He may be carrying on the family tradition as a folk musician, but Benji Kirkpatrick (son of John) has a Hendrix itch that he needs to scratch. And while the world is not exactly short of Hendrix covers, his bring a fresh perspective to that overworked catalogue.
Kirkpatrick does this by eschewing guitars. Instead he plays bouzouki, banjo and mandolin in his own style, which takes the songs out of their context and allows him to explore Hendrix’s melodic skills. This side of Hendrix was always apparent on ballads like Angel and The Wind Cries Mary, but the way that Kirkpatrick deconstructs Voodoo Child (Slight Return), Crosstown Traffic and Purple Haze is revealing and his plaintive vocals cast the lyrics in a different light – most notably on Foxy Lady, transformed from a sexually-charged rampage to a bedsit seduction.
