in a career of barely four years — widely considered the greatest rock guitarist in history.
Guitar as orchestral instrument: Hendrix showed that the electric guitar could produce sounds no one had heard before — feedback, whammy bar dive-bombs, controlled distortion — while playing melody, rhythm, and bass simultaneously. Woodstock, Monterey Pop (burning the guitar), and Band of Gypsys live recordings demonstrate a live improvisational genius with no peer. The Stratocaster strung upside-down (he was left-handed) became iconic. His four-year recording career (1966-1970) produced a body of work that continues to define electric guitar technique and tone.
Discussing
Ask anything about Jimi Hendrix — their ideas, influences, contradictions, legacy.
Sign in to start a conversation.