I’ve been a huge fan of the music of Jimi Hendrix for almost as long as I’ve been a musician. My first impression was not a good one though as I was a teenager during the 1980s back when ultra fast and supernaturally acurate precision shredding was taking over the world of guitar heroes. In the midst of having my mind blown by the finger wizardry of 80s metal Gods someone mentioned to me that I should listen to “Jimi Hendrix!” as I sat through my first Hendrix experience I was somewhat disappointed in his apparent sloppiness and lack of blistering sweep arpeggio patterns. Yet the more I listened the more my musical mind began to become aware of …something unexplainable. It was a mystery that still tickles my musical funnybone to this day. How did he string his notes together so effortlessly? Where are all those extra terrestrial sounds coming from and how could he weave it all together with such uncanny perfection into some kind of magnificantly psychedelic sonic landscape? So effortless. Beautiful and almost frightening at times. Hendrix seems to be able to bring his listeners into that same kind of Expanded consciousness that was a product of the Acid trips and dreams of the 1960s .
As a Shamisen player I have always dreamed of stretching the boundaries and creating a new kind of Shamisen style that would fuse together The old school with something so far out and modern that it would leave people either cheering or scratching their heads asking “What the heck did we just witness here!!?” needless to say a huge inspiration and influence on my approach has always been and will forever be Jimi Hendrix!
And now Ladies and Gentlemen of Bachido.com, I now offer to you my Shamisen tribute to Hendrix . (Yeah, I do play other things besides Kyary Pamyu Pamyu pop songs from time to time) anyway hope you enjoy! Please leave me your comments/thoughts!
Bachi On!
And of course a true tribute to Hendrix would not be complete without. . .
Glad to have you back!
