This music has been heard before—but not like this. The tracks on Live at George’s Club 20, recorded at a Hackensack bar in the winter of 1965-1966, were released years ago in seriously compromised versions by low-budget labels cashing in on the success of the guitarist heard on the recordings. Jimi Hendrix played guitar in the mid-’60s for R&B singer Curtis Knight before finding fame in the London psychedelic scene. The tapes were raw, as were the performances from a set list that was comprised of recent R&B and blues hits. Hendrix occasionally fired off searing licks at the gigs heard here, but for the most part was content to be a member of the band. For fans and historians, Live at George’s opens a window onto the formative years of one of the signal rock stars of the ’60s.
