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Various Artists
Blue Haze: Songs of Jimi Hendrix
Considering that the volume of Hendrix tribute CDs now overshadows the modest quantity of official releases, the means and modes of interpreting Jimi's legacy might eventually run dry one of these days. Blue Haze is measurably more eclectic than most in the mill, preserved here by German blues producer Thomas Ruf, who was able to mediate between a collection of old friends (Eric Burdon, Buddy Miles, and Taj Mahal), some hot shit guitarists (Walter Trout, Eric Gales, and Vernon Reid), and a few indie astonishers (Michelle Shocked and Ana Popovic). So depending on your affinity for Hendrixian influence, not only is Blue Haze a splendid honorarium, but a new way at looking at his musical prowess. Older fans may get a little misty on hearing Burdon's razor-edged "I Don't Live Today," while Buddy Miles' funkapolitan version of "The Wind Cries Mary" (bolstered here by Stevie Ray Vaughn's rhythm section, Double Trouble) is timeless in saluting his old partner. But the blues welders also get to shower some sparks, letting Trout pump the decibels here with Popa Chubby and Jimmy Thackery on a triple-threat "Who Knows," while Gales reveals the Delta side of "Voodoo Chile" (with sultry vocals by Trudy Lynn). But for all of the axe-wielding pyrotechnics (which would also include a Pretenders-like shuffle for Michelle Shocked's version of "House Burning Down"), this disc's most poignant moments are those from the experimental dimension. Like the alpha-omega, trip hopping "Purple Haze" from synth-poppers Friend 'n" Fellow. Or the bubbly, Hawaiian-decorated take of "All Along The Watchtower" from Taj Mahal's new group. But it may be the stirring vocals of Eric Bibb, an astonishing soul singer in Europe, who recites the fragile, spiritual beauty of "Angel" with such revelation, that Hendrix's lysergic-babble about space hymns and galactic churches becomes alive. Includes contributions from Alvin "Youngblood" Hart, Bernard Allsion, and blues newcomer Aynsley Lister. -virginia reed (Ruf America)
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