Meeting Jimi Hendrix
A while back, local jazz bassist Slim Manicotti sent out an email blast.
In it, he casually mentioned the time he met Jimi Hendrix.
Yesterday, I emailed him back and asked him to tell me the story.
Here it is ...
From Slim:
In May, 1969, I was first in line at the Hendrix concert at the Baltimore Civic Center. I told my friend (Jeff Thorsell, the light guy for my band) that I was walking right on stage. I did, he followed.
I went backstage and Mitch Mitchell asked me to hold a flashlight while he fixed his bass drum pedal. Then, I went to one side of the stage, and my friend went to the other.
I was watching the opening band, Cactus, when I felt a nudge on my shoulder. It was Jimi Hendrix. He mentioned that he thought the guitar player with Cactus was good. We stood side by side, watching Cactus for a while. Hendrix did most of the talking.
Then Cactus finished their set, and Hendrix came out. I watched the whole show from side, backstage.
Incredible.
I think it was around that point that I gave up guitar and took up the bass.
And the next week I went to Merriweather and saw Led Zeppelin open up for The Who.
I was on my way...
(AP Photo)
Comments
Music was so much better then....Our generation needs revolutionaries!
Posted by: Trouble | May 22, 2008 8:50 AM
Friday may 16, 1969. What a lucky guy meeting Jimi ! Did Slim Manicotti miss The Buddy Miles Express opening with Cat Mother in front of 13000 people ?
Keep rocking anyway and stay tuned !
Posted by: Yazid Manou | May 22, 2008 10:16 AM
There was an article in Baltimore Mag a few months back about a local photographer (whose name escapes me) who took loads of pictures of musicians from that era when they passed through the area. Had some nice shots of Hendrix which I believe were from the show mentioned above. Also had Zeppelin, The Who, The Doors, CSNY, Stones, etc. Great pics but he wanted way too much $ for prints...which is why I've forgotten his name.
Posted by: Greg S | May 22, 2008 10:34 AM
Jimi certainly did like Jim McCarty, with whom he jammed one evening at the Record Plant in NYC...the jam has been available for years on the Hendrix collector circuit...McCarty, who had played for Buddy Miles--and before that, with Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels (remember that hectic, fiery guitar solo during "Devil with the Blue Dress On?!...yup, that was McCarty)....he didn't think much of his jam with Jimi, which has been titled "Jimi/Jimmy Jam"...Jack in Everett, Wash.
Posted by: JackD. Bell | May 24, 2008 6:04 AM
Thats a lie.
Posted by: tyler | May 25, 2008 1:00 PM