Band of Gypsys
Tired of the showboating image that his early live performances had saddled him with--and that his black audience viewed as demeaning and degrading to his musical talent--Hendrix dissolved his Experience in 1969 in search of a more terra-firma-grounded, blues-oriented persona. On New Year's Eve, Hendrix, his old Army buddy bassist Billy Cox, and ex-Electric FlagdrummerBuddy Milesperformed a loose, jam-filled set at New York's Fillmore East (completists will want the panoramic though unevenLive at the Fillmore East). Released a few months after his New Year's Eve 1970 concert,Band of Gypsysunderscored Hendrix's desired return to basics--even if his basic was at a level most guitarists could never attain in a lifetime of playing.--Billy Altman