Rye International Jazz & Blues Festival proudly presents the world’s biggest selling classical violinist of all time, maestro and maverick Nigel Kennedy, who performs the music of Jimi Hendrix for a very special exclusive UK concert at the Brighton Dome Concert Hall on Friday 25th November.
Over the years Kennedy’s performances have ranged from straight classical interpretations to collaborations with Stéphane Grappelli, Kate Bush, Robert Plant and Paul McCartney. However, from early on in his career there has been one composer to whom he keeps on returning: Jimi Hendrix.
In 1967 a young and emerging Jimi Hendrix performed at the Brighton Dome which marks almost 49 years ago when the legendary guitarist graced the stage in Brighton. This makes this unique event even more poignant as Kennedy, who was born in Hove, is a lifelong fan and has been heavily influenced by the music of Hendrix.
This concert sees the virtuoso work with a brand new international line up, including guitarist Doug Boyle (regular collaborator with Robert Plant), 18-year-old guitar prodigy Julian Buschberger, vibraphonist Orphy Robinson (founding member of The Jazz Warriors), and leading European rhythm section Tomasz Kupiec and Adam Czerwinski (the Jarek Smietana band).
Nigel said, “What attracts me to Jimi Hendrix’s music is the amazingly open mind that he had. This was reflected in many ways. He was always gracious and never insulting to anybody and this showed through the music. There were any number of influences that you can hear through his compositions; these ranged from rock, blues and Celtic through to trance and experimental styles. Maybe that’s why I find it so natural exploring his music, having been involved in so many similar styles myself.”
Kennedy’s performance includes electric and acoustic renditions, and features ‘Purple Haze’, ‘Hey Joe’, ‘The Wind Cries Mary’, ‘Crosstown Traffic’, ‘Fire’, ‘Drifting’, ‘Little Wing’, ‘1983… (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)’ and ‘Third Stone from the Sun’, among other compositions.
This outstanding concert is a very special opportunity to admire the impressive musicianship of Kennedy himself but also his incredibly talented band that join him from across Europe. With Kennedy at the heart of this this stunning show you can expect to experience the unique interpretations of the Hendrix classics and much more.
Nigel Kennedy will play the music of Jimi Hendrix at the Brighton Dome Concert Hall on Friday 25th November at 8.00pm. Tickets range from £32.00 to £70.00 and can be booked through the Brighton Dome Box Office on 01273 709709 or online at www.brightondome.org
