Haimovitz plays Hendrix

December 27, 2003 10:23 PM

Jimi Hendrix's National Anthem, on acoustic cello. Plus Bach at CBGB (to mixed reviews), and a national club tour, and an album.
posted by Tlogmer (11 comments total)

Bach at cbgbs is certainly a better idea than the lame sub-green day imitators i saw there , i was expecting to see iggy wannabes rollin around on broken glass and injecting heroin on stage. I was most disappointed.
Mix and match is quite a good idea with some things, its nice to see music/art/whatever taken out of its holy temple once in a while.
In fact , playing bach at cbgbs is probably the most shocking thing thats happened there for ages.
posted by sgt.serenity at 11:37 PM on December 27, 2003

Reading this, I suddenly flashed on the afternoon I heard a string quartet performing "Purple Haze" on public radio...unless maybe I'm only imagining I heard it.
posted by alumshubby at 11:40 PM on December 27, 2003

I'd recommend that first link to everyone. The jimi hendrix imitation recording ("anthem") is amazing.
posted by Tlogmer at 11:45 PM on December 27, 2003

unless maybe I'm only imagining I heard it.

You heard it.
posted by homunculus at 11:48 PM on December 27, 2003

one night in a chicago hotel lobby i heard a string quartet consisting of oriental college-aged girls in long, black dresses playing staid chamber music occasionally morphing quite cleverly into bits and snatches of the beatles, moody blues, etal, while maintaining a proper chamber music 'tude. they appeared to be having a blast, and later i saw the four of them doing jello shots up the street at the hard rock cafe. don't mind me, i'm just blathering.
posted by quonsar at 1:43 AM on December 28, 2003

This made me remember about a wild day at primary school when out 'boomer headmaster decided that the entire shcool needed to hear Hendrix's anthem with guidance as to the significance of the various screams, machine gun fire and helicopter noises...

Wow, I must have been like, nine... Now that's care for young minds.
posted by klaatu at 9:08 AM on December 28, 2003

Damien Rice's cellist, Vyvienne Long, does a wonderful cello cover of "Purple Haze" at most of his live shows. [mp3]
posted by Marquis at 9:44 AM on December 28, 2003

unless maybe I'm only imagining I heard it.

You heard it.

You might also have heard Nigel Kennedy's version of it.

I heard Kennedy's version of Little Wing on Public Radio one early Saturday morning, and nearly freaked out, man!
posted by SteveInMaine at 2:27 PM on December 28, 2003

Those of you who are interested in cello music should check out Apocalyptica, a Finnish cello quartet.

Their first album consisted only of songs by Metallica. (The Cellos were played thru guitar amps, though.)
posted by hoskala at 5:35 PM on December 28, 2003

I think it may have been Kronos Quartet, on Performance Today. Or maybe I'm conflating that with the time I heard Quartetto Gelato do, I swear to G*d, a cover of "I Am the Walrus" - it was amazing!
posted by alumshubby at 8:04 PM on December 28, 2003

I must say I did not think much of the Hendrix anthem played on cello. I am very fond, though, of The Turtle Island String Quartet's version, on their 3rd CD, of just about my favorite song, Robert Johnson's Crossroads (as covered by Cream).
posted by LeLiLo at 9:14 AM on December 29, 2003