SF Halloween Concert - 2008
Backstage at the San Francisco Halloween Festival with Cathy Richardson (Big Brother and the Holding Company) and Ralph Woodson. Photo by Steven Roby.
Seattle Library Lecture - 2008
September 19, 2008 - Listen to the lecture
KOMO Radio Interview - 2008
SF Chronicle's Joel Selvin
Interviews Steven Roby - 2008
Steven Roby and Joel Selvin Listen here
Selvin on the City is produced by Joel Selvin, Senior Pop Critic at the SF Chronicle. The one-hour interview ran on June 1, 2008.
School of Rock Lecture - 2008
Steven discusses Jimi Hendrix with students at the new
School of Rock in San Mateo, California.
The Jimi Hendrix 65th Birthday Bash
November 27, 2007, on what would have been Jimi's 65th Birthday... I hosted this event in honor of this milestone. Above, I'm helping the audience select the winner of the Air Guitar Contest.
To see more photos of this event, go to the Hendrix Bash page.
Jimi Hendrix Class
Getting schooled on a legend
"The reason for teaching the class, according to Steven Roby, is that he feels Hendrix should be viewed as a "classic... in the same category with Beethoven or Mozart." Roby adds, "in the 60's, Hendrix had as much impact as The Beatles. Roby says with the formation of this class, he hopes Hendrix's memory will live on." Echo Times
The final class ended with an acoustic jam of Hendrix songs.
October 22. Above: Kelly Kalichman from The Liquid Experience Group spoke about the new Jimi Hendrix energy drink called Voodoo Vibe.
Above: Photographer Brian Byrnes shares his story of traveling to Maui in 1970, and attending the Rainbow Bridge concert. His unpublished photos will appear in an upcoming book.
During Brian's presentation, Melinda Merryweather called in. Melinda appears in the film Rainbow Bridge, and was the inspiration for Hendrix's song "Scorpio Woman." I held up my cell phone to the microphone as my class asked her questions about Jimi and the Rainbow Bridge concert. Brian took the photo of Melinda that appears on the screen behind me.
Instructor/author Rickey Vincent joined us on October 8. From his lecture: "Before Jimi was even known to the general black American public, he was confiscated by an adoring rock world. Before Jimi's earth bound roots could be affirmed and celebrated, he was gone, deified as the true patron saint of guitar. Jimi of course was a saint - Saint Jimi of the Sky Church of Suns and Rainbows. And there he remains, literally untouched by the realities of his working class black upbringings..."
"It's not about the equipment, but the power of imagination,"
Guest speaker for the class, Narada Michael Walden
On October 1, our guest speaker was Narada Michael Walden. Narada is a three-time Grammy winner, musician, and producer. He spoke about working with memebers of the Experience, and his love for Hendrix. Listen to a section of his lecture here and here.
Graphic artist Thomas Yeates was our special guest speaker at the September 24 class. Thomas presented his "I Don't Live Today" comic strip set to Hendrix's live performace in Stockholm. Thomas has worked for Straight Ahead, Experience Hendrix and Are You Experienced.
September. Here's one of my students who brought her signed 1969 concert program to class. Hendrix wrote: "The best to you each morning." She told us about the time she met Jimi when she was only 15 while he was performing at the San Diego Sports Arena.
Guitarist Ralph Woodson was a guest speaker/performer at one of my classes. He demonstrated some of Jimi's techniques and foot pedals available that reproduce Hendrix's special sound.
JIMI JAM '07
Above: Vernon "Ice" Black, Clarence Clemons, Narada Michael Walden, and T.M Stevens
On August 30, Jimi Jam '07 took place at Bananas at Large. I approached guitarist Vernon "Ice" Black about doing a small Hendrix tribute concert a few weeks before the event, and it blossomed from there.
I opened the show with three rare Hendrix videos from my collection; "Shotgun" from the 1965 TV show Night Train, The Lulu Show, and a clip from the 1969 Royal Albert Hall performance. The crowd of about 150 people enjoyed watching the contrast between Hendrix the sideman and Hendrix the headliner.
Above: Narada Michael Walden
Vernon pulled together a wonderful band that featured Stu Hamm on bass, and Narada Michael Walden on drums. Narada brought with him bassist T.M. Stevens and "the big man," Clarence Clemons on sax. It really turned into a killer jam. They played "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", "Who Knows," Foxey Lady", "Purple Haze", and others. Booker T. Jones watched and hung with the crowd.
A great big thank you goes out to: Alan Rosen, J.D. Sharp, all the staff at Bananas, Vernon "Ice" Black, Narada Michael Walden, Stu Hamm, T.M. Stevens, Clarence Clemons, Karen (from the College of Marin), Thomas Yeates, Kelly Kalichman, Larry "the hat", and Francine "a love supreme" for helping put together this succesful event.
School of Rock Visit
