Storyline
Jimi Hendrix's debut American set at 1967's Monterey Pop Festival is generally considered one of the most radical and legendary live shows ever. Virtually unknown to American audiences at the time, even though he was already an established entity in the UK, Hendrix and his two-piece Experience explode on stage, ripping through blues classics "Rock Me Baby" and Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor," interpreting and electrifying Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," debuting songs from his yet-to-be-released first album and closing with the now historic sacrificing/burning of his guitar during an unhinged version of "Wild Thing" that even its writer Chip Taylor would never have imagined. Hendrix uses feedback and distortion to enhance the songs in whisper-to-scream intensity, blazing territory that had not been previously explored with as much soul-frazzled power.
Cast & Crew
John Phillips
Narrator (voice)
Lead
Jimi Hendrix
Self (archive footage)
Noel Redding
Self (archive footage)
Mitch Mitchell
Self (archive footage)
Art Garfunkel
Self (archive footage)
George Harrison
Self (archive footage)
Mick Jagger
Self (archive footage)
Brian Jones
Self (archive footage)
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Chris Hegedus's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
4.0
“Every frame feels alive. Jimi Plays Monterey is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
