Hendrix blues

Do you know of any source for info on Jimi's stint with Guy's band? As for the Guy record, I know many folks like his work, but I've heard him lots of times (and also seen him in performance on the tube) and doubt he could show me anything to change my mind about his style. That 'cat-strangling' (apt description in my view) aspect the reviewer refers to about Guy's guitar work is a large part of the reason why, but you should also probably know that I am not really a fan of any contemporary blues, stopping pretty much with electric blues recordings made by the late 60's/early 70's (although there were certainly some older-school performers I enjoyed seeing live into the 90's, but sadly most of the best ones are inevitably dead by now).

As for Jimi, I consider him to be far and away the best blues player to have worked mainly in the rock idiom, and one of the amazing things about him is that, had he never had his uniquely ground-breaking, paradigm-shifting, and meteoric rock career, he still would be qualified as one the greatest and most important second-generation post-war, urban-electric black American straight blues artists even without it.

But as far as the Guy comparsion, other than the fact that he routinely strays into rock mode with his blues, I don't think there really is any comparision IMO concerning their respective levels of touch, soul, meaning, sound, skill, or invention, although I'm sure Guy at the beginning of his career would be much more interesting and tolerable for me to look into further (and I have to admit that his subsequent work has caused me to pass on really checking out his roots), and of course more relevant to any Hendrixian influence-spotting. And I will add that other of Jimi's blues-guitar heros and influences are also easily recognized, like T-Bone Walker, Otis Rush, Guitar Slim and Lightnin' Hopkins, to Chess label rockers Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry, and beyond.

In the November issue of Tower Records' free mag Pulse there was an article wherein various artists reflected on their relationship to Hendrix. Buddy Guy said Hendrix used to come to see him play but Guy neither mentioned nor implied any collaboration. He did however take lopsided credit for some kind of permanent musical influence on Hendrix. Guy's arrogance gave me the blues.

A coupla Labor Day's ago, Buddy MILES played a pool party at a private home in Dallas. Following a few songs on the drums, he closed the set with his own electric guitar work. It was awesome in its tonality and intensity, hypnotic too, and asserted a unique personality of its own to the universe. Take a lesson Mr. Guy.

STOP PICKING ON MR. GUY! He's my main man. Jimi had numerous musical influences (Otis Rush, Guitar Slim, Curtis Mayfield, Hubert Sumlin, etc.), but it's very clear, at least to my ears, that Buddy Guy was one of them. In turn, Hendrix then influenced Guy's later playing. Although primarily know for his electric guitar work, Buddy is particularly engaging on acoustic guitar. Check out "Buddy & the Junoirs", an album he made with Junoir Wells (harmonica) and Junoir Mance (piano) or Muddy Water's "Folk Singer". As a live performer Guy is something of a crowd pleaser. He has a tendency to go for over the top flash. At its worst its superficial, but at its best it will get you on your feet and put a smile on your face.

One last point, Buddy is also a superb blues vocalist.

I'm a fan of both Mance and Wells, but hadn't known of this collaboration, which sounds very exciting - is Guy's work on that album acoustic? I tend to agree with you in a sense, that BG may be at his best as a sideman.