Legends shine on via spectacular titles: George Harrison, Etta James, Nina Simone, ZZ Top

The enduring talents of several late legends are celebrated in my column this week.

Artist: George Harrison

Title: All Things Must Pass - 50th Anniversary Edition (Super Deluxe Edition sampler) (Capitol Records)

You might like if you enjoy: George Harrison, The Beatles

Tell me more: The greatest solo album by any member of The Beatles, George Harrison's 1970 masterpiece All Things Must Pass is being released in a number of formats in celebration of the album's 50 year anniversary. Capitol Records provided this writer with a sampler of 34 of the tracks ahead of the Aug. 6 release. My immediate reaction upon hearing the remastered tracks and previously-unreleased outtakes is that the seminal masterwork is more impressive than ever. Critics of the so-called "Wall of Sound" applied by co-producer Phil Spector on the original version of the 23-track triple album recorded between May and October of 1970 (and released in November of that year) will be stunned by the clarity and brightness of the 2020 mixes. Executive produced by George Harrison's son Dhani Harrison and mixed by triple GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer Paul Hicks (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, John Lennon), the new album mixes are a dramatic improvement in every way. Harrison's singing is clear with the nuanced and emotive touch of his signature baritone truly astonishing; the talents of a parade of legendary musicians who contribute includes Ringo Starr, Badfinger, Billy Preston, Dave Mason, Klaus Voormann, Eric Clapton, Bobby Keys, Gary Wright and many more – their contributions are thankfully more vivid now. And just listen to Harrison's soaring slide guitar work. The Americana-swept version of Bob Dylan's "If Not For You" and his own "Behind That Locked Door" and "Apple Scruffs" astound. More rocking material ("Wah-Wah," "Let It Down," "Art Of Dying"), fascinating outtakes (including the rockabilly-styled "Going Down To Golders Green" and acoustic demo for "Cosmic Empire") and timeless favorites ("My Sweet Lord," "What Is Life," "Beware Of Darkness") may well have many audiophiles briefly wondering if they are hearing this artistic triumph for the very first time. All Things Must Pass 50th Anniversary Edition will be available in a variety of formats on Friday, Aug. 6. Information: GeorgeHarrison.com.

Artists: Etta James

Title: Etta James: The Montreux Years (BMG)

You might like if you enjoy: Etta James, Beth Hart, Janiva Magness

Tell me more: Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG have started releasing a new series of releases available in multiple-format configurations (including double LP, two-disc audio CD editions, and via digital download and streaming services). Etta James: The Montreux Years features the six-time Grammy winner in appearances at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland captured across three decades – indeed selections from the Los Angeles native's performances in 1977, 1978, 1989, 1990 and 1993 are featured on disc 1 of the essential collection. The wealth of outstanding material from those appearances includes the soulful blues cut "Damn Your Eyes" (featuring some killer guitar work from Bobby Murray), R&B celebration "Tell Mama" and the original rock 'n' roll-meets blues confessional "Something's Got a Hold On Me," the fiery blues-rocker "Beware" and an artful jazz medley featuring "At Last," "Trust In Me" and "Sunday Kind Of Love." Disc 2 is a true treasure; Etta James' very first concert in Europe staged at the festival's ninth edition on July 11, 1975 sounds amazing. The blues track "Respect Yourself," funky "W-O-M-A-N," Chicago blues blaster "Dust My Broom," and animated take on the B.B. King favorite "Rock Me Baby" are all here. James' rich contralto vocals are a wonder across all 21 tracks on the release. Information: bmg.com.

Artist: Nina Simone

Title: Nina Simone: The Montreux Years (BMG)

You might like if you enjoy: Nina Simone

Tell me more: Nina Simone was an artist who defied easy categorization. A top-tier vocalist, classically trained pianist, composer, arranger and civil rights champion and feminist activist, Simone's music ran the gamut from classical and jazz to blues, soul, R&B, folk, world music, pop and gospel. On Nina Simone: The Montreux Years, all the diverse elements of her musical world are revealed over the course of her performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival spanning from a full-length concert on June 16, 1968 (that fills disc 2 and marks the first-ever release of the performance on audio CD) to highlights from appearances in 1976, 1981, 1987 and 1990. The melodic "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free," the bewitching "See-Line Woman," valiant "Four Women," nuanced and poignant version of Janis Ian's "Stars" and stirring take on Bob Marley's classic "No Woman No Cry" are among the marvelous selections Simone performs with magnificence on the two-disc, 29-track collection. Information: bmg.com.

Artist: ZZ Top

Title: ZZ Top's First Album (Warner Bros. Records)

You might like if you enjoy: ZZ Top, Billy F Gibbons

Tell me more: The death of ZZ Top bassist-keyboardist Dusty Hill on July 28 provides the perfect reason to celebrate his 50+ year run with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame trio by rediscovering "ZZ Top's First Album." Released in January 1971, ZZ Top's First Album was the debut LP featuring Hill, singer-guitarist Billy F Gibbons and drummer Frank Beard. The Bill Ham-produced album –  recorded at Robin Hood Studios in Tyler, Texas between June and October of 1971 – immediately set the template for the threesome's undeniable blend of hard rock, boogie and Texas-bred blues rock. Highlights of the rowdy and often-raunchy track listing includes the feisty opener "(Somebody Else Been) Shaking Your Tree," infectious electric guitar-anchored "Goin' Down To Mexico," boogie sortie "Neighbor, Neighbor" and aptly-pegged "Certified Blues."  In addition to the uptempo material, the original "Old Man" grows from a slow blues ballad into a decidedly more dynamic finale while "Just Got Back From Baby's" is a particularly wonderful blues-mining showcase for Hill's signature skills on the bass guitar. Information: ZZtop.com.

Robert Kinsler

George Harrison 'All Things Must Pass' 50th Anniversary Editions Discussed by TJR & Robert Kinsler

Watch TJR and Robert Kinsler discuss the suite of forthcoming 50th Anniversary editions of George Harrison's 1970 masterwork All Things Must Pass. Watch the video HERE.

Journey, Doobie Brothers & Dave Mason launch last season at Irvine Meadows

Arnel Pineda, left, with Neal Schol.
Photo: Kelly A. Swift

San Francisco Fest 2016
Who: Journey, The Doobie Brothers, Dave Mason
Where: Irvine Meadows
When: Thursday, May 12
Next: the Chin Pavilion in Phoenix, AZ on May 14

When it was Journey bassist Ross Valory's turn to step up to the mic early in the band's set at Irvine Meadows on Thursday night, he noted this was the first night of the venue's "last season for concerts." The boos that filled the cold night were appropriate for a crowd of mostly Baby Boomers who have been attending concerts at the outdoor amphitheater for more than 35 years.

And while the imminent closure of Irvine Meadows five months from now cast a brief pall on the chilly night, the focus for the near-capacity crowd was truly all about nostalgia. From Dave Mason's opening set to the Doobie Brothers successful turn at getting everyone to sing along with its radio staples and headliner Journey's 90-minute hits-laden affair, this was an audience that wanted a soundtrack to the party. I can't remember ever being asked during a critical moment of a concert by a stranger to turn around and take a group's picture when that could have waited for the intermission.
A chatty and often inattentive crowd aside, all three artists turned in solid performances on the first night of the so-called "San Francisco Fest 2016" tour that extends through Aug. 30 with a date at Sleep Train Amphitheatre in Chula Vista (in San Diego County).

Arnel Pineda in Irvine on May 12,
2016. Photo: Kelly A. Swift

For casual Journey fans the departure of long-time singer Steve Perry in the 1990s proved to be no problem in Irvine. Arnel Pineda, 48, has been singing with Journey since February 2008 and has increasingly been accepted by fans as a fixture in the band. Indeed, at times during the show on Thursday, this writer would close his eyes while Pineda was singing and it sounded like Perry (who I last reviewed at the Bren Events Center in Irvine in March 1995).

Journey's approach in 2016 is much like it was in the late '70s and early 1980s when the Bay Area-spawned outfit was a commercial juggernaut. From the minute the band opened with the bombastic opener "Separate Ways," Journey delivered an energetic and engaging set highlighting the accessible material that has helped the band sell 90 million albums around the globe since their launch in 1973. Guitarist Neal Schon remains an amazing lead guitarist, and showcased his speedy fretwork throughout the 17-song set. Keyboardist Jonathan Cain's work and drummer Steve Smith also shined. The band's straightforward delivery of uptempo rock was occasionally dialed down for some more nuanced material, including "Only the Young" and lovely "Lights" early in the set, and 'Who's Crying Now" (showcasing Pineda's tenor) and "Faithfully" later on.    

Patrick Simmons of the Doobie Brothers.
Photo: Kelly A. Swift

Less than two weeks after performing inside a packed Palomino tent at Stagecoach in Indio, the Doobie Brothers delivered an almost-identical set of favorites in Irvine. Opening with "Jesus Is Just Alright" and turning right into "Rockin' Down the Highway," founding members Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons (both juggling lead guitar and lead vocals duties) and their top-tier band of supporting players performed both well-known and some lesser-known songs that worked well in concert. Particularly beautiful was the acoustic-flavored "Another Park, Another Sunday," featuring Johnston's effective lead singing. But it was the last half of the set that got the crowd excited, with the bluesy "Black Water," and rollicking "China Grove" and set-ending "Listen to the Music" getting the crowd on their feet and singing along.

Dave Mason in concert.
Photo: Kelly A. Swift

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Dave Mason, who earned cheers when he announced he had turned 70 earlier in the week,  showcased highlights from his solo career and time with Traffic. Both his voice and electric guitar work remain credible, with highlights including the acoustic flavored "We Just Disagree," his '68 Traffic hit "Feelin' Alright" and a powerful version of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" - the latter including at least three guitar potent solos with a powerful 90-second foray closing out the track. 

It may have been lost by many in the crowd, but Mason played 12-string guitar on the 1968 Jimi Hendrix Electric Ladyland recording and it was thrilling to see Mason revisit the classic to kick off Irvine Meadow's final season. 

Review by Robert Kinsler

Photos courtesy of Kelly A. Swift

Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train A Comin' documentary coming to DVD and Blu-ray; also airing on PBS on November 5

While the world lost Jimi Hendrix almost 43 years ago, today brings exciting news that we are about to get more music from the world's most seminal rock guitarist. Here is the official release...

Experience Hendrix LLC + Legacy Recordings Releasing Home Edition of Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train A Comin' Documentary on DVD and Blu-ray

Jimi Hendrix Experience: Miami Pop Festival Available for First Time Ever on CD and Double 12" Vinyl Album

Jimi Hendrix American Masters Documentary Premiering Nationwide on PBS Tuesday, November 5, 2013

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Experience Hendrix LLC and Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release, on DVD and Blu-ray, the expanded home video edition of the American Masters documentary Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train A Comin', combined with a host of never-before-released special performance features, on Tuesday, November 5, 2013.

Also coming November 5, Jimi Hendrix Experience: Miami Pop Festival, the first-ever release of one of the guitar virtuoso's most sought-after performances, as originally recorded on site by Hendrix's long term sound engineer, Eddie Kramer.  Never available in any form, Miami Pop Festival is being released as a single CD and a limited edition numbered double 12" audiophile vinyl set (all analog cut by Bernie Grundman, pressed at QRP on 200 gram vinyl).

Jimi Hendrix Experience: Miami Pop Festival introduces the first recorded stage performances of "Hear My Train A Comin'" and "Tax Free" while showcasing definitive live takes on such classics as "Fire," "Hey Joe," "I Don't Live Today" and "Purple Haze."  The package includes never before published photos taken at the festival and an essay by award-winning music journalist and Grammy Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli.  

The first ever major rock festival staged on the East Coast,  the May 1968 Miami Pop Festival was the first event promoted by Michael Lang—who would organize Woodstock, the biggest pop culture event of the decade, fifteen months later—and Ric O'Barry, who had been the dolphin trainer for the popular television program Flipper.  Lang and O'Barry had been inspired by the June 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, the groundbreaking gathering where Jimi Hendrix, making his US debut, famously set fire to his guitar at the conclusion of his performance.   Lang staged the festival at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Florida, securing the Jimi Hendrix Experience as the headline act for the two-day festival.

Jimi Hendrix Experience Miami Pop Festival

1. Introduction

2. Hey Joe

3. Foxey Lady

4. Tax Free

5. Fire

6. Hear My Train A Comin'

7. I Don't Live Today

8. Red House

9. Purple Haze

BONUS PERFORMANCES

10. Fire (Afternoon Show)

11. Foxey Lady (Afternoon Show)

Miami Pop Festival, May 18, 1968

Gulfstream Park, Hallandale, Florida

Miami Pop Festival - CD

http://smarturl.it/JH_MP_amzn 

Miami Pop Festival – Vinyl

http://smarturl.it/JH_MP_amznLP 

Miami Pop Festival – iTunes Pre-order + instant Grat Track "Foxey Lady"

http://smarturl.it/JH_MP_itunes   

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Recently uncovered film footage of Hendrix at the 1968 Miami Pop Festival is among the previously unseen treasures featured in American Masters: Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train A Comin', premiering nationwide Tuesday, November 5, 2013, 9-11 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings or pbs.org/americanmasters).

Hear My Train A Comin' unveils previously unseen performance footage and home movies taken by Hendrix and drummer Mitch Mitchell while sourcing an extensive archive of photographs, drawings, family letters and more to provide new insight into the musician's personality and genius.

A pioneering electric guitarist, Hendrix had only four years of mainstream exposure and recognition, but his influential music and riveting stage presence left an enduring legacy. Hear My Train A Comin' traces the guitarist’s remarkable journey from his hardscrabble beginnings in Seattle, through his stint as a US Army paratrooper, unknown sideman to R&B stars such as Little Richard, Joey Dee and the Isley Brothers and his discovery and ultimate international stardom.

Presented as part of a year-long celebration around his 70th birthday year--the guitarist was born November 27, 1942--the two-hour Hear My Train A Comin' tells the definitive story, illustrated by interviews with Hendrix and illuminated with commentary from family, well-known friends and musicians including Paul McCartney, Noel Redding, Mitch Mitchell, Billy Cox, Eddie Kramer, Steve Winwood, Vernon Reid, Billy Gibbons, Dweezil Zappa and Dave Mason as well as revealing glimpses into Jimi and his era from the three women closest to him: Linda Keith (the girlfriend who introduced Jimi to future manager Chas Chandler), Faye Pridgeon (who befriended Hendrix in Harlem in the early 1960s) and Colette Mimram, (one of the era's most influential fashion trendsetters who provided inspiration for Hendrix's signature look and created such memorable stage costumes as the beaded jacket Hendrix famously wore at Woodstock).  The film details the meteoric rise of the Experience, the creation of his groundbreaking music, the building of Electric Lady Studios, his state-of-the-art recording facility in Greenwich Village and concludes with poignant footage from his final performance in Germany in September 1970, just 12 days before his death at age 27.

The new two-hour documentary "American Masters: Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train A Comin' premieres nationwide Tuesday, November 5, 2013, 9-11 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings or pbs.org/americanmasters). The same day the expanded home video edition of the film will be released on DVD & Blu-ray, and "Jimi Hendrix Experience: Miami Pop Festival" --  the first-ever release of one of the guitar virtuoso's most sought-after performances -- will be released on CD and as a limited edition numbered double 12" audiophile vinyl set. 

Details are below.

Watch a video sneak peek:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/get-a-sneak-peak-of-jimi-hendrix-hear-my-train-a-comin-20130909

Janie Hendrix, President and CEO of Experience Hendrix LLC and the sister of Jimi Hendrix commented, "Hear my Train a Comin' is an in-depth look at the life and legacy of Jimi with his own words as well as the words and memories of those that knew him well and were close to him. His impression on the world through his genius, music and talent continue to magically touch the lives of ensuing generations."

American Masters: Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train A Comin' is directed by the award winning director Bob Smeaton (Festival Express; The Beatles Anthology; Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child; Hendrix 70: Live at Woodstock).  Susan Lacy is series creator and executive producer of American Masters.  The expanded DVD features an array of special features highlighted by never before released film footage featuring performances filmed at Miami Pop, the July 1970 New York Pop Festival and the September 6, 1970 Love & Peace Festival at the Isle Of Fehmarn in Germany—the final performance by the Jimi Hendrix Experience.  The high definition DVD features new stereo and 5.1 surround mixing by Hendrix's engineer Eddie Kramer.  The documentary is a production of Fuse Films and THIRTEEN's American Masters in association with WNET.

Jimi Hendrix: Hear My Train A Comin' - Blu-ray

http://smarturl.it/JH_Train_amznBR 

Jimi Hendrix: Hear My Train A Comin' - DVD

http://smarturl.it/JH_Train_amznDVD 

jimihendrix.com

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About Experience Hendrix L.L.C.

Founded by James 'Al' Hendrix, Jimi's father, in 1995, Experience Hendrix, has been managed since its inception by the family members handpicked by Al during his tenure as Chairman.   It is the official family company charged with managing the music, name, image and likeness of Jimi Hendrix. As a part of their daily operations, Experience Hendrix and Authentic Hendrix oversee Jimi's timeless legacy on a worldwide basis.

About Legacy Recordings

The multiple Grammy-winning Legacy Recordings, Sony Music Entertainment's catalog division, produces and maintains the world's foremost catalog of historic reissues, an unparalleled compendium of thousands of digitally re-mastered archival titles representing virtually every musical genre including popular, rock, jazz, blues, R&B, folk, country, gospel, Broadway musicals, movie soundtracks, ethnic, world music, classical, comedy and more.

About WNET

In 2013, WNET is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of THIRTEEN, New York’s flagship public media provider. As the parent company of THIRTEEN AND WLIW21 and operator of  NJTV, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Need to Know, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children’s programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online. Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state’s unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13 and MetroFocus,the multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region. WNET is also a leader in connecting with viewers on emerging platforms, including the THIRTEEN Explore iPad App where users can stream PBS content for free