Jimi Hendrix became a star in the 1960s after moving to Swinging London, but he was schooled as a guitarist with blues and soul bands in his homeland. After returning to the U.S. in 1969, he reconnected with his roots without losing touch with the daring innovation nurtured in Britain’s psychedelic setting.
Issued in a five-CD (or eight LP) box set, Songs for Groovy Children is the most complete release of music from Hendrix’s Dec. 31, 1969-Jan. 1, 1970 Fillmore East concerts—not as bootlegs but crisply mastered and beautifully packaged. Hendrix’s newly recruited band, featuring bassist Billy Cox and drummer Buddy Miles, laid down a hard funk groove that set the rhythm for Hendrix’s amplified flights of distortion that fully orchestrated the unique potential of electric guitar. The concert’s vibe was sometimes inspirational. Ghosts of the gospel church hovered as Hendrix went from deep blues to across the border of jazz.
Unlike so many live albums from later years, Songs for Groovy Children documents an experience that came together in the heat of inspiration. Not a by-rote note can be heard.
