A stretch of West 8th Street in New York City's Greenwich Village is now known as Jimi Hendrix Way, reports Nick Caloway of CBS News.
The sign stands outside of Electric Lady Studios, which was opened by Hendrix in 1970 shortly before his unexpected death. It was the only artist-owned recording studio in existence at the time.
"Nobody deserves a street more than Jimi Hendrix," said musician and actor Steven Van Zandt. "We got Joey Ramone's done, which is great. They even gave me my own street in my hometown in New Jersey. So, if I got a street, Jimi gets a street, that's for sure."
The street renaming comes ahead of the release of a new documentary about Jimi Hendrix and the studio called, Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision, and is produced by Jimi's sister Janie Hendrix.
Abramorama recently announced that they have acquired global theatrical distribution rights to the full-length documentary, Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision, from Experience Hendrix L.L.C. Abramorama previously distributed two other Jimi Hendrix documentaries, Electric Church, and the 2022 Grammy nominated Music, Money, Madness: Jimi Hendrix Live In Maui. An August release is planned, starting in New York City at the Quad on August 9, 2024, followed by a global roll out.
A new video trailer for Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision can be found below.
Evan Saxon, Abramorama’s President and Head of International Distribution states, “Abramorama is honored to once again collaborate with Experience Hendrix L.L.C, this time to share an insightful and never before seen documentary about one of the most famous recording studios in the world. Listen to an hour’s worth of music on your favorite playlist, DSP or radio station and odds are at least one of the songs was recorded at Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios.”
Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision chronicles the creation of the studio, rising from the rubble of a bankrupt Manhattan nightclub to becoming a state-of-the-art recording facility inspired by Hendrix’s desire for a permanent studio. Electric Lady Studios was the first ever artist owned commercial recording studio. Hendrix had first envisioned creating an experiential nightclub. He was inspired by the short-lived Greenwich Village nightspot Cerebrum whose patrons donned flowing robes and were inundated by flashing lights, spectral images and swirling sound. Hendrix so enjoyed the Cerebrum experience that he asked its architect John Storyk to work with him and his manager Michael Jeffery. Hendrix and Jeffery wanted to transform what had once been the Generation Club into ‘an electric studio of participation’. Shortly after acquiring the Generation Club lease however, Hendrix was steered from building a nightclub to creating a commercial recording studio.
The documentary includes never-before-seen footage and photos as well as track breakdowns of Hendrix classics such as “Freedom,” “Angel” and “Dolly Dagger” by recording engineer Eddie Kramer who was awarded an Emmy for his work on the film "Jimi Hendrix: Hear My Train A Comin'."
An award-winning producer / engineer and longtime Jimi Hendrix collaborator, Eddie Kramer stated, “Jimi loved jamming at The Generation night club in the Village and when it went bankrupt, he and [manager] Mike Jeffery purchased it with a view to making it a place for him and his friends to relax and possibly record their jams on an 8-track tape machine in the corner. Soon thereafter I was asked to evaluate the space. I remember walking down the stairs to a demolition site as they had started to tear stuff down to see how much bigger they could make it. I knew at once that a club would be disastrous. I remember saying something like “You guys must be out your #$%^&ing minds! Do you have any idea of what Jimi spends in studio time in a year? Let’s build the best studio in the world for him so when he walks in, he can relax and record whenever he wants. The club idea was scratched, and Electric Lady Studios was born. By June of the next year (1970) Studio A was completed and after a few test sessions Jimi came in to record in HIS studio. Man was he proud of it. He loved the way it sounded and its vibe. We recorded many tracks for a new album over the next 4 months which became Cry of Love. The legacy of what Jimi wanted endures to this day: a place where one could create without being interrupted. Every artist who comes to Electric Lady Studios feels the spirit of Jimi Hendrix, a spirit that helps them create their own music!”
Directed by John McDermott and produced by Janie Hendrix, George Scott and McDermott, the film features exclusive interviews with Steve Winwood (who joined Hendrix on the first night of recording at the new studio), Experience bassist Billy Cox and original Electric Lady staff members who helped Hendrix realize his dream. The documentary includes never-before-seen footage and photos as well as track breakdowns of Hendrix classics such as “Freedom,” “Angel” and “Dolly Dagger” by recording engineer Eddie Kramer.
The documentary explains in depth that while Jimi Hendrix’s death robbed the public of so much potential music, the continued success of his recording studio provides a lasting legacy beyond his own music. John Lennon, The Clash, AC/DC, Chic, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Beyonce and hundreds more made records at Electric Lady Studios, which speaks to one of Jimi’s lasting achievements in an industry that has radically changed over the course of the last half century.
Janie Hendrix reflects, “Jimi’s creative mind was always filled with next level ideas. He was never content with the ordinary but was driven by the burning desire to create something incredible that hadn’t been done before. That was the catalyst for Electric Lady Studios. The film, Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision, brings to light just how forward-thinking and inventive Jimi was in every aspect of his music, including production and recording. It was at Electric Lady Studios where he pushed beyond the musical limits of what was known, and he then opened the door to other musicians, allowing them the space to realize their own artistic hopes and dreams. My brother conceived something so amazing and so big that it has lived on for decades since its inception, serving as a passageway for hundreds of artists to bring their creativity to a waiting world audience. This is what Jimi envisioned when he founded the New York brainchild, and his prophecy is fulfilled through the countless, brilliant musicians who have tapped into the energy of the studio Jimi created. Legendary artists such as Stevie Wonder, John Lennon, David Bowie, U2, Prince, Jon Batiste, Lana Del Rey, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, D’Angelo and so many others have produced their finest work in the inspired recording house. This film tells the story of how the dream of a visionary, who dared to think outside the musical box, can have a limitless reach, generation after generation. It tells Jimi’s story with his Electric Lady.”
For the first time in five years, The Experience Hendrix Tour, the critically acclaimed multi-artist celebration of Jimi Hendrix's musical genius, returns to the concert trail with a slate of concert dates that offer the musical excellence of numerous topflight artists in celebration of the life and legacy of Jimi Hendrix.
While there was a one-off event date in Austin, TX in 2022, the last full-fledged (pre-pandemic) EH tour took place in 2019. The concept for the Experience Hendrix Tour dates back more than 25 years; what started as a single concert at San Diego's Street Scene in 2001 and 2002 expanded by 2004 into a full-fledged national tour.
This year's outing marks the 20th anniversary of the Experience Hendrix Tour. This year's tour bring the music of Jimi Hendrix to audiences in the Pacific Northwest, California, Nevada, Arizona New Mexico and eastward through Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee concluding in Georgia and Florida. Most fittingly, the tour kicks off on September 19 in Seattle, Jimi Hendrix's hometown, at the Paramount Theater.
The tour presents a host of great artists collaborating and interpreting Hendrix's legendary songs as part of a powerhouse, three-hour concert experience. The wide range of multi-generational artists who participate in a reflection of the ecumenicism of Jimi Hendrix's classic repertoire and the diversity of those whose lives have been indelibly affected by his music. Kenny Wayne Shepherd is one of the major players in forthcoming edition of the Experience Hendrix Tour and a veteran of previous EH's outings. Shepherd, a five-time Grammy nominee and recipient of two Billboard Music Awards commented, "I'm excited to rejoin the Experience Hendrix tour this year. It's always been a great tour with exceptional artists honoring Jimi Hendrix, the greatest guitar player of all time, and his amazing and expansive catalog of songs. Being able to do a tour with friends always makes for a great time and this show is not to be missed."
Other notable artists who are part of the tour this time out include the legendary blues icon Taj Mahal, Zakk Wylde, founder of Black Label Society and most recently part of the reformed Pantera, Mississippi-born blues wunderkind Christone "Kingfish" Ingram who is both a Grammy Award winner and was named Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year at least year's Blues Music Awards, guitar greats Eric Johnson and Dweezil Zappa, Mato Nanji from Indigenous, Calvin Cooke and Chuck Campbell of the Slide Brothers, standard bearers of the "sacred steel" musical tradition, and vocalist Henri Brown. Participating artists vary for performance dates so Experience Hendrix concert goers are encouraged to visit experiencehendrixtour.com for specifics about each of the tour stops.
This year's tour will also present a host of rising stars including Texas born and raised blues sensation Ally Venable, who headlined the 60-date European Blues Caravan tour when she was just 20 years old, vocalist Dylan Triplett, Seattle guitarist Ayron Jones, young Brazilian blues rock guitarist Arthur Menezes and 20-year-old Mathias Lattin, winner of the Blues Foundation's 2023 International Blues Challenge. Other artists joining the tour for select dates (see below include Blues Music Award winner Samantha Fish, and Stanley Jordan, the noted jazz guitarist who is an exponent of the two-handed tapping technique. Beyond these artists, special guests will drop in over the course of the tour. These include country music sensation Hunter Hayes, legendary Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and many others to be announced.
The 2024 Experience Hendrix Tour is sponsored by Marshall, Fender, Dunlop, Hal Leonard, JMH Productions, Experience Hendrix, and Authentic Hendrix. Marshall amps have long been associated with Jimi Hendrix and were his amplifiers of choice during his career. Fender is now celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Fender Stratocaster, the guitar most often associated with Jimi Hendrix. Dunlop makers of gear and accessories, recently launched line of Authentic Hendrix '68 Shrine Series of stomp boxes/effects pedals while Hal Leonard, the world's largest print music publisher, has long had an association with Experience Hendrix, L.L.C.
Dates:
September
19 - Seattle WA - Paramount Theatre
20 - Spokane WA - First Interstate Center for the Arts
21 - Forest Grove OR - Grand Lodge
22 - Reno NV - Grand Theatre/Grand Sierra Resort
25 - Santa Rosa CA - Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
26 - Saratoga, CA - The Mountain Winery
27 - Las Vegas NV - Smith Center
28 - Highland CA - Yaamaya Theater
29 - Tucson AZ - Fox Theatre
October
1 - Anaheim CA - City National Grove
3 - San Diego CA - Rady Shell
4 - Mesa AZ - Mesa Arts Center/Ikeda Theater
5 - Albuquerque NM - Kiva Auditorium
6 - Colorado Springs CO - Pikes Peak Center
9 - San Antonio TX - Majestic Theatre
10 - Houston TX - Bayou Music Center
11 - Ft. Worth TX - Will Rogers Auditorium
12 - Tulsa OK - River Spirit Casino
13 - Shreveport LA - Shreveport Municipal Auditorium
15 - Nashville TN - Ryman Auditorium
16 - Evans GA - Columbia Country Performing Arts Center
17 - Clearwater FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
18 - Pompano Beach FL - Pompano Beach Amphitheater
19 - St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amphitheater
For further details, visit the Experience Hendrix Tour page, here. Watch a video trailer below:
