BOOKLET

Jimi Hendrix – Message From Nine To The Universe (2006)

XLD Rip | Flac (Tracks) Cue, Log, m3u, md5, st5, ffp | complete Artwork 300 dpi | 521 MB

Rock | 2006 | Reclamation | RECD1012

“Officially” licensed from the estate of Hendrix’s former manager, Michael Jeffrey

limited edition – only 1500 copies world-wide

Here is another in the series of Jimi Hendrix outtakes collections on Reclamation that was issued in December of 2006. No need to go into the internecine drama going on between the Hendrix Estate, who periodically issue magnificent CDs of master tapes of Jimi’s jams, live gigs and outtakes, and the estate of his former manager Michael Jeffery, who also possess master tapes of Jimi that they have never surrendered to the family. You can read all this stuff about who has what masters and who’s issuing them legitimately (Hendrix Estate) and illegitimately (Jeffery Estate and others) on the web. Suffice to say it is my pleasure to offer this up here in lossless format so that none of you have to pay money (as I voluntarily did) to the parties who are putting this stuff out without the consent of Jimi’s family, declared by the courts to be the rightful administerers of his estate and substantial legacy as one of the most influential artists of all time in any field.

That said, this is an essential set, with master-quality sound, and it’s doubly (nine times as?) important for Hendrix completists to have because it will in all likelihood be the only time the album (compiled as “Nine to the Universe” by Alan Douglas in 1980) will be issued on CD from the original album master tapes in complete form. If you dig the mixes Douglas came up with on that album as much as I always have (and I’m no big Alan Douglas supporter, believe me), you must download this torrent immediately.

As for the music, both the album (tracks 1-5) and the other, similarly-vibed tracks (5-10) explore the jazzier, more improvisatory direction Jimi was adventuring into during the last 18 months of his life. The vocals are sparing and most tunes don’t have any… this is Jimi the player and improvisor, helped out by various pals from ex-Yardbird (and soon-to-be-Renaissance-man) Jim McCarty (who lends a ridiculously tasty, sustain-driven Eastern-sounding guitar solo to track 2) to David Holland (Miles Davis’ then-bass player of “Bitches Brew” fame, who anchors several cuts with a rock-solid, though subtly-jazzy, groove) to Larry Young (at the time the Blue Note label’s “Coltrane of the organ,” whose spiralling lines decorate track 3). Perhaps the standout track of the original LP is “Drone Blues” (track 5),wherein Hendrix lets rip a solo of unforgettably epic proportions over a devastatingly snap-tastic groove that encompasses everything from the deepest wailing blues to coruscating dissonances reminiscent of King Crimson’s Robert Fripp (days before this spring-1969 jam, Hendrix was in attendance at the 9th-ever performance of this legendary group in England). It’s rare that a so-called outtake can rival anything in the performer’s released, regular catalog (usually these things remain “unreleased” for good reason), but this track stands up to anything I can think of in the Hendrix canon.

For me the highlight of the additional tracks is the “Highway of Broken Dreams” jam (track 7), a 14-minute outburst of spontaneous bluesifying presented here in the best quality I’ve ever heard it in, also more than likely directly from the master tape. All in all, if not for the legal issues this is a fine set, and as I specified, probably the only time we’ll ever see the original LP presented from the original masters, unless Alan Douglas and Janie Hendrix suddenly become the best of friends, which is about as likely as Michael Jeffery rising from the dead.

Drawn from various sessions recorded between March 1969 and March 1970 some of the music featured on this disc originally appeared on the album Nine To The Universe. At the time of the albums release (1980) many suggested that Jimi was heading in a jazz direction although the recordings show no real sign of this despite featuring contributions from known jazzers such as Larry Young and Dave Holland both of whom had worked with British jazz guitarist John McLaughlin and worked along with McLaughlin on the landmark Miles Davis album Bitches Brew.

The recordings here are the unedited recordings that Alan Douglas utilised to make his final selection on the original Nine To The Universe album. At the time the release was heralded as the final unreleased recordings to be made available for Alan Douglas to shape into a releasable album. Time and subsequent releases however have obviously proved that there were and indeed are many recordings still lying in the vaults that are awaiting release. In essence the music contained on this disc could be described as a series of jams. With Jimi inviting other musicians into the studio with him to try out new musical ideas. Alan Douglas merely fashioned an album out of the material here although in his defence he did a fair job in trying to deliver a commercial album the record label could market.

These performances however are the real raw material and as such are now heard in the correct context rather than the edited pieces that appeared on the 1980 album. Here the pieces are longer and looser and they give a much better idea of how Jimi worked in a studio and drew on many influences. Of the material here only Lover Man ever made it to a fully fashioned live performance where it made the set regularly from late summer 1969 through to just before Jimis death in September 1970. Jimi preformed this song more famously during the Woodstock Festival and also at the Isle Of Wight Festival just weeks before his death and is featured on the live albums drawn from recordings of those events and also on the Live At Berkley album recorded in May 1970

The opening track, Nine To The Universe, features the Band of Gypsys line up of Jimi alongside Buddy Miles and Billy Cox recorded at the Record Plant in New York on May 25th 1969.This track may well have been originally earmarked for a future Band Of Gypsys studio album. Of course the band were only to be captured officially on a live album (Band Of Gypsys and Live At The Fillmore East) that was delivered to Ed Chalpin in settlement of a previous contract signed by Jimi before he came to England with Chas Chandler and a few scattered studio tracks featured on posthumous releases

Whether Jimi ever considered releasing this track or would return to it for further work at some point in the future one can only speculate but it seems unlikely as this track was never returned to after this performance.

Jimi/Jimmy Jam was recorded on the 25th of March 1969 at the Record Plant. The evening was a productive one as it was during on this night that John McLaughlin, who was recording elsewhere in the Record Plant, dropped by for a jam with Jimi, although that particular recording isnt included here. Jimi/Jimmy Jam features McLaughlins sometime bassist Dave Holland on bass and Buddy Miles on drums. The piece is a fast riff led one although towards the end of the song it changes tempo to a mid paced blues

Young/Hendrix Jam comes from a session almost two months later on the 14th of May 1969. Again recorded at the Record Plant the line up of musicians features Jimi on guitar alongside Billy Cox on bass, Mitch Mitchell on drums and Larry Young on organ. Larry Young was at the record plant recording with John McLaughlin on what would turn out to be McLaughlins Devotion album which was also produced by Alan Douglas. It was in all probability that the inclusion of the likes of Larry Young, John McLaughlin and Dave Holland (all of whom would subsequently play with Miles Davis on the seminal Bitches Brew album) prompted comments about Hendrix moving in a jazz direction and while this piece certainly features some fine interplay between Hendrix and Larry Young the mood is decidedly rock in feel with some fine Hammond playing from Young underneath some excellent and fluid guitar playing from Jimi.

Easy Blues Also features the same line up as Jimi/Jimmy Jam although it is not sure when this was recorded. As it was however recorded at The Hit Factory rather than the Record Plant it can be assumed that this track comes from a different session. Easy Blues finds Jimi in relaxed mood and edging towards the blues /jazz groove many predicted his next musical direction would be. Recorded at The Hit Factory in 1969 it is one of just two tracks to be featured from sessions recorded at that studio on this album

Drone Blues was recorded at the Record Plant on the 24th of April 1969 and features the line up of Jimi Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox. At this point Jimi was in America for what would turn out to be the final tour with the original line up of the Experience. Noel Redding however was nowhere to be seen or heard at this session which was also responsible for a further three tracks (Bleeding Heart, Crash Landing and Night Messenger). The presence of Billy Cox at these sessions would point to Jimi already thinking of using him should Noel decide to jump ship from the Experience. Something he actually did following a concert in Denver in late June.

Midnight Lightning Jam was recorded at the Record Plant on the 23rd of March 1970 and is one of the later sessions featured on this album. The line up featured here is Jimi Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell and Dave Holland. This track and the next track Highway Of Broken Dreams (Recorded the next day the 24th of March 1970) are the longest tracks on the album and are more worthy of the description “Jam” with the Midnight Lightning track being the more forceful of the two tracks. During Highway Of Broken Dreams you can hear Jimi asking for more volume in the headphones in order that he can hear himself sing. The lyrics seem to be ad libbed as the song references Highway Of Broken Dreams, Highway Child and Easy (Ezy) Rider lyrically.

Lonely Avenue Jam would seem to be merely a snatch of an idea for potential use as a song and clocks in at just two minutes forty eight seconds making this the shortest track on the album. Recorded at the Record Plant on the 10th of November1969 This song features the Band Of Gypsys line up of Jimi alongside Billy Cox and Buddy Miles and may well have been another idea for any prospective Band Of Gypsys studio album.

Lover Man would go on to be a well known and well liked song in Jimis set list for the next ten months of his life and had already been previewed at the Woodstock festival some three months prior to this session. It would subsequently be played at many of Jimis gigs over the coming months including The Isle Of Wight Festival just weeks before Jimis death in September 1970. This version whilst starting off with the familiar riff soon moves off into a different direction quite unlike the recognised version and perhaps Jimi is trying to spark off some different arrangements.

Trying To Be is the second track featured on this album to be recorded at The Hit Factory rather than the Record Plant. No doubt the Record Plant was booked on the 6th of September 1969 which might have led Jimi to think more about building his own studio which of course he subsequently would with Electric Lady Studios which was opened in August of 1970.This track features Jimi Billy Cox, Buddy Miles and two musicians that had played with Jimi at Woodstock the previous month, Juma Sultan on percussion and Larry Lee on guitar. The song is mainly instrumental save for some shouted words from Hendrix around two thirds of the way in although the remainder of this track is instrumental until the sharp finish where the tape cuts out.

The quality of these studio tracks is stunning and it is far more interesting to hear the full versions of the songs that Alan Douglas used for his edited version of Nine To The Universe in 1980 and as such places that album in far better perspective. These recordings have been described as jams although Jimis creative spark is present throughout the sessions. Despite the claims that Jimi was to move in a more jazz oriented direction and Miles Davis had expressed an interest in working with him there seems to be no evidence on these recordings that Jimi would have moved in any direction other than the one he wanted to. These recordings then are considered historic and as cutting edge as Jimi Hendrix ever was but the style is all of Jimis making.

Tracklisting:

1. Nine To The Universe

2. Jimi/Jimmy Jam

3. Young/Hendrix Jam

4. Easy Blues

5. Drone Blues

6. Midnight Lightning Jam

7. Highway Of Broken Dreams

8. Lonely Avenue Jam

9. Lover Man

10. Trying To Be