Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan– two of the finest to ever sling a guitar over a shoulder. Both artists redefined genres and pushed the boundaries for what six strings could accomplish, and while they left this world far too soon, their legacies still resonate decades later. Generations have been born to discover the sonic wizardry of Hendrix and SRV, and in many ways, the music those two icons made years apart from each other sounds as vital as it did when it first rang off the original grooves.
On Saturday, July 1st, Grant’s Lounge will host the Little Wing Experience, a tribute to the legendary music of the Stratocaster masters. Comprised of guitarist Shane Smith “The Saint”, bassist Steve Mack, and drummer Dwayne Jones, LWE is set to run the gauntlet– psychedelia to blues and wherever else the song chooses to fly! In advance of the show, we invited Dwayne Jones to share some of his favorite cuts.
1. “Couldn’t Stand The Weather”, Stevie Ray Vaughan
This song is such a great example of what a great songwriter SRV was. He’s so known for his guitar playing, that it sometimes overshadows that fact. When Stevie says, “Don’t just take me for trying to be heavy, understand, it’s time to get ready for the storm”, you better believe him.
2. “Manic Depression”, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi was way ahead of the emo kids on this one– a man who loves music so much that it makes him sad he can’t physically express his love to it in the way he could a woman.
3. “Cold Shot”, Stevie Ray Vaughan
Just a stone “cold” classic SRV jam! This was the song that made me a fan back in the day, and it’s still one of my favorite songs of his to play. So smooth and slinky, this shuffle groove is just amazing.
4. “Spanish Castle Magic”, Jimi Hendrix
Not sure what exactly “castle magic” even is, but apparently it’s not in Spain, and it’s all in your mind.
5. “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)”, Jimi Hendrix
One of Jimi’s best– maybe even the quintessential Hendrix jam– also wound up being a great SRV jam later on. This one is always fun to play live because we never know exactly where it’s gonna go, or how long it’s gonna take us to get there, but we will know when we get there!