Dave Thompson. Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the house… It was an inspiring time, but a fraught one regardless. With The Experience gone preparations were underway for the newly formed Band Of Gypsys featuring Jimi Hendrix, Billy Cox and Buddy Miles, to make their four-show debut at the Fillmore East on New Year’s Eve. As the trio huddled at the non-descript Baggy’s studio in New York to work on new songs, Hendrix mixed in a few unexpected surprises including three holiday-inspired songs including “Little Drummer Boy,” “Silent Night,” and “Auld Lang Syne.”

Steven C. Pesant. The Jimi Hendrix Experience made their meteoric debut with the release of their first single “Hey Joe” b/w “Stone Free” on Friday, December 16, 1966. A song adored by both Hendrix and his new manager/producer Chas Chandler, the Billy Roberts penned track made popular by The Leaves and Tim Rose; became the first studio recordings of The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Hendrix’s interpretation showcased both his guitar and vocal prowess and helped paved the path for the meteoric rise of the new trio.

By John McDermott. As technicians scurried around him making last minute preparations prior to filming, Billy Cox sat comfortably in a New York recording studio, reflecting upon the August 30, 1970 performance at the Isle Of Wight and the tumultuous events which led up to the group's performance. Like those of fellow band mate Mitch Mitchell, In this classic interview from 2000, Billy's comments provide an insightful perspective for Jimi's fans.

Rob Lewis. A close look at Jimi Hendrix’s short time spent in Wisconsin reveals that it all started and ended in Madison. The small city of Madison figured into The Jimi Hendrix Experience's tour itinerary twice—1968 and 1970 were two very different years—with the small club scene slowly evolving to large stadium size venues. Both Madison gigs proved to be standout performances. Rob Lewis takes us on an historical journey through The Experience’s two visits to Wisconsin’s capital city in 1968 and 1970.

By John McDermott. Like so many entities associated with his rich legacy, the film Jimi Plays Berkeley took form in the turbulent vacuum created by Hendrix’s untimely death in September 1970. That it became a commercial property when other footage of Hendrix concerts languished elsewhere in vaults or left unclaimed was due entirely to the maneuvering of Jimi’s manager Michael Jeffery. While a flawed presentation, Jimi Plays Berkeley remains an essential snapshot of just how special a Jimi Hendrix concert performance was. Here’s the behind-the-scenes story and the long strange cinematic trip behind its original release.

Story & Interview by Steven C. Pesant. Rarely does one have the ability to pinpoint the birthplace of legends, but legendary father figure, Riley B. King – the “King Of the Blues” – came into this world on the cotton fields of Itta Bene, Mississippi on September 16, 1925. Over the course of the next 70 years, King helped inspire multiple generations of new guitarists to learn, appreciate, and expand the sound of the blues. In November 1999, we spent an evening with B.B. King and talked about a wide range of subjects, the impacts of Hendrix and Clapton and where his career and the future of the blues was headed. “I’ll tell you the truth,” explained King. “[My thrill] is going to try to be here for as many minutes and seconds as I can, to take it all in.” While King may have passed in May 2015 at 89 years old, his music continues to inspire and thrill fans the world over.

By Experience Hendrix. Micky Dolenz and The Monkees' long-time producer, manager and archivist Andrew Sandoval have recently published the new book I’m Told I Had A Good Time: The Micky Dolenz Archives available from Beatland Books. This lavishly illustrated book is packed with photos and memorabilia from Dolenz’s personal collection­much of which has never been previously published. It includes numerous unique and candid images featuring The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Stephen Stills, Keith Moon, plus several unseen photos showcasing The Jimi Hendrix Experience as they toured with The Monkees as the group’s short-lived, opening act in July 1967. Micky Dolenz and Andrew Sandoval have shared a few of these images, anecdotes and a special offer to Jimi’s fans interested in the new collections.

By John McDermott & Steven C. Pesant. The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s appearance in Ottawa, Ontario on March 19, 1968, was part of an extensive US tour organized in support of his recently issued second album, Axis: Bold As Love. The second show and portions of the first show were captured to tape that evening and were subjects to two different album releases via the Dagger Records bootleg label. Additionally, following The Experience’s performances, Jimi attended Joni Mitchell’s performance at the tiny Le Hibou Café and recorded her performance using his new reel-to-reel recorder. This recording has since been released as part of one of Mitchell’s sprawling multi-disc box sets. Let’s journey back to March 1968 and revisit Jimi Hendrix’s 24 hours in Canada’s capital city.