Jimi Hendrix

a group of 3 photographs of  "Jimmy" Hendrix playing with Harlem R&B fixture Curtis Knight and the Squires performing at George's Club 20, ca. 1965, black and white polaroid  photographs, each approximately 3 by 4 1/4 ins. (80 x 95 mm.) and presumably previously unpublished.

Henderson, David. 'Scuse me While I Kiss the Sky. New York: 2008. pp.85-86

"Eat it!" One of Jimi's last gigs as sideman sees him playing with feedback and his teeth

Hendrix, between gigs and without even his own guitar, was living in the ratty Hotel America at the time he met bandleader Curtis Knight. After a short audition while sitting on a hotel bed, Knight loaned Hendrix the sunburst Fender Duo-Sonic seen here and made him part of The Squires, Knight's band that was a regular draw on the New York and New Jersey circuit.

The present photographs document a show at George's 20 Club in Hackensack, New Jersey. Existing tapes of the show contain deliriously intense versions of the blues standards "Driving South" and "Killing Floor" both later staples in the Experience's live sets. (Knight's repeated cries of "Eat it!"  heard on the recording are apparently in response to Hendrix displaying his famous wild showmanship and playing with his teeth). 

Knight introduced "Jimmy" to his manager, Ed Chalpin, a meeting that was to have serious repurcussions following the guitarist's transformation to "Jimi." (See next lot).