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The Gypsy Sun Experience review
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Kendall
Jul 25, 1999, 3:00:00 AM7/25/99
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Well, my head's still ringing and my pulse still pounding from the
night at the Exit/In here in Nashville. It's past
midnight and I've got to work in the morning, but I can't delay telling
all the Jiminuts around the world what it was like to
go downtown tonight to see Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell play!
First of all, this event wasn't advertised all that well. I
happened to read the ad carefully, and I'm lucky I did, but it still
didn't say anything more than "Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi
Hendrix Experience[sic] at 10PM"... no cover
charge info or anything else. When we got down there, we noticed the
line was extending several yards out of the door,
and it didn't appear to be moving! I had called earlier and they had
said that they were going to open at 6:30 for NAMM
members and 9PM for non members. Apparently the minor NAMM convention
is here this weekend - a fact we quickly
picked up on when Beau and I found ourselves the only non-musicians in
the crowd. We waited outside, in a
non-moving line, for about a half an hour, while the manager came out
once and explained we would all get it, but they
had to remove the tables and chairs to fit everybody. (I yelled back,
"Didn't the same thing happen to The Doors in Miami??")
Well, we got in at last, and it was pretty much standing room only.
I'd never been to the Exit/In before, but apparently it's got a proud
tradition. While the opening act (whose name I don't remember but who
reminded me of an uptempo Santana) wailed (and I must admit - there are
two kinds of opening acts, the kind you are annoyed at having to shout
over, and the kind you don't talk at all over because you're too busy
being taken by surprise... This band fell largely in the
latter category)... anyways, I was studying the opposite wall, which
had a bunch of names on it - apparently all the
people who had played there before. Muddy Waters? I spotted a few
Jimi jam partners - Buddy Miles, John
McLaughlin, Taj Mahal, and John Lee Hooker (apparently nobody taped it,
but during the Miami Pop festival, in their
hotel, there was a jam between Jimi, John Lee, and Frank Zappa. And
-nobody- has a tape?? Fire up the time
machine!)... not to mention some other names on the wall like Richie
Havens (who opened for Jimi at that one show in
New York they're busy repeating... and who I saw a few years back in an
incredible performance in Michigan)... This
wall was definately eclectic - everybody from George Jones to The
Ramones.
While the opener was good, I was waiting for the next act... and
finally they ended (after the bass played soloed on the
Star Spangled Banner! Not psychedelic like Jimi's rendition, much more
straight, but, well, he played it on a bass!) The
MC promised a quick set change. Well, they tried... and out strode
Billy, and there's just no mistaking Billy. Mitch
climbed behind the drums, and two other guitarists picked up their
axes, and three young ladies strode to the center stage
microphones, and you've got the Gypsy Sun Experience. I found it
interesting that they needed two guitars to
approximate Jimi - of course, Jimi played rhythm and lead
simultanously, often while singing. The guy who played
mostly lead guitar was named Tendor - and I had been warned that Billy
and Mitch might be playing with a tenth-rate
Hendrix impersonator, but Tendor was definately first class! The only
time he slipped was when he tried to play the
guitar with his teeth - IMO he just didn't do it. But when he got two
hands on the guitar, this guy knew his stuff! And he
most definately was not a SRV imitator, like so many of you claim most
Jimi players are. Tendor's got Jimi flowing
through his veins all right.
The first song, Billy introduced by saying they had tried to play
there at one point but someone broke their word, and
rather than get mad, they wrote a song, called "My Word Is My Bond", an
uptempo blues jam. Next, they featured
Tendor on an original composition, something like "Johnny Got His Gun",
about kids and guns. I thought the first verse
was a little strange, but once Tendor kicked it into gear on the
chorus, this song wailed! I'm talking I Don't Live Today
kinda wail! I kept almost hearing a Jimi riff playing in and out of
the song - like he almost stole one line, but changed it a
little bit. I couldn't name the song I thought it came from, though.
Billy said Tendor was halfway through recording an
album and that in his opinion we should keep an eye out for it. Then
they gave the three girl singers a chance to shine on
an old tune, one for which I'm not sure the name but you'd know it if
you heard it.
Billy then told the crowd (who, remember, were 99% musicians) that
he had tried to make a bass guitar with one
company but they kept stalling him so he went to another and he made
the bass he was playing tonight. He said
something about it having a "split four string, with the volume volume
volume here and then the tone tone tone knobs... I
call it the Freedom guitar! [cheers] So, I guess it's only
appropriate that we play Freedom!" To which the crowd
erupted... and Freedom they did. Billy's opening shimmy down the bass
sent chills down my spine... and Billy sang
lead, which was interesting, except that Billy sounds more like B.B.
King than Jimi. Not to say that's bad - but imagine
B.B. King trying to belt out the cry of "FREEDOM" and you'll see what I
mean. Still, it was a great rendition of the
song.
Billy then pointed out someone in the crowd, a member of Jimi's
family, "Bob" Hendrix. (I think the name was Bob,
but I'm not sure...) Bob waved back, so I knew which one was him, but
all I could see was a big shaved black head.
Billy then turned it over to Tendor, who chucka-chuckad into the intro
of Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) quite effectively.
I thought Tendor's guitar was a little low in the mix in this last
song, but he did manage to cut it up quite nicely - when he
kept the guitar away from his teeth, that is. (Nice try, T, but if you
can't do it, don't try it. Jimi's amazing ability was to
play the guitar with his teeth the SAME WAY he was playing with his
fingers - if you're not watching, and you don't
know what a dental solo sounds like, you wouldn't know his fingers left
the guitar. Tendor sounded like he was taking a
stab at it, but it weren't the same.) And I gotta say that, while
James Brown has appropriated the title The Hardest
Working Man in Show Business, for my money - well, in all of show
business, the hardest working man is Jackie Chan.
Hands down. But, in music, Mitch Mitchell, when he's given an
opportunity to play his way (which he only did on three
of the five songs, the rest he basically could do no more than provide
the back beat), but when he's allowed to let loose,
give him the Hardest Working Man title any day. I love that man's
posture when he gets into it - his whole torso lunges at
the drums. It's like, not only was he playing for the ear in such a
manner to try as, if not compete with Hendrix, at least
he kept up with him, matching him note for creative note. Since Jimi
was such a showman physically as well as
acoustically, Mitch also has some of this quality in the way he attacks
the skins. He was kinda hidden back there, but
every now and then I remembered to check him out, and he was certainly
going at it with gusto. Everybody cheered the loudest for Mitch - and
one guy in the back at the end yelled out "QUEEN BEE!!!"
After Voodoo Chile (SR) the band left, and the MC asked for a big
hand for Billy Cox! And Mitch Mitchell! And he
did drag Mitch out in front of the microphone to give an impromptu nod
to his drumkit people - "I don't have to give an
endorsement, but I will... They're a rental set, and I know every time
it's going to be consistent." And then Mitch left,
and while the MC promised that the next band (whose name I forget) was
unforgettable, I'm sure they were (are) but I
have to get up in six hours, mebbe less. And I knew I had to write
this lengthy screed. Forgive me if I wandered a bit,
but I wanted to write this one before I had a chance to think too much
and forget the best parts.
night at the Exit/In here in Nashville. It's past
midnight and I've got to work in the morning, but I can't delay telling
all the Jiminuts around the world what it was like to
go downtown tonight to see Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell play!
First of all, this event wasn't advertised all that well. I
happened to read the ad carefully, and I'm lucky I did, but it still
didn't say anything more than "Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi
Hendrix Experience[sic] at 10PM"... no cover
charge info or anything else. When we got down there, we noticed the
line was extending several yards out of the door,
and it didn't appear to be moving! I had called earlier and they had
said that they were going to open at 6:30 for NAMM
members and 9PM for non members. Apparently the minor NAMM convention
is here this weekend - a fact we quickly
picked up on when Beau and I found ourselves the only non-musicians in
the crowd. We waited outside, in a
non-moving line, for about a half an hour, while the manager came out
once and explained we would all get it, but they
had to remove the tables and chairs to fit everybody. (I yelled back,
"Didn't the same thing happen to The Doors in Miami??")
Well, we got in at last, and it was pretty much standing room only.
I'd never been to the Exit/In before, but apparently it's got a proud
tradition. While the opening act (whose name I don't remember but who
reminded me of an uptempo Santana) wailed (and I must admit - there are
two kinds of opening acts, the kind you are annoyed at having to shout
over, and the kind you don't talk at all over because you're too busy
being taken by surprise... This band fell largely in the
latter category)... anyways, I was studying the opposite wall, which
had a bunch of names on it - apparently all the
people who had played there before. Muddy Waters? I spotted a few
Jimi jam partners - Buddy Miles, John
McLaughlin, Taj Mahal, and John Lee Hooker (apparently nobody taped it,
but during the Miami Pop festival, in their
hotel, there was a jam between Jimi, John Lee, and Frank Zappa. And
-nobody- has a tape?? Fire up the time
machine!)... not to mention some other names on the wall like Richie
Havens (who opened for Jimi at that one show in
New York they're busy repeating... and who I saw a few years back in an
incredible performance in Michigan)... This
wall was definately eclectic - everybody from George Jones to The
Ramones.
While the opener was good, I was waiting for the next act... and
finally they ended (after the bass played soloed on the
Star Spangled Banner! Not psychedelic like Jimi's rendition, much more
straight, but, well, he played it on a bass!) The
MC promised a quick set change. Well, they tried... and out strode
Billy, and there's just no mistaking Billy. Mitch
climbed behind the drums, and two other guitarists picked up their
axes, and three young ladies strode to the center stage
microphones, and you've got the Gypsy Sun Experience. I found it
interesting that they needed two guitars to
approximate Jimi - of course, Jimi played rhythm and lead
simultanously, often while singing. The guy who played
mostly lead guitar was named Tendor - and I had been warned that Billy
and Mitch might be playing with a tenth-rate
Hendrix impersonator, but Tendor was definately first class! The only
time he slipped was when he tried to play the
guitar with his teeth - IMO he just didn't do it. But when he got two
hands on the guitar, this guy knew his stuff! And he
most definately was not a SRV imitator, like so many of you claim most
Jimi players are. Tendor's got Jimi flowing
through his veins all right.
The first song, Billy introduced by saying they had tried to play
there at one point but someone broke their word, and
rather than get mad, they wrote a song, called "My Word Is My Bond", an
uptempo blues jam. Next, they featured
Tendor on an original composition, something like "Johnny Got His Gun",
about kids and guns. I thought the first verse
was a little strange, but once Tendor kicked it into gear on the
chorus, this song wailed! I'm talking I Don't Live Today
kinda wail! I kept almost hearing a Jimi riff playing in and out of
the song - like he almost stole one line, but changed it a
little bit. I couldn't name the song I thought it came from, though.
Billy said Tendor was halfway through recording an
album and that in his opinion we should keep an eye out for it. Then
they gave the three girl singers a chance to shine on
an old tune, one for which I'm not sure the name but you'd know it if
you heard it.
Billy then told the crowd (who, remember, were 99% musicians) that
he had tried to make a bass guitar with one
company but they kept stalling him so he went to another and he made
the bass he was playing tonight. He said
something about it having a "split four string, with the volume volume
volume here and then the tone tone tone knobs... I
call it the Freedom guitar! [cheers] So, I guess it's only
appropriate that we play Freedom!" To which the crowd
erupted... and Freedom they did. Billy's opening shimmy down the bass
sent chills down my spine... and Billy sang
lead, which was interesting, except that Billy sounds more like B.B.
King than Jimi. Not to say that's bad - but imagine
B.B. King trying to belt out the cry of "FREEDOM" and you'll see what I
mean. Still, it was a great rendition of the
song.
Billy then pointed out someone in the crowd, a member of Jimi's
family, "Bob" Hendrix. (I think the name was Bob,
but I'm not sure...) Bob waved back, so I knew which one was him, but
all I could see was a big shaved black head.
Billy then turned it over to Tendor, who chucka-chuckad into the intro
of Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) quite effectively.
I thought Tendor's guitar was a little low in the mix in this last
song, but he did manage to cut it up quite nicely - when he
kept the guitar away from his teeth, that is. (Nice try, T, but if you
can't do it, don't try it. Jimi's amazing ability was to
play the guitar with his teeth the SAME WAY he was playing with his
fingers - if you're not watching, and you don't
know what a dental solo sounds like, you wouldn't know his fingers left
the guitar. Tendor sounded like he was taking a
stab at it, but it weren't the same.) And I gotta say that, while
James Brown has appropriated the title The Hardest
Working Man in Show Business, for my money - well, in all of show
business, the hardest working man is Jackie Chan.
Hands down. But, in music, Mitch Mitchell, when he's given an
opportunity to play his way (which he only did on three
of the five songs, the rest he basically could do no more than provide
the back beat), but when he's allowed to let loose,
give him the Hardest Working Man title any day. I love that man's
posture when he gets into it - his whole torso lunges at
the drums. It's like, not only was he playing for the ear in such a
manner to try as, if not compete with Hendrix, at least
he kept up with him, matching him note for creative note. Since Jimi
was such a showman physically as well as
acoustically, Mitch also has some of this quality in the way he attacks
the skins. He was kinda hidden back there, but
every now and then I remembered to check him out, and he was certainly
going at it with gusto. Everybody cheered the loudest for Mitch - and
one guy in the back at the end yelled out "QUEEN BEE!!!"
After Voodoo Chile (SR) the band left, and the MC asked for a big
hand for Billy Cox! And Mitch Mitchell! And he
did drag Mitch out in front of the microphone to give an impromptu nod
to his drumkit people - "I don't have to give an
endorsement, but I will... They're a rental set, and I know every time
it's going to be consistent." And then Mitch left,
and while the MC promised that the next band (whose name I forget) was
unforgettable, I'm sure they were (are) but I
have to get up in six hours, mebbe less. And I knew I had to write
this lengthy screed. Forgive me if I wandered a bit,
but I wanted to write this one before I had a chance to think too much
and forget the best parts.
BTW - I'd never heard of Tendor before tonight. It's very possible
that I've been writing his name wrong all this time -
it could be Tendoor, Tendore, or something. Keep an eye out for him,
however you spell it.
Nick Jones
Jul 28, 1999, 3:00:00 AM7/28/99
to
The last time I saw Mitch & Billy play together they had a guitarist called
Jimi Hendrix with them! Unfortunately it was the ill-fated IOW gig & I got
beat up by the Hell's Angels as well, but it wasn't that bad - at least he
did Machine Gun and a reasonable version of 'In from the Storm' . Sad to
think he died just 3 weeks later.......
Jimi Hendrix with them! Unfortunately it was the ill-fated IOW gig & I got
beat up by the Hell's Angels as well, but it wasn't that bad - at least he
did Machine Gun and a reasonable version of 'In from the Storm' . Sad to
think he died just 3 weeks later.......
Kendall <do...@spam.me> wrote in message
news:250719990046148328%do...@spam.me...
Klaus Jørgensen
Jul 29, 1999, 3:00:00 AM7/29/99
to
Anyway
Thanks for the rewiev Kendall
Thanks for the rewiev Kendall
Nick Jones wrote in message <7nnlme$e35$1...@news7.svr.pol.co.uk>...
tota...@my-deja.com
Aug 13, 1999, 3:00:00 AM8/13/99
to
Hey "Kendall" and company...
Mitch Mitchell’s and Billy Cox’s band, the Gypsy Sun Experience, played
at the Itchycoo Park fest in Tennessee last night, with the great Essra
Mohawk on vocals ( http://www.rockersusa.com/EssraMohawk ). Was anyone
from this group there? I’d like to get a review. Also, does anyone
here know if either Mitch or Billy have their own sites?
Let me know. Thanks.
"Escobar"
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Ed Smith
Aug 16, 1999, 3:00:00 AM8/16/99
to
Well, I got off work and drove to the show. Mitchell and Cox were
scheduled for 7 PM. I got there before 7, but they had already
played! Guess nobody told the people working the show that they had a
published schedule? Oh well....my bad....
scheduled for 7 PM. I got there before 7, but they had already
played! Guess nobody told the people working the show that they had a
published schedule? Oh well....my bad....
Co.
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