Jimi Hendrix (photo: Jimihendrix.com)
Jimi Hendrix (photo: Jimihendrix.com)

On Nov. 16, Legacy Recordings and Experience Hendrix will release “West Coast Seattle Boy — The Jimi Hendrix Anthology,” featuring more than four hours of rare and previously unreleased Hendrix music on a five-disc (four CDs, one DVD) deluxe box set.

The huge, career-spanning set of 45 unreleased recordings traces Hendrix’s journey from little-known R&B sideman to international rock star. It begins in 1964 and continues through 1970, the year of his death. Among the early songs are his R&B singles with the Isley Brothers, Little Richard, Don Covay, King Curtis and others.

Included are demos and alternate versions of songs from “Are You Experienced,” “Axis: Bold As Love” and “Electric Ladyland.” According to Legacy, the collection features Hendrix’s never-before-heard version of Bob Dylan’s “Tears Of Rage,” solo acoustic recordings of Electric Ladyland favorites, such as “Long Hot Summer Night” and “1983 (A Merman I Shall Turn To Be)”; and never-released live performances, among them the Band Of Gypsys’ Fillmore East concert on New Year’s Eve 1969. There are also new Hendrix songs, “Hear My Freedom,” “Hound Dog Blues,” “Lonely Avenue” and others.

“West Coast Seattle Boy” includes “Jimi Hendrix Voodoo Child,” a new 90-minute documentary directed by multiple Grammy Award winner Bob Smeaton. It’s an autobiographical journey told in Hendrix’s own words as read by Parliament-Funkadelic’s Bootsy Collins, providing insight into the Hendrix legend.

The set includes photos from the Hendrix family archive of the guitarist’s personal drawings, postcards home to his father, song drafts, sketches and lyrics.

For more information, visit the Hendrix Web site.

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