Hendrix blues

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.

zaikesman,

I have read about the Hendrix/Guy connection and am damned if I can remember where. Rolling Stone? Or maybe it was in a "Sweet Tea" review in the Chicago Tribune. I'm going to ask Greg Kot (Tribune) about this, because I did not make it up. If it proves to be unsubstantiated, then I'll publicly offer a mea culpa.

Follow-up to Rockvirgo's list of Red House times from my CD collection:
Los Angeles Forum, April 26, 1969: 11:07
Stockholm, Sweden, Sept. 1, 1969: 11:56

Zaikesman,

I contacted Greg Kot (rock reviewer for Chicago Tribune and Rolling Stone) and asked about the Hendrix-Buddy Guy connection. He did not know if Jimi actually played with Buddy or not (I'm still trying to find the source of this), but did say that Jimi attended Buddy Guy's live sessions and picked up some of his technique directly.

This is what Greg told me (nothing new, really): "Buddy Guy's live performances in the early and mid '60s are legendary for how they advanced the sound and technique of electric guitar playing, and Hendrix witnessed a few of those and incorporated Guy's innovations into his own playing."