Could YOU be a Hendrix? (A Thread by johnkerr)

[johnkerr]

So, I was reading my local rag (aka The Washington Post - and BTW that local rag likes you to capitalize the 'The' in their name, I guess so they don't get confused with all the zillion other Washington Posts out there) and I see that there's a blurb about Eileen Ivers playing a Christmas concert nearby tomorrow night. Now Eileen Ivers is a very nice lady and a fine fiddler. I know that first hand, because I used to run into her here and there a few times a year, back in the day. That was some time ago, actually - although I doubt she's changed since then. Probably still playing the blue fiddle, and maybe even still wearing those purple velvet Doc Martins she once sported in Riverdance. But despite all that I won't actually be going to her concert tomorrow, because to tell the truth I'm not all that crazy about the musical direction she's been headed in since I saw her last. Not that there's anything wrong with it, mind you. It's just not my cup of tea.

But that's not why I'm writing, however. Here's why: In that blurb in The Washington Post, they quoted the New York Times (not sure which one, though, as the 'the' was not capitalized) as once describing Eileen Ivers as "the Jimi Hendrix of the violin". Now I know that Paddy Keenan has often been called "the Jimi Hendrix of the pipes", so this got me thinking. A normal person would probably be thinking "Just what do they mean by that? Are they predicting that Eilleen and Paddy will die young of drug overdoses and have massive, albeit sub-Elvis, cults develop around their music and personalities posthumously?" and so forth. But not me, no, that's not what I'm thinking. I'm thinking this: If the pipes have a Jimi Hendrix, and the violin has a Jimi Hendrix, does that mean EVERYTHING has a Jimi Hendrix? Like, does the flute have a Jimi Hendrix? Does the whistle have a Jimi Hendrix? Does Chiff and Fipple have a Jimi Hendrix? (Why not? It already has an undisputed king and a pope.)

And conversely, I'm wondering if I might even be the Jimi Hendrix of something, and not even realize it. Et tu - might you be the Jimi Hendrix of something yourself, and just holding out on the rest of us all this while? How many hidden Hendrixes might be out there all told, anyway? The mind boggles - but that's never stopped anyone around here, has it? Discuss.

[The Weekenders]

Ridiculous hyperbole. They used to invoke classical artists, like "the Heifetz of the eeelectric geetar" and such. Ridiculous.

And the irony is that she tried so hard to define herself with the blue fiddle and such that you would think being the Eileen Ivers of the fiddle is notable enough. Oh well.

These people obviously don't know squat about Jimi Hendrix. He's about as unique and memorable as Elvis in my opinion, kind of above comparison (yes, I know I just compared them)... Maybe a lesser light like Axl Rose or something, you know, the hard rock with the wacky clothing accessory....

The writers are just too lazy to define who she is. Its a lot like beginning a feature story with "Webster's definition of _____"

[emmline]

I'm the Mr. Magoo of the fiddle.

[Congratulations]

I asked my roommate, and he says I'm the Jimi Hendrix of having an opinion about everything. And he told me to italicize the word "everything."

[carrie]

I'm the Jimi Hendrix of explaining in language arts textbooks how to achieve unity and coherence in writing. The tabloids are all over me.

Carol

[Congratulations]

I think I'm also the Ernest Hemingway of using right-handed scissors with my left hand. And I might be the Max Bialystock of taking the garbage out.

[Coffee]

I'm the Jimi Hendrix of coffee drinking.

[I.D.10-t]

The way I would read this is that most likely Eileen Ivers is left handed, and restrings the violin and plays it upside down. In addition she probably wraps the wire on the electric pickups of her strings to give them the right sound. Fine tuning is achieved by bending the neck of the violin and at the end of the concert she sets it on fire. Experimental use of the wah-pedal and massive amounts of amplification would also seem likely.

[djm]

I am the Jimi Hendrix of being .... uh ..... um ..... ME! And if that's not enough to make anyone want to run out and OD and choke on their own vomit I don't know what is.

djm

[Innocent Bystander]

I am the Jimi Hendrix of not being the Jimi Hendrix of anything at all.

[brewerpaul]

I'm partway to being a Jimi-- I'm left handed.

[Ro3b]

A writer whose name I can't think of right now called Raymond Scott, the electronic music pioneer whose compositions were used in soundtracks to Bugs Bunny cartoons, the "Gertrude Stein of dada jazz." Whatever the hell THAT means.

Me, I'm the Robert Oppenheimer of bounding upstairs two at a time, flinging open the bedroom door, and yelling "Ha! Caught you, Margaret!"

[emmline]

I'm the Mr. Magoo of the fiddle.

I'm not being fair. I only occasionally drop my bow and rarely spear anyone with it. Let's just say I'm the William Hung of fiddling.

[BrassBlower]

Does the whistle have a Jimi Hendrix?

Let's see:

Great tone, impeccable phrasing, incredible sense of melody, down-to-earth personality - Joanie Madden is the Eric Johnson of the whistle.

Straightforward backings, a hard edge, and the ability to fire off sixty-fourth notes at will - Mary Bergin is the Joe Satriani of the whistle.

The ability to sound good in any style of music, tasteful fills, sweet ornamentation - Michael McGoldrick is the Eric Clapton of the whistle.

OK, I give up. Who is the Hendrix of the whistle?

[Tyler]

I'm the Chuck Norris of being Jimi Hendrix