Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix has got to be, without a doubt, one of the best electric guitar players in the world of all time. Allegedly growing up he always wanted to play an instrument and when he was fifteen he got his first guitar which he practiced almost non-stop. All that practice paid off because over the next 12 years the guitarist became one of the best, beating out even Eric Clapton who was once worshipped as a guitar god. In fact, his skills were so well developed that several of his early 1960s bands had him fired because he just naturally took over the show with his superior and unique playing, causing the original star of the show forced into his shadow. 
Hendrix’s sound is completely other worldly. I don’t know of anybody else who sounds like him, before or after his rise to fame. His genre is probably best described as a psychedelic rock with some blues roots. His playing style matched his flamboyant and almost arrogant appearance which made for a wondrous live performance. That isn’t to say he wasn’t rivaled by other musicians.
Allegedly, Hendrix’s signature guitar burning stemmed from him trying to match the performance of the Who who destroyed their instruments after their sets. Even without the guitar burning Hendrix was still quite a spectacle to watch. Dressed in his colorful outfits and playing the guitar in ways that haven’t been seen before, such as playing behind his back, he held people in a trance as they watched him. He also gained fans in the musical world such as the Beatles’ own Paul McCartney who joined the organizers of the Monterey Pop Festival so that he could personally ensure that Hendrix would make an appearance. 
Hendrix not only found revolutionary ways to play his guitar but he also changed the way studio recordings were made. Hendrix used the recording studio like it was his own personal plaything. He used techniques like reverb that were rarely used at the time to create these amazing new sounds. Hendrix worked very meticulously so that everything he created was new, original and flawless. Listening to Hendrix’s records would obviously reveal that everything he did was original and revolutionary but perfect is not the first thing that comes to mind. However, after listening to an entire album of his you can hear that his music was seamless. Everything Hendrix did fits together like this wild, crazy and colorful puzzle. 
Listening Recommendations:
• If 6 Was 9
• Purple Haze
• Crosstown Traffic