Concert Preview
The spirit of Jimi Hendrix lives on through his music and admirers

By Patrick MacDonald
Seattle Times music critic

	STEVEN C. PESANT/© AUTHENTIC HENDRIX, LLC Veteran blues guitarist Buddy Guy headlines the "Experience Hendrix" concert at the Paramount Theatre Sunday.
	E-mail this article Print this article Search archive

He lives on, as well, as an influence to guitarists young and old. Some of them will pay homage to Hendrix through "Experience Hendrix," a tribute tour that starts with a show at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Paramount.

The tour was mounted by Experience Hendrix, the local, Hendrix family-owned production company formed in 1995, which holds the rights to Hendrix's music and image. Through its high-quality recordings, DVDs, Web site and other outlets, Experience Hendrix has maximized the late guitarist's legacy and earning potential. Hendrix makes more money now than he did when he was alive, thanks not only to aggressive merchandising of his music, but also using him in advertising. Experience Hendrix has licensed his music and image to sell, among other things, Kellogg's Pop Tarts, M&Ms, Pepsi products and Hyundais.

Concert preview "Experience Hendrix": Buddy Guy, Mike McCready, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Living Colour, Jerry Cantrell, Indigenous, Kenny Olson, Hubert Sumlin, Sheldon Reynolds, Chris Layton & Tommy Shannon, Mitch Mitchell, Billy Cox and Paul Rodgers, 7 p.m. Sunday, Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., Seattle; $38.50-$44.50 (206-628-0888 or www.ticketmaster.com; information, 206-467-5510, www.theparamount.com or www.jimi-hendrix.com).

While some of those actions may be viewed as cynical and greedy — "They try to wrap me up in cellophane and sell me," Hendrix once complained — most of Experience Hendrix's activities are praiseworthy, especially those having to do directly with the music. The current tour falls into that category.

The lineup for Sunday's show is impressive, reflecting the depth and range of Hendrix's influence. The show features the great blues veteran Buddy Guy, one of the most talented and entertaining guitarists in popular music. Second on the bill is Kenny Wayne Shepherd, one of the young Hendrix acolytes deeply inspired by him.

	Kenny Wayne Shepherd

The show also includes Living Colour, the recently reunited "black rock" band of the early 1990s, fronted by one of Hendrix's foremost champions, guitarist Vernon Reid; Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready; Jerry Cantrell, well known here as the former Alice in Chains lead guitarist, who now has his own solo career; Indigenous, the blues rock group that shares Jimi Hendrix's Native American heritage (his mother was part Cherokee); Kenny Olson, the rockin' guitarist from Kid Rock's band; Hubert Sumlin, the veteran guitarist who spent many years with blues legend Howlin' Wolf; Sheldon Reynolds, the funky guitarist from Earth, Wind & Fire; Double Trouble — drummer Chris Layton and bassist Tommy Shannon — from the late bluesman Stevie Ray Vaughan's band; drummer Mitch Mitchell, the only living survivor of The Jimi Hendrix Experience; bassist Billy Cox, who played with Hendrix in the Band of Gypsys; and Paul Rodgers, the great rock singer of Free and Bad Company fame.

	Mike McCready

They will play classic Hendrix songs, such as "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)," "Red House" and "Little Wing," along with some of the blues standards Hendrix performed, like "Hey Joe" and "Hoochie Coochie Man."

The tour continues, with some changes in personnel, with shows in Portland and San Francisco. If the short tour is successful, it will play other American markets this spring and summer, then may go overseas.

Next up from Experience Hendrix: "Power of Soul," in May, a tribute album featuring new and previously unreleased recordings by Eric Clapton, Sting, Prince, Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble and others.

Patrick MacDonald: 206-464-2312 or pmacdonald@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company