JIMI HENDRIX/IN THE BEGINNING NR 5068 (-73) UK

I'm having a Hendrix period at the moment, listening to all I got. Usually I stick with recordings made 1967-70 and try to avoid posthumous issues of earlier sessions where he only participated as supporting musician. So this should definately be a no-no having excerpts from a few unannonced concerts made before the breakthrough and first issued three years after his death. Some of the performances are subpar and the audio partly bad. That said I still find it relevant. It has nothing in common with the 1972 US "In The Beginning" LP:s on Shout Records from sessions he did with Lonnie Youngblood, or the Polydor issues with him and Isley Brothers. This is from the first stage appearances he made after arriving in England 1966. Visiting Flamingo Club in London at nights he jumped in and played with the regular bands at a few occations. Cover notes names a bunch of artists that performed at the club around this time, but don't specify which ones he accompanies on the record - probably to avoid legal complications. There are mainly two reasons I find this valuable. First - it's an exemple of the gigs that helped to build a reputation and following in England before the Track recordings and breakthrough. Second - though a couple of the numbers reminds of earlier efforts with King Curtis and others where all you can hear is a sufficiant rythm guitar, this also have three songs - "You Got Me Running", "Hard Night" and "Sweet Little Angel" - where he plays brilliant solos, showing some of the magic that would make him legendary. Maybe it's too much calling the LP "historic", but it does carry a small part of Hendrix history otherwise unaccounted for (or maybe not - please check comments below). Also released in France with different sleeve design as "Jimi Hendrix Vol. 2 - In The Beginning". I've searched the net for other issues having corresponding cuts, but can't find any. UK had label as shown here and stuctured fold/out cover. (JHÄ*)(LYBÖ*)