"Forty years ago, Dad told Jimi to do something different, to do something unique with his music," explains Janie Hendrix. "Many artists from our past have paved the road and made a path that had lead us to where we are now. Music evolved just like everything else in God's universe. Some musicians are innovators, while others just keep the beat ... and maintain the status quo. Jimi was a musical genius in his own right and gave us a new kind of sound-the 'Hendrix' sound-it is unmistakably, undeniably different, and unique. And you know something? It is just as Dad has asked of him. Jimi used to always say he wanted to make Dad doubly proud. Well, he did just that."

With those sentiments, the family of Jimi Hendrix and Experience Hendrix joined the San Diego Street Scene for an all-star musical tribute to Jimi Hendrix on September 8, 2001 in the heart of downtown San Diego, California. While this all-star line-up displays the musical influence that Jimi Hendrix continues to have on modern music, it also served a poignant precursor to what will mark the 31st Anniversary of Jimi Hendrix's passing on September 18.

Responding to an open invitation offered by event producer Rob Hagey, Experience Hendrix's involvement not only included the Jimi Hendrix Tribute Concert but marked the highly anticipated return of the Jimi Hendrix Red House Tour back to San Diego which last visited the south coast city during the Summer of 1999.

"The San Diego Street Scene is one of the hottest live music events on the West Coast," says Bob Hendrix. "We were very honored to accept the invitation to the festival and would like to thank the San Diego Street Scene people for all of their hard work and help in putting on the Jimi Hendrix Tribute Concert." With an audience in excess of 100,000 people, this year's Street Scene marked the event's 18th Anniversary and brought together a diverse collection of more than 100 bands performing on a dozen states sprawled throughout the popular Gaslamp Quarter district in downtown San Diego.

Once the gates swung wide open on Friday afternoon, Experience Hendrix's Jimi Hendrix Red House Tour became an instant magnet for music buffs, drawing hordes of Hendrix devotees to its colorful presentations, resulting in thirty-plus minute line-ups virtually all weekend long. "Thousands of Jimi's fans had the opportunity to experience his musical legacy when they toured the Red House exhibits," says Hendrix. "The overwhelmingly positive response that we received is a testament to the fans of San Diego, and their love of Jimi Hendrix."

Critically acclaimed, The Jimi Hendrix Red House Tour has traveled throughout North America this year stopping at events with a combined audience in excess of four million people. Local fans who visited Red House back in 1999 were in for a real treat as the 2001 event featured a newly constructed, fully expandable, 53-foot show trailer, giving fans the perfect opportunity to experience the life, music and legacy of the world's greatest guitarist in a very controlled environment. Fans visiting the free exhibition were encouraged to follow a timeline of Jimi Hendrix's entire life with an emphasis on all of the major recordings he completed during his prolific career. The attractive visual displays include three rotating audio/visual presentations, one being a big screen 12-minute performance piece featuring a remastered Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound presentation of Hendrix's last major British concert appearance at the Isle Of Wight in August 1970.

While throngs of fans waited to experience The Jimi Hendrix Red House Tour, more than a dozen musicians from throughout the country gathered quietly in a non-descript, yellow-toned brick building on the outer perimeter of the Street Scene compound. Inside, a who's who of musicians from the past 30-plus years of rock 'n roll gathered to talk about Jimi Hendrix and musically prepared themselves for what would become a massive live tribute concert to Jimi Hendrix in a mere five hours. Among the musical devotees huddled for the impromptu rehearsal session were the likes of Billy Cox and Buddy Miles from Hendrix's original Band Of Gypsys, Stevie Ray Vaughan's band Double Trouble featuring Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton, Kid Rock's Kenny Olson, Pearl Jam's Mike McCready, Los Lobos' Cesar Rosas and David Hidalgo, the Eric Gales Band, Living Colour's fiery vocalist Corey Glover, former-Police guitarist Andy Summers, guitarists Andy Aledort, Ray Spitzer, and harpist Jym Fahey.

While several of these musicians joined Experience Hendrix during the 30th Anniversary Tribute at Cleveland's Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame And Museum in September 2000, the inclusion of several additional performers this year gave the new group an opportunity to trade new licks with each other, reminisce, and prepare for the night ahead. "The tribute is a way to reach out to fans in a fun way, with musicians they respect and enjoy, all paying tribute to Hendrix," explains tribute concert organizer John McDermott. In many cases, not only do these musicians get to play music they've enjoyed for so many years, it's an exciting opportunity for many once-in-a-lifetime musical pairings of some very talented musicians. McDermott agrees adding, "Mike McCready really wanted to perform 'Machine Gun' with the Band Of Gypsys-saying that would be a dream come true. Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos asked to do `Little Wing' with Double Trouble. And Kenny Olson of Kid Rock's band wanted to do `Manic Depression' with Corey Glover. The only challenge is not to try to cram too much into our 90-minute time slot."

As the hot summer skies turned to dusk, and the clocks struck 6:50 precisely, an eager audience, estimated at roughly 25,000 people let out a zealous roar when the event's emcee, Bob Hendrix took to the stage to introduce the evening's line-up. Returning to the stage for his second performance of the day, and leadoff numbers of "Foxey Lady" and "May This Be Love" was the Eric Gales Band. Widely recognized for his carefully honed musical talents, Gales, who recently signed to the Hendrix family's own record label, Nightbird Records acknowledges the influence that Hendrix had on his own career. "Any guitarist today would have to have a screw loose not to acknowledge a debt to Jimi Hendrix," says the lofty axe-slinger. "But my goal is to put something out there that's fresh and new, something the world hasn't seen." It's this confidence that really helps Gales launch into some outstanding string work, particularly on the not often covered number, "May This Be Love." And despite have recently shattered his right arm, Gales overcame the physical inconveniences and confinements of his specially designed harness, so well, that no one on stage or off would have recognized what Gales endured while performing.

Joining Gales on stage for the evening's third number was Kid Rock's guitarist Kenny Olson on the classic Band Of Gypsys' anthem, "Who Knows." "Jimi really gave the world something amazing," explains Olson. "Every guitar player in the world can't say that this guy didn't change the face of guitar music. He really did. It's amazing to go back into the Sixties and all these guys were playing a certain way and then Jimi came along and played all these sounds that were just incredible-music as we know it changed at that very moment."

With his night's work not quite finished, Olson was quickly joined by Double Trouble (Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton) and with the explosive vocal talents of Living Colour's Corey Glover for a rousing performance of "Manic Depression." With the skies quickly moved from dusk to dark, the stage was emblazoned with a psychedelic light show flanking both the left and right sides of the stage that continued throughout the rest of the evening event.

This quartet's rendition of "Manic Depression" soon gave way to a passionate performance of the Hendrix classic "Little Wing" featuring a trio of Los Lobos' Cesar Rosas and Double Trouble. Adorned by his trademarked shades, Cesar was all smiles when he took to the stage as this performance was something that he had long awaited. "I just love Hendrix. What can I say? He was the greatest guitar player that ever lived," he says. For Double Trouble's Tommy Shannon, the music of Jimi Hendrix brings back special memories of both Jimi and fellow guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, "I don't want to sound mystical here, but I don't know how else to say it," says Shannon. "But it's like those two were tuned into a higher realm of consciousness in their playing. It's like music comes through them."

Following "Little Wing" was a jazzy rendition of Hendrix's most popular recording, "Purple Haze" performed by guitarist Andy Summers and supported by Double Trouble and Corey Glover. For Summers, his performance of "Little Wing" marked his third performance of the afternoon as his new band, the Andy Summers Trio was also performing elsewhere during the San Diego Street Scene that day. True to his form of fusing jazz and shimmering guitarscapes and pointillistic solos, Summer's rendition of "Purple Haze" not only displayed his musical abilities, but the flexibility of Hendrix's lyrical compositions and how various interpretations of a single song can cross some many musical genres.

As emcee Bob Hendrix announced the next two musicians to the stage, the ever-growing crowds let out a huge applause as original Hendrix bandmates Buddy Miles (drums) and Billy Cox (bass) stepped out into the spotlight. For Miles, this event once again helped him deal with his never-ending devotion to Jimi. "I love Jimi," he says. "We had a love and compassion for each other. Brotherhood. Divine brotherhood, that's all. It's through events like this, celebrating his music, that that brotherhood maintains its strength."

Joining Cox and Miles on stage was guitarist Andy Aledort, perhaps best known for his acclaimed guitar transcriptions for Hal Leonard. Aledort is also featured alongside Velvert Turner in the Learn To Play The Songs From Are You Experienced videos released last year. Together the trio performed Hendrix's stunning song "Freedom." Billy Cox, a big fan of "Freedom" himself, recently teamed with Cort to issue a special commemorative bass guitar dubbed the Billy Cox Freedom Bass. "I knew that Jimi's music had stimulated a lot of people," acknowledges Cox. "An event like this is really great for all of our fans. It was a lot of fun to play with all of these great musicians again."

Following the trio's rendition of "Freedom," was the quartet of Los Lobos' Cesar Rosas and David Hidalgo alongside the Band Of Gypsys' Billy Cox and Buddy Miles was an upbeat, Chicano-flavored rendition of "Spanish Castle Magic" that featured Hildalgo on lead vocals. "Hendrix was a big inspiration to us. Hendrix's ability to solo also helped make him the greatest rhythm guitar player too. He had come independence between what he was singing and playing. But hey," laughs Hidalgo. "That's Hendrix, and then there's the rest of us."

Returning to the stage to join Cox and Miles once again was vocalist Corey Glover and guitarist Andy Aledort to perform "Power Of Soul." Aledort has maintained a certain attraction to the Band Of Gypsys' music style lies partly because of the music's intrinsic message, explaining "Jimi's intense spirit-his heart and soul-fuels all of his riffs, rhythms, and solos as he delivers a musical message filled with an intense life force. For musicians as well as music lovers, this is the essence of what Jimi Hendrix's message was all about."

Continuing along that vibe, Pearl Jam's lead guitarist, Mike McCready followed onto the stage where he formed a trio of his own alongside Billy Cox and Buddy Miles for an infectious jam of "Machine Gun." "It's a real honor for me to be back supporting the family again. [Throughout the prolonged litigation period facing the Hendrix family in the mid-1990s, McCready was a frequent participant and supporter, testifying on behalf of the family. His support ultimately aided the family in regaining the rights to the Hendrix legacy.] Events like this let us return our focus back to Jimi and his music. We can forget about everything that got screwed up over the years and remember Jimi for the musical legacy that he left us," says McCready. "Today is a very special day for me to be here with the family again." In lending his talents to lead vocals, McCready was all consumed by the fiery passion of the song as he blended hard driving rock and acid-fusion in an all out musical attack complete with feedback and diving musical solos in this extended rendition. At the end of his performance, McCready dropped his guitar and pointing up into the skies saying, "this one's for the big guy."

Following that incendiary performance the teaming of Cox, Miles, Aledort, and harpist Jym Fahey took the stage for an upbeat rendition of the Bob Dylan classic, "All Along The Watchtower" complete with Buddy Miles addressing the task of lead vocals.

While the musicians on stage this night paid tribute to Jimi Hendrix, members of the Hendrix family were equally touched by all of the devotion and support they received for this event. "All of the artists that participated in the tribute concert for Jimi were awesome," says Bob Hendrix. "To take time out of their busy schedules to show the love they have for the man and his music is truly touching. On behalf of the Hendrix family, I would like to thank all of the artists for their wonderful tribute tonight."

Of course, just as the thousands in the audience had expected, no all-star tribute to Jimi Hendrix could ever be considered complete without a stellar jam session featuring all the performers from throughout the night. Taking to the stage to perform "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" were the likes of Billy Cox, Buddy Miles, Kenny Olson, Eric Gales, Corey Glover, Andy Aledort, Tommy Shannon, Chris Layton, Cesar Rosas, David Hidalgo, Mike McCready, and Ray Spitzer.

"Tonight was an amazing night of live music," says Janie Hendrix. "I'd like to think that what happened here on stage tonight reflects Jimi's philosophy about life and music. Jimi was a consummate musician who loved music from many, seemingly diverse and disparate genres. Being that Jimi played first and foremost as a means of expressing and pleasing himself, he was not overly concerned about limiting himself by doing only what was expected of him. Tonight's performances by all of these talented artists were approached in much the same perspective. The contributions of each of the artists, with the history and backgrounds that each one experienced, were so deeply rooted in each of their songs. Each of the renditions performed here tonight are beautiful tributes that many will remember for many years to come."

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