“Witnessing how these three contributed to his stellar vision and bringing them together is a testament to Hendrix's enduring legacy”: Jimi Hendrix's Woodstock bandmates reunite for the first time in nearly 40 years to perform Band of Gypsys-era classics
Bassist Billy Cox and percussionists Gerardo Velez and Juma Sultan paid homage to the legendary guitarist's repertoire
(Image credit: Jerry Imbro)
The three surviving members of Jimi Hendrix’s Woodstock band, Gypsy Sun & Rainbows, recently reunited for the first time since 1988. Bassist Billy Cox and percussionists Gerardo Velez and Juma Sultan, along with Hendrix stand-in guitarist Jimy Bleu, graced The Suffolk Theater in Riverhead, New York, on August 1 and paid homage to Hendrix's impactful legacy.
The special appearances didn't end there, however, as former Noel Redding and Spin Doctors guitarist Anthony Krizan and ex-Buddy Miles Express drummer Kenn Moutenot also joined the lineup.
Speaking about the opportunity to perform alongside Hendrix's own bandmates, Bleu says, “Having played with each of them previously and while often being around Hendrix in my youth, witnessing how these three contributed to his stellar vision, the production of the event and bringing them together is a testament to Hendrix's enduring legacy. May his tribe increase!”
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From L to R - Billy Cox, Juma Sultan and Gerardo Velez(Image credit: Jerry Imbro)
Juma Sultan(Image credit: Jerry Imbro)
Gerardo Velez and Jimy Bleu(Image credit: Jerry Imbro)
The Woodstock set(Image credit: Jerry Imbro)
The reunion was part of Kiss the Sky, a touring production produced by Mike Gotch Vechesky that takes a deep dive into Hendrix's repertoire and reproduces some of his best moments. These include his appearances at Monterey Pop, his Fillmore East concert, and his The Cry Of Love tour.
In a Guitar World interview, Cox talked about the legendary Fillmore show which became the celebrated 1970 live album, Band of Gypsys. “I looked out on the audience during that first show – and when we hit our first note and got into those songs, people were standing there with their mouths wide open.
“It was funny, the expressions on people’s faces. I think all four of those sets went very, very well. We got enough material and didn’t have to edit anything. We made very few mistakes, and we were feeling it from the head to the toes.”
Hendrix fans can catch Kiss The Sky in West Chester, Pennsylvania, on August 9, with more dates to be announced.
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Janelle is a staff writer at GuitarWorld.com. After a long stint in classical music, Janelle discovered the joys of playing guitar in dingy venues at the age of 13 and has never looked back. Janelle has written extensively about the intersection of music and technology, and how this is shaping the future of the music industry. She also had the pleasure of interviewing Dream Wife, K.Flay, Yīn Yīn, and Black Honey, among others. When she's not writing, you'll find her creating layers of delicious audio lasagna with her art-rock/psych-punk band ĠENN.
