I’m pretty sure that Jimi Hendrix Experience is one of the more formidible stages of music appreciation a music lover goes through in his or her young life (and some music lovers, of course, never leave that stage).  Personally, I was most into my Hendrix stage around the same time I was hugely into Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn.  Basically, the guitar players that could really, really play.  But the important thing to remember is, all these guys had tremendous backing bands.  Clapton did (arguably) his best work with Cream and Derek & the Dominos, Vaughn had Double Trouble, and Hendrix had a duo behind him that kept his amazing playing incredibly tight.

Mitch Mitchell, drummer for Jimi Hendrix Experience, passed away early this morning, at the age of 61 or 62. Interestingly, Mitchell had just finished a tour which involved Chris Layton, who was in Double Trouble.  (Side Note: You know you’ve led a rock and roll life if they don’t know how old you are.)

Anyhow, Mitchell and bass player Noel Redding made the Experience the, well, experience that it was, being the rock on which Hendrix could solo for days on end, burn guitars, and generally show off his skill.  Here’s the whole band doing “All Along the Watchtower,” the song that Bob Dylan wrote, Hendrix made his own, and Dave Matthews thinks it’s okay to still play.

And, for any of you that are way into drum solos (there are some of you out there, I know), here’s a clip that starts with Mitchell going nuts, and then continues with the whole band going nuts.

It’s always sad to lose someone that helped define music as we still know it today.  takepart to keep music education alive in public schools, so the next generation can get its own Mitch Mitchell.