Jimi Hendrix, and Atlanta Pop Festival, focus of new documentary
A 1970 performance Jimi Hendrix gave, and the massive festival -- called the "Southern Woodstock" -- at which he gave it, are the subject of a new documentary hitting Showtime in September and of a double album out this month.
From July 3-5, 1970, an estimated 300,000-400,000 music fans attended the second Atlanta International Pop Festival, where Jimi Hendrix played for what is said to be the largest US audience of his career -- certainly rivaling that of Woodstock a year earlier.
This September 4, a documentary about the rock icon's set at that festival, and the circumstances surrounding it, is to premiere on Showtime -- giving this major moment in festival culture its due.
"Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church" will tell the story of Atlanta promoter Alex Cooley and his efforts to create the "definitive music festival," securing 30 acts including Bob Seger, BB King and the Allman Brothers in addition to Hendrix.
It was reportedly Hendrix, however, who made the festival such a major cultural event and brought this huge festival crowd to the small, rural town of Byron, Georgia. The event was also said to be significant for its socio-political dynamics, with organizers looking to resist the cultural divide of the Deep South, where rural audiences were expected not to take to "long-hair" bands or a bill featuring both black and white artists.
Included will be interviews with Hendrix's bandmates Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell as well as Paul McCartney, Steve Winwood, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, festival organizer Alex Cooley and others. Hendrix's July 4 show will be shown in 16mm footage and features performances of "Hey Joe," "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," "Purple Haze" and "The Star Spangled Banner" -- recorded just 10 weeks before his death.
After the documentary's premiere on Showtime, DVD and Blu-ray versions will be released on October 30 with bonus content not included on the broadcast version.
On August 28, a 2CD/2LP set titled "Freedom: Atlanta Pop Festival will be released, featuring the live performance and included 5,000 individually numbered vinyls.
www.jimihendrix.com
