Third Man Records, in partnership with Experience Hendrix and in connection with Legacy Recordings (a division of Sony Music Entertainment), has announced Jimi Hendrix’s Valley of Jams 1969-1970 as the 67th entry in Third Man Records’ long-running archival audio series, The Vault.
A landmark anthology of previously released improvisational recordings, Valley of Jams 1969-1970 will collect three LPs – pressed on vibrant 180-gram colored vinyl at Third Man Record Pressing in Detroit, MI – along with an additional standard vinyl 7”, patch and bumper sticker, all exquisitely packaged in a captivating tri-fold jacket, utilizing multiple rapid shot photos of Hendrix to simulate movement via still imagery. Subscriptions to order Vault #67: Jimi Hendrix – Valley of Jams 1969-1970 are available now through January 31 at midnight (CT), exclusively at thirdmanrecords.com/vault.
Of particular interest is Jimi Hendrix’s use of the studio, improvisational creations, and jamming as a foundational aspect to his creative process. Valley of Jams 1969-1970 focuses in on the transitional period where the Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding line-up of the Experience begins to give way, with Redding’s exit making way for Billy Cox to take over on bass, and Mitchell’s eventual departure leading to Buddy Miles picking up behind the drums.
The opening track, “Slow Version,” offers a riveting, groove-driven explosion of raw rock and roll. Similarly, “Trash Man” delights in fanciful, vocal-like lead playing that only Hendrix could do. The medley of “Cherokee Mist/Astro Man” is an epic pairing of skilled leads and guitar-pedal affected rhythm that features a pre-punk Tom Erdelyi on engineer duty, just a couple of years before he’d jump behind the drums and take the name Tommy with his chosen brothers in The Ramones.
Perhaps most awe-inspiring is the 28-minute tour-de-force exploration of “Keep On Groovin’,” which deftly combines jazz, flamenco, blues, rock, soul, and other styles yet to be defined.
The recordings on Valley of Jams 1969-1970 span multiple sessions in New York and London. The documented progression, via Jimi’s interplay with musicians as they seemingly come and go, only serves to cement not only how prodigious the output was, but how impressive the work continues to be.
Valley of Jams 1969-1970 was precisely mixed by the legendary Eddie Kramer, Jimi’s engineer of choice, who spent as much time as anyone with Jimi in the studio during these jam excursions.
Tracklist:
LP 1:
Slow Version (4:56)
Jam 292 (5:22)
Trash Man (7:23)
Izabella (4:23)
Record Plant 2X (11:03)
Villanova Junction Blues (4:56)
LP 2:
Ezy Ryder/MLK (19:59)
Room Full Of Mirrors (5:53)
Jungle (9:05)
Strato Strut (4:40)
Slow Time Blues (3:49)
LP 3:
Burning Desire (9:48)
Cherokee Mist/Astro Man (4:53)
Stepping Stone/Villanova Junction Blues (6:38)
Keep On Groovin’ (28:05)
