Kennedy for master Hendrix
"Hendrix was extremely sensitive to many different things, which appeared in his playing style almost instinctively," said Nigel Kennedy in an interview almost twenty years ago. He talked not only about his fascination with the American guitarist – he also said how he broke down Hendrix’s songs and arranged them by himself to play them on the electric violin with the same emotional appeal. Kennedy never wanted to copy the master of six strings; he preferred borrowing some characteristic elements from this music and making the best use of them (for instance, in "Purple Haze").
Rebel for a musical cause
Those who saw Nigel Kennedy in action – on stage – can be sure that he will be beating the Guitar Guinness World Record not less successfully than well-known guitarists will do and will engage crowds of musicians and amateurs in mutual fun. He never behaves like a star – he is as close to his listeners as possible and does not care about concert etiquette. He played Vivaldi with an ostentatious mohawk, Beethoven with a tallit (a striped shawl worn by Jews) protruding from under his shirt and jacket and Hendrix in Lennon’s eyeglasses. He is apparently still opposed to being pigeonholed: ‘you have a classical background, so you play and behave in classical style’. He played Hendrix for an encore after Beethoven, because he thought and still thinks that both artists are great composers.
Guitar record on the violin
In order to play songs by Hendrix, or songs inspired by him, he created the Jimmy Hendrix Project, with which he will perform during this year’s attempt to beat the Guitar Guinness World Record in Wroclaw on the 1. of May. On the stage on the Wroclaw Market Square, he will play together with bassist Tomasz Kupiec, guitarists Doug Boyle and Julian Buschberger and drummers Ophra Robinson and Adam Czerwiński.
Who else will play during this year’s Guitar Guinness World Record event? The Gypsy Kings. Read here.
