"On this episode of From the Vault we celebrate one of the great creative musicians of the 20th century, Jimi Hendrix, through the sounds of a four-part documentary titled Jimi Hendrix.

In 1982, twelve years after Hendrix’s untimely death at the age of 27, a team of talented producers (including Bari Scott, Craig Street and Don West) from Pacifica’s flagship station KPFA 94.1 FM – Berkeley enlisted the help of biographer David Henderson, author of Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child of the Aquarian Age, to explore the idea of a comprehensive radio production celebrating the life of the legendary guitarist. Their collaboration resulted in a captivating four-hour documentary that compiles previously unheard and rare recordings exploring this musical legend; it includes music, of course, but also interviews with the people who knew Hendrix best.

We’ll hear from members of Jimi’s family, blues singer John Hammond (who befriended the young Hendrix in Greenwich Village in 1966), Chas Chandler from The Animals (who brought Hendrix to England and became his manager), Noel Redding, Ornette Coleman, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Stevie Wonder, John Lee Hooker, and others."

Enjoy parts 1 and 2 below and stay tuned to Pacifica Radio on Soundcloud for parts 3 and 4 of this documentary.