22 February 2015
Newsdesk
Although acknowledged as one of the world's leading violin virtuosos, Nigel Kennedy is no ordinary classical musician.
His punk attitude both on and off the bandstand has seen him turn classical music on its head. In 1999, the self-proclaimed “bad boy of the string set” paid tribute to the “wild man of pop” by releasing The Kennedy Experience, an album of music inspired by rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix (whose last live performance was at the club, playing an impromptu set with Eric Burdon and War). While it may have caused a stir amongst some classical music critics, most acknowledged its “shattering intensity”.
When Kennedy performed at the club in 2009 his jazz chops were in no doubt. He “cut loose with an improvisation of plunging downward runs and climactically flurrying ascents that jazz violinists of Jean-Luc Ponty's or Jerry Goodman's stature might have blanched at,” offered the Guardian. Returning to Ronnie’s for six shows over four nights, Kennedy revisits the album that proves so popular in the live setting and the music he loves to play. Loose and jazzy, Kennedy’s Hendrix Project is impressive. Expect to hear guitar -rock classics such as Little Wing, Fire, and, of course, Purple Haze.
NIGEL KENNEDY’S HENDRIX PROJECT
Weds 4th March – Sat 7th March
Doors 6.00pm (& 10.30pm Fri/Sat)
Nigel Kennedy - Violin, Doug Boyle - Guitars, Adam Czerwinski - Drums, Tomasz Kupiec - Bass, Julian Buschberger - Guitars, Orphy Robinson - Xylosynth & Percussion
