Music, Money, Madness: Jimi Hendrix Live In Maui

EXPERIENCE HENDRIX/LEGACY

You’ll never hear surf music again.

Going on this film, exploring 1971’s Rainbow Bridge movie, perhaps the greatest service his manager Mike Jeffrey performed for Hendrix was extracting $450,000 from Warner Bros to make a surfing Easy Rider, promising that Jimi would compose its soundtrack, allowing construction to continue on Electric Lady studios. It gave fans a priceless document of Jimi on blazing form in July 1970, weeks before his death, even though only 17 minutes survived from two sets he played in a dormant volcano on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

The original movie’s Warholinspired lineage is explored before this film’s fascinating account of Hendrix’s Maui experience, with bassist Billy Cox revisiting the site, and interviews including Mitch Mitchell, Eddie Kramer, original director Chuck Wein, muse Melinda Merryweather, cast, crew and Warners execs.

Spruced by Kramer, Jimi’s much-bootlegged appearance still provides teasingly short clips. Now it’s an album, maybe that long-desired full concert film is next? ■■■■■■■■■■