Previously unreleased Jimi Hendrix music to be available soon

Nearly 40 years after Jimi Hendrix's death, the estate of the legendary Seattle-born guitarist will release an album it says contains never-before-heard music.

The upcoming release, the details of which are being announced today, is the result of a new partnership between Experience Hendrix and Sony Music Entertainment's Legacy Recordings.

Called "Valleys of Neptune," the album will become available March 9 and will feature some of Hendrix's final studio recordings.

"It reflects his genius, his showmanship and his leadership," said Janie Hendrix, chief executive of Experience Hendrix in Tukwila. "He was the boss, and you can hear his direction and control in the songs."

Most of the album's tracks were recorded during a four-month period in 1969 in New York and London, after the 1968 release of his "Electric Ladyland" album, and before the 1970 opening of his Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village.

The title track, "Valleys of Neptune," comes out Feb. 2. The album also includes studio covers of Elmore James' "Bleeding Heart" and Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love."

Jimi Hendrix died in London in September 1970 at age 27. A California attorney managed his estate for nearly 20 years. Hendrix's late father, Al, won the rights to his music in 1995.

Experience Hendrix last year announced a licensing deal with Sony Music for his master recordings. Universal Music Group had held the master licenses for much of the Hendrix catalog since 1997.

Under the new deal, Sony's Legacy Recordings also will reissue deluxe editions in March of the core catalog — "Are You Experienced," "Axis: Bold As Love," "Electric Ladyland," and "First Rays of the New Rising Sun." The bonus material includes a DVD featuring interviews with band members Noel Redding and Billy Cox.

Amy Martinez: 206-464-2923 or amartinez@seattletimes.com