On Friday, April 25th, Seattle's Experience Music Project (EMP|SFM) hosted a special preview night to celebrate the unveiling of their newest exhibition, Jimi Hendrix: An Evolution of Sound.

Jimi Hendrix: An Evolution of Sound is the third Jimi Hendrix exhibition to be hosted by EMP|SFM since the museum opened its doors in June 2000. The newest incarnation celebrates Jimi Hendrix's creative legacy, while focusing its attention on Hendrix's musical evolution from his early days in Seattle, to his time as a journeyman musician touring the southern "chitlin' circuit" and in New York City, to his explosion on the popular music scene in London and beyond.

"The exhibition weaves together the various musical styles and cultures that Hendrix soaked up throughout his all-too-short journey," explains Jacob McMurray, senior curator at EMP|SFM.

"Jimi was a musical innovator of unparalleled breadth. EMP|SFMs Jimi Hendrix: An Evolution of Sound exhibition underscores the fact that his influence on today's music is as great, if not greater, than it was on music during his own lifetime," said Janie L. Hendrix, president & CEO of Experience Hendrix. "We're delighted that EMP|SFM is keeping his musical legacy alive and making it relevant for this generation and generations to come."

Jimi Hendrix: An Evolution of Sound features several new components including an interactive, 3-D Life Map that visualizes Hendrix's career, within the context of popular culture. The map focuses on key stages of Jimi's musical experiences and how those areas shaped his musical outlook. The wall features numerous slideshows, information buttons and historic, one-of-a-kind artifacts.

The Icon Guitar Wall features several iconic guitars including the remaining pieces of guitars Jimi Hendrix sacrificed on stage including the Monterey Stratocaster and Saville Stratocaster; plus the white Stratocaster Hendrix performed with at Woodstock and a rare 8-string Hagstrom bass guitar used by Hendrix in the recording studio, among others.

In addition to the newly revised Jimi Hendrix gallery, Hendrix's presence can be found throughout EMP|SFM, from interviews in Sound and Vision: Artists Tell Their Stories; stories of his early bands in the Northwest Passage gallery; rare concert performances and narrative films in the Play On Theater; to the interactive performance room-On Stage-where fans have the opportunity to rock out on stage while performing Hendrix's "Purple Haze."


The members-only preview event on April 25th included a special appearance by bassist Billy Cox, who was joined by senior curator, Jacob McMurray, who played host and moderator, for an insightful 45-minute interview with the legendary bassist. The interview, part of EMP|SFM's ongoing Oral History Live! series, took place in the JBL Theatre, where a gathered audience of nearly 200 people, had the opportunity to listen to Billy Cox recount his vivid memories of his time with Jimi Hendrix. Cox took the audience through a full decade of memories with Jimi Hendrix including his early days in the US Army, life on the "chitlin' circuit," to the summer of '69 where Hendrix and Cox reunite and performance at Woodstock, on to the formation of the Band Of Gypsys with drummer Buddy Miles through to their final tour of America and Europe in the summer of 1970.

Following the interview session, visitors were invited to the Sky Church where an ensemble group of Seattle-based musicians including Jeff Fielder (Sera Cahoone), Mike Musburger (The Posies, Fastbacks), Ty Ballie (Dept. of Energy), Andy Stohler (Tracy Chapman, Alicia Dara), and Ian Moore (local guitarist/vocalist), performed a nearly two-hour set comprised entirely of Jimi Hendrix songs.

Jimi Hendrix: An Evolution of Sound runs April 26, 2008 through April 11, 2010. For more information, ticketing details and museum hours of operation, please visit www.empsfm.org

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