To that anonymous L.A. radio station engineer in August of 1967: Thank you. If not for either his foresight, curiosity, or, perhaps, simple need to check his equipment, this artifact, likely, would not exist. Yet, it does, and with it, another glimpse of the evolutionary sonic earthquake that was the Jimi Hendrix Experience.

Understand the context, for Hendrix and his band, on a summer night in Los Angeles opening for The Mamas & the Papas, this is a very early U.S. appearance that came just two months after the Jimi Hendrix Experience reshaped the musical landscape with a stop up in central California at the Monterey Pop Festival. As well, the performance came a week ahead of the U.S. release of the trio’s debut album. Given the very unique moment in time, several aspects of the explosive, 45-minute set captured here are nothing short of historic.

Again, this rescued treasure is from a recording made by that intrepid radio man, over 55 years ago, and as such, is not a properly recorded piece. The resulting mix, despite its limitations- and favoring Hendrix’s voice over everything else- is remarkably impactful otherwise. Cleaned up by two production icons- transferred by Jimi’s longtime producer, Eddie Kramer, and mastered by Bernie Grundman- this is as great as it could possibly get. 

As for the repertoire, it is, as well, indicative of the date; supporting the marvelous debut (that eventually would go Platinum, five times over) with scintillating versions of soon-to-be classics, “Foxey Lady,” “Fire,” and “Purple Haze.” Even as Hendrix extends each by a bar or two with supernatural guitar work, they are still compact and, dare it be said, perfectly pop-crafted bursts of a new sound so unsettling, the applause from the Bowl crowd is tentative at best, and maybe even mixed in with some grumbles from an audience eager for a California dream with Cass and Michelle. Their debut album’s release, which bassist Noel Redding mentions amidst Jimi’s charming between-song patter, would change everything soon, but not yet. This was an Experience experience so fresh that the three open the show with a jarring rundown of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band title track- itself, unveiled by the Fab Four only three months earlier- that peels open the ears and keeps them pinned back as Hendrix, Redding, and drummer Mitch Mitchell astound.

So, thanks, once more, to that engineer who hit the ‘record’ button, and to the Hendrix Estate for securing it and making it available over five decades later. This is the Jimi Hendrix Experience as very few have heard it. Or as those lucky enough to be there could believe what they heard at the Bowl on that hot August night.