1996 Festival poster
VOODOO CHILD FANZINE
Indianapolis, IN 46220 U.S.A.
WINTER 1996/1997 ISSUE 41
THE EVREUX EXPERIENCE 30 YEARS LATER... It was 30 years ago, just after Chas Chandler left the Animals and decided to go into management, discovered Jimmy James at the Cafe Wha? in Greenwich Village, and invited Jimmy to London. Jimi set foot on English soil at London Heathrow Airport on September 24, 1966. After settling in and a week of rehearsals with the newly formed Experience, Jimi set off as guest act on a four concert French tour with Johnny Halliday.
On Wednesday, October 12, Noel Redding, Mitch Mitchell and Jimi Hendrix arrived at Le Bourget Airport in Paris. The next day the Experience played their first concert at the Novelty Cinema in Evreux.
In 1996, Etienne Keith organized a commemoration of the first Experience concert. The event was held at the Palais des Congres (aka The Congress Center) in Evreux on Tuesday, October 15 (two days after the original date due to the schedule conflict at the Center). Of course, the Jimi Hendrix Experience originally played at the Novelty Picture Theater, but that has now been turned into a shopping mall.
Tuesday was a typical Autumn weather day, though mild, the sky was grey : rainy day, dream away, I guess the sun went on a holiday. Inside the Congress Center was a spacious concert hall, with an immense stage which had to be dissected with huge black curtains. During the soundcheck and last minute rehearsals, I could see a wealth of, or more likely an exhibition of old vintage equipment. You name it, it was there : from late 60s brownish Marshall stacks, mid 60s Fender amps, old 60s Ludwig drums, early 60s L-series Stratocasters belonging to both guitarists, right down to Fuzz Faces, Octavias, Wha Whas, Univibes, and a couple of non-Hendrix stage effects - a couple of 60s Copycat Echoplexes !
The two groups billed for the night were Gerry Joe Weise, with Australian guitarist/vocalist Gerry Joe fronting a French rhythm section consisting of Philippe Dandrimont on bass and Pascal Caron on drums. More Experience, a Swiss trio, had Marcel Aeby on guitar/vocals with Henry Imboden on bass and Marco Brander on drums.
Original Experience bassist Noel Redding was special guest, arriving very cheerful, did a short soundcheck, and then went off with everyone at 6 p.m. to the shopping mall where the Cinema used to stand to unveil a commemorative tablet of the first Experience concert in presence of the City Mayor.
Back at the Congress Center in the entrance way, there was an exhibition of photos and Hendrix memorabilia exhibited by Caesar Glebbeek (Univibes Fanzine).
The concert got off to a great start with a packed audience of 1,000. Gerry Joe Weise opened on stage with a "Hear My Train A Comin'" guitar solo leading into a fiery "Voodoo Chile" with a "Star Spangled Banner" medley. Two originals followed - "Inside Outside", a fusion instrumental number inspired by Hendrix, and a ballad called "Southern Cross", played as Gerry Joe explained to the audience that every guitarist has his own "Little Wing". He reflected that it was a little scary on stage because you could feel Jimi's presence in the air. "Purple Haze" with a drum solo came next with "All Along The Watchtower", both of which can be found on Gerry Joe Weise's new disc A Letter To Jimi. "Freedom" was an all out funky version, while "Red House" was your classic blues approach with Gerry Joe playing guitar behind his back. It has all been said that "Gerry Joe Weise pays complete respect to Hendrix via personal interpretations", and that sums up well the originality and musicality he infused into that night's performance.
After a short intermission, More Experience took to the stage doing Hendrix covers from their new album Freedom. The Swiss band, which has been together for 10 years now, is an all-out-note-for-note Hendrix show. Taking off with a perfect "Spanish Castle Magic" rendition. Marcel Aeby and company exploded through a set that included "Lover Man", "Ezy Rider", "Power Of Soul", "Sunshine Of Your Love", "Like A Rolling Stone" and "Straight Ahead".
When they broke into "The Wind Cries Mary", they called for Jimi's girlfiend Kathy Etchingham on stage. Looking as radiant and youthful as ever, she talked about the beginning of the Experience, Chas Chandler, and of Jimi. The audience gave her a warm standing ovation.
Then Noel Redding came out in an astral long sleeve t-shirt and a black vest with gold symbols looking quite flashy. He gave a speech in French then strapped on Henry Imboden's battered '61 Fender Jazz bass, turned up the Marshall bass amp stack to full-on and belted into a spirited "Killing Floor" as the crowd went wild. It certainly sounded like the Experience, it just goes to show how imporatant Noel was for the Experience sound. Jimi's genius along with an excellent rhythm sound from Redding and Mitchell created one of the best unique sounds in rock music.
Noel Redding was strutting around the stage effortlessly with difficult songs like "Come On" and "Manic Depression", looking like Noel Redding of 30 years ago when he was only 20. Kathy Etchingham and her husband, Candis (Noel's lady), Gerry Joe Weise and Etienne Keith were all floored, standing near Noel behind the curtain. He certainly had given it everything he could for Jimi.
To end the concert, Noel took up a guitar and plugged it into a '67 Fender Super Reverb, turned it up, and left it rumbling on stage, as he sang and played "My Babe" to a happy crowd clapping along. After the ovation, Marcel Aeby came off stage and said Noel was in great form (they had played together numerous times previously).
Backstage with Noel Redding and Kathy Etchingham, one could swear that at any moment, Jimi would come walking through the door. There was a feast for the musicians and friends after the concert. Then everybody went back to the Mercury Hotel very sagely, no mischief. I guess everybody is getting a little older. Lay back and groove on a rainy day.
M. Thevenin.
Kathy Etchingham, Noel Redding, Gerry Joe Weise.
JiMi TRiBE & GERRY JoE WEiSE
JIMI HENDRIX Tribute and NOEL REDDING Homage)
MySpace http://www.myspace.com/jimitribe
Podcast http://jimitribe.podomatic.com
VOODOO CHILD FANZINE
Indianapolis, IN 46220 U.S.A.
SUMMER-FALL 1996 ISSUE 40
GERRY JOE WEISE
A Letter To Jimi
ABM Records 0-7470-13696-2 CD
01 And The Gods Made Love / Star Spangled banner / Purple Haze
02 All Along The Watchtower
05 Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
06 The Story Of Life (poem by J.Hendrix, music by G.J.Weise)
07 (tribute) A Letter To Jimi
Born in Australia, Gerry Joe Weise cut his teeth as a young, hot guitarist, making his first television appearance at the age of 17. During the 80s, Weise lived in Germany, establishing himself as an important club guitarist backing a variety of artists. Moving into the 90s, he started fronting his own band, basing himself outside of Paris.
Gerry Joe Weise, who's personal collection includes a wealth of vintage guitars and amplifiers - his main axe a 1963 Fender Strat, his effects pedals vintage Roger Mayer - pays complete respect to Hendrix via personal interpretations.
The disc opens with a tape manipulation of "And The Gods Made Love" segued into the "Star Spangled Banner" flowing into an 8-minute "Purple Haze" complete with drum and drum/bass solo breaks. "All Along The Watchtower" seers and soars, while "Power Of Soul / Who Knows" is thin, lacking the soul strength of the Band Of Gypsys, Weise searching for a more ethereal sound. "Manic Depression" is performed slide-style, with an Indian mystique, while "Voodoo Child" is performed acoustic-style, on a 1930 National Triolian.
Gerry Joe Weise closes out the disc, providing an original acoustic music bed for Jimi's poem "The Story Of Life", and his own personal 7-minute instrumental tribute "A Letter To Jimi" overlaying sitar, acoustic guitar and Dobro in a country-folk meets psychedelic-Indian influences.
The following text is a translation of the French article by Monica Lefevre.
GUITARE PLANETE
Sept/Oct/Nov 1996 N°12
GERRY JOE WEISE
A Letter To Jimi
(ABM Records)
Last but not least is the excellent new Hendrix homage, certainly not just your ordinary homage, since Gerry Joe Weise will be in concert Tuesday October 15th in Evreux for the 30th Jimi Hendrix Experience Commemoration for the their first concert ever performed in 1966, and in presence with the original JHE bass player, Mr Noel Redding. While waiting for the eventful commemoration to take place, you can go out and buy this well produced album, Gerry Joe Weise's "A Letter To Jimi" - certainly not just another disc to add under the letter H. Indeed this CD contains two very interesting bonus tracks : firstly "A Letter To Jimi" the record title and instrumental composition by Weise, a long dreamy blues dedicated to the memory of James Marshall Hendrix. Secondly with "The Story Of Life", the very last poem ever written by the voodoo child himself, in fact a harrowing religious text backed by the musical arrangement composed and sung by Gerry Joe Weise on his National resophonic guitar; much like Jim Morrison's "American Prayer", only better ...
Marc Elliot.
The following article comes from the Brazilian Jimi Hendrix fanzine : "FATHERZINE".
FATHERZINE - BRAZIL
N°55/27 1997
Um zine dedicado ao mais criativo e influente guitarrista do século.
UMA EMOCIONADA CARTA MUSICAL
Em nov.96 recebemos envelope postado na França, com um CD, material de divulgaçao e algumas fotos e postais. O CD é de um guitarrista australiano radicado na França, Gerry Joe Weise, e traz 07 covers de canções de Jimi Hendrix, uma musicalização do ultimo poema/texto escrito por ele, e, fechando, um instrumental (do pròprio Gerry Joe Weise) que dà titulo ao CD, com direito a citara indian la, clima de mantra e tudo o mais!... Em algum comentàrio dos que Gerry Joe me mandou, li que ele seria fiel demais, muito literal e respeitoso ao "Father Jimi". Sinceramente, não achei tanto! Gostei do CD, desde a ousadia de abrir o album com dois exercicios de estùdio: "...And The Gods Made Love" e "Star Spangled Banner"... A seguir, uma "Purple Haze" que dà espaço para solos do baixo e bateria! Nas cancões que Gerry Joe canta a coisa descamba um pouco, pois ele não é um grande vocalista... (bem, nem Jimi era, diriam alguns! - NE).
Jà a versão de "Power Of Soul/Who Knows", instrumental, apresenta o som estranho (meio que berimbau abafado) do boomerang sticks. "Manic Depression" (canção predileta do mùsico (e zineiro) Màrcio Bueno - NE) vem a seguir e mantém o pique. A versão de "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" é numa levada acùstica, sò com violões 1930 National Triolian e Dobro, sua levada e dedilhado lembrando as vezes nossa tradição musical instrumental de inspiração nordestina. De penùltimo, a musicalização do longo poema escrito por Jimi, no dia 17/09/1970, e que eu nunca antes vira/ouvira musicado. Numa levada bem mantra, repetções e reiterações de células ritimicas e harmôicas, com direito até a sitar. Fechando, a tal carta emocionada do titulo, mantém o clima hipnôtico (acusado tbem em algum comentàrio), com a sonoridade repetitiva do andamento, com direito a silencio, passos & back! Enfim, para nôs, uma emocionada A LETTER TO FATHER - JIMI !
OS 30 ANOS DA ESTREIA DO THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE Out.1966/Out.1996
Junto com o CD, Gerry Joe Weise nos mandou texto e fotos sobre a comemoração que ele e mais algumas pessoas armaram na França, para lembrar os 30 anos da estréia de um dos mais poderosos power-trio da histôria do rock, o The Jimi Hendrix Experience. A coisa rolou em 15/10/96, no centro de convenções "Palais des Congres", organizada por Etienne Keith. Tocaram : Gerry Joe Weise Trio, More Experience, um grupo suiço. Noel Redding mais Gerry Joe Weise & banda fecharam o espetàculo. Versões : "Hear My Train A Comin", "Voodoo Chile", "Little Wing" (inevitàvel! o pròprio Gerry Joe diz que todo guitarrista tem sua pròpria versãdo da conção! - NE). Sucedem-se : "Freedom", "Red House", "Purple Haze", "Along The Watchtower". O More Experience, levou "Spanish Castle Magic", "Lover Man", "Ezy Rider" e outras... Kathy Etchingham, que foi namorada de Jimi uns dois anos, subiu ao palco e falou alguma coisa. (Abaixo : 02 das fotos que Gerry Joe mandou).
NOEL REDDING NO BRASIL ?!!!?!!!
Em 04/97, eu e o Alê (Chade) escrevemos ao Gerry Joe Weise, agradecendo o CD, mandando exemplares do zine e um fita k-7, com mùsica popular brasileira de raiz - chôro, catira, toada, repente... Na carta, acambamos perguntando se ele não viria tocar no Brasil, quem sabe trazendo Noel Redding e Mitch Mitchel com ele? Não è que o cara nos respondeu agradecendo a fita e mandando tabela de preços das passagens e shows?!!! Para um projeto que chamou JIMI HENDRIX CONCERT HOMMAGE. Gerry Joe Weise sôzinho, com banda ou então Noel Redding + Gerry Joe Weise Band, por cerca de US$15,000!... Pois bem, como viabilizar esse projeto!? Que, temos certeza, os Hendrixmaniacos brasileiros (e do continente) iriam adorar!... Cartas à redação. Aoeitamos sugestôes e parcerias desde que sinceras, honestas e Jimi-intencionadas! (NE - Olhai - Crazy Alê : valeu! Mesmo não rolando, é como disse Mestre Raul : sonho que se sonha sô / é sô um sonho.../ mas sonho que se sonha junto...
Gerry Joe Weise