Nigel Kennedy plays a barnstorming version of Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze”

Crossover violin virtuoso Nigel Kennedy has spent the past 30 years interpreting the works of legendary rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Here, accompanied by the Polish Chamber Orchestra, Nigel Kennedy puts his unique personal spin on Jimi Hendrix’s classic song “Purple Haze” during a concert at La Citadelle in Carcassonne, France, on July 17, 2005.
Violinist Nigel Kennedy’s discography is extensive, and he’s always shifted among genres, whether classical, jazz, klezmer or rock. In the late 1990s, he formed The Kennedy Experience along with seven other musicians, and released an album in 1999 of instrumental works, each a classical interpretation of a Jimi Hendrix song. “Purple Haze” was one of the tracks, and this performance, with the Polish Chamber Orchestra, showcases Nigel Kennedy’s improvisational talents as well as his crowd-pleasing showmanship.
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#JimiHendrix #PurpleHaze #NigelKennedy #PolishChamberOrchestra

[@knotknown847]

Well, you might not be ready for it yet......but your kids are going to love it!

[@ksims6449]

dudes up there rockin hendrix on a violin with an orchestra and he's wearing what looks like combat boots. he canceled a show cause jurrasic fm wouldnt let him play hendrix sir. you're awesome, and you have huge testicles to match your immense musical skill. more over you have integrity to match that passion & conviction damn shame there arent more like you

[@vincentbrannelly8786]

DUDE !!!!

[@heybabe8438]

They are making those musical instruments do things they weren't designed for ,just wonderful !

[@tesorotesoro1654]

Had to see this ,after Jurassic FM, Hendrix ban. Ace stuff see the joy in the other musicians faces playing somthing different for a change.

[@mauricehegarty9703]

Exactly why I came looking. Wonderful to see everyone so clearly enjoying what they're doing.

[@thesprawl2361]

Me too. I like that it's not really a cover at all - he pulled the song apart completely and left eh pieces spinning in space. No idea why Classic FM would say no to it unless they hadn't heard it. Or maybe they're opposed to anything that isn't twiddly wallpaper muzak from the 1800s.

[@sushke695]

@@thesprawl2361 Me too. Refreshing to see the musicians having so much fun, as well as the audience... and to see the above support and comments. :)

[@tim73639]

Well I guess I'm not the only one then...

[@ironmantooltime]

Oh wow brings a tear to my eye as a long time hendrix fan, to hear his motifs re-awakened like this. And to all the Jurassic FM management, you can keep your Alan Twatmarsh hours of dross, this has to rank as one of the greatest epic fails in music. Shame, I liked the birdsong loops when the channel was in test for launch.

[@duledule1127]

The freest man in the Universe!

[@FortunateJuice]

I'll never forget my Social Studies teacher in 7th grade shared a Nigel Kennedy CD with me. It was all Hendrix covers. Amazing stuff.

[@tesorotesoro1654]

Mark m, them teachers were very few ,God bless them ..

[@EllieMcEla]

the whole orchestra be bopping

[@mikelichteveld4604]

Hats of to you mister Kennedy for cancelling the gig. Jimi would be proud, what were they thinking at Classic FM...

[@user-cq4nq8ci9o]

Long live Rock'n'Rool. !!! Classic music too. How cool to see an orchestra loosing control and get passionated playing Rock music, Classical musicians meet Rock music, that is so cool. Thank you Nigel!

[@seanedwards6193]

GOT TO SEE HIM IN LAS VEGAS IN THE LATE 90S MEETING HIM AND HIS MEMBERS AFTER THE SHOW...UNFORGETTABLE AMAZING MUSICIANS! ONE LOVE NK!

[@elainenye-evans4555]

What a brilliant player and rendition of my hero Hendrix's purple haze. Genius and what a real connection to the vibe of Hendrix.

[@ayseboykin5808]

Hendrix is a classic! ❤

[@weddo22]

Listen to this every day. When he approaches the lady he is hit by a magic not of this plain. Love Nigel and his Stradivarius xo ❤

[@drevildick]

Gotta love that poor lady clapping on 1 and 3.

[@reasonabledoubt6908]

She is ROCKIN!

[@gitaareddy]

The way I'm counting she's clapping on 1, 2, 3 and 4

[@drevildick]

@@gitaareddy Oh dear!

[@johnmunro4952]

If he hadn't revealed what this was based on the stuffed shirts at classic FM would have embraced this as simply Avant Garde orchestral music. Wonderful inspiring stuff!

[@BillieD2000]

Look . . .everyone is grinning. Me too. And the orchestra keeps vamping while he bumps fists. Such a wonderfully loveble artist.

[@christopheratkins6640]

Disappointed he didn’t set the violin on fire

[@Jamesason]

😂 🔥

[@waynemasters8673]

​@@Jamesason As I take parts off a Peavey bass and put them on a half barrel.... Polyphonics await my ears.

[@PJohn-gc8xv]

Unfortunately, he didn't have Zippo Oil. Because he doesn't smoke.

[@elizabethmcdonald7027]

He's a brilliant violinist..l So love his style of playing!

[@elizabethperry9092]

Nigel, you are a master!

[@elizabethperry9092]

@@turbotiger5998 Duh. You're stating the obvious to someone who has followed his career. 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

[@elizabethperry9092]

@@turbotiger5998 Grow up and stop acting like a whining dolt who hasn't been laid for some time.

[@elizabethperry9092]

@Dan Dugan ???

[@simonbertioli4696]

Never seen an audience so glued to Nigel... eyes and smiles.👍👍😉 what a sound..

[@Dreamagic23]

Even the orchestra having a Good time!

[@zbigniewkulaga2753]

did you see Nigel kissing Lady's hands on any other concert?

[@garryfoster94]

Utter class..👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@davidpegram5862]

I have been lucky to meet Nigel a few times and he’s one of the nicest person you could ever meet plus he’s a fantastic violinist

[@salvandorum]

He is a drunken Oik

[@paulthornhill9930]

Beautiful! Jimi would have loved it.

[@kevinhopton1]

Love it. Just pure joy!!

[@sairyloo]

Wow!! Bloody marvellous!

[@clairematty3831]

Such an amazing night to see and hear you play at Evesham ❤

[@ALIASZARDOZ]

Sublime ! ❤

[@jurgennaeve3897]

What a joy!

[@saucerfull1]

DW Classical...What a warm and friendly Person he is!🙂

[@steveridsdale9426]

Simply perfection

[@malkru]

I have DVD with that concert :) Dream is to be on that concert live.

[@carpediem3655]

great!

[@TJ-Dives]

Badass Is Nigel

[@elenamargulescu5289]

Wow! Thanks!

[@vangelisdestanis4890]

Amazing...

[@heinzweixelbraun682]

For me the greatest.

[@finadasairas4797]

!!!BESTIALMENTE BRUTAAAAL!!!! Dios mío,que genialidad..nos vuelves locooos,..no se puede describir lo que tus manos hacen ,igual lloramos que reimos contigo, este vídeo es exquisitamente !!!GENIAAAL!! lo que tus manos hacen, es !!!MAGIA !!! BENDITO SEAS MAESTRO

[@lesliecompton4061]

there is genius and there is Nigel Kennedy -- he will always be special

[@michaellomax2]

That was brilliant.

[@auroradarienzo]

Grandioso !Meravigliosi !

[@heinzweixelbraun682]

Die Genialität Jimmy Hendrix fortgeführt …

[@cristyfigueroa1914]

Nigel y jimi los mejores del mundo

[@jinkibenny]

WOW! I only found Nigel Kennedy today..! Wow! HIS MUSIC & PLAY ARE AMAZING! ALIVE CLASSIC! MORDERN CLASSIC? YES~! He seems like a MORDERN PAGANINI?!!!

[@DWClassicalMusic]

We are glad you enjoyed it! There are many more of his performances to discover on our channel.😊

[@bmuhamad]

A bigger, older, mature, & expansive brotherly version to The Kronos Quartet's take. Still beautiful. Somehow, hear Charlie Parker & Miles Davis playing in the improvs. Thank you.

[@humandroid53]

I hardly recognised the song! Hendrix composed some beautiful songs such as Rainy day dream away and of course Little Wing.

[@schnupp4991]

Weltklasse ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@ribpaie]

Superbe Merci

[@nickhenbrown1477]

Fantastic!!!

[@willhooper9541]

To all the haters and "Jimi would hate this" conspirators... this is called an interpretation of a song - it's done in the style of/dedication to Hendrix. Plus given that Hendrix and Zappa were good mates, and Zappa has said that if Hendrix could read music he would have transcribed his music for other instruments I think Hendrix would have loved this to be honest. Food for thought too... Dylan going electric was met with disparaging remarks, now some of his most iconic stuff is from that period. Hendrix too come underfire for his cover of St Peppers and that too is now a classic and highly acclaimed cover. And I'm sure the list goes on...

[@Unknown-gf6mk]

Not heard anyone say that. Quite the opposite apart from Classic. Fm

[@nicolegrosbety3513]

Oui j'adore artiste génial ! Je le connais depuis plus de 20 ans l'écouter ma sauvée ds mon lit d'hôpital

[@tommot7236]

Shame on Classic FM and well done for sticking to your guns Nigel. Like a lot of people I appreciate all forms of music from Classical to Modern. Hendrix was my hero back in the day and a brilliant musician - shame they wouldn't let you pay tribute to him with 'Little Bird'. Thanks for this though! 👍

[@patriciaeverett5001]

Gotta be incredibly difficult to play!!! Wow!!!!!

[@zsoltaudio]

Awesome!

[@nickhenbrown1477]

Yes!

[@santiagomateos7211]

¡Fantástico!

[@urbanwarrior3470]

Sorry, but i just cannot hear Purple Haze in this - apart from right at the end

[@kevinnimmo2621]

Me either...and I painfully listened to the whole lot of this nonsense. Utter pish !!!

[@yoshimitsu8922]

@@kevinnimmo2621 2:32 you can hear the main riff. I think it's great Mr. Kennedy improvises and solos a lot of this, it's in line with how Hendrix played his guitar

[@cyclingjoezone]

Agree

[@StoffelDilligas]

@@kevinnimmo2621 thanks for the heads up

[@thefathippy]

I thought it was cool, but it wasn't Purple Haze or Hendrix

[@Anna.Lippert]

Bravo!

[@thoscar02]

I am sure Jimi would have approved.

[@waynemasters8673]

❤ Had to watch this as I strip a Peavey bass of its parts and put them on a half barrel thin plywood top and 17th century bridge , magnets on strings and church organ tesonators inside. Jimi! Jimi! Jimi! "Machine gun" bass. Viola.

[@user-ic3hr8zm8w]

❤❤❤🎉

[@dsthorp]

Nigel!

[@joeblakeukeman]

❤

[@antrygis1]

Nigel was supposed to get together with Uli Jon Roth last year on some cool French Island with a great production but...I hope they can get together and do something.

[@bernardoluisberrocalinca8466]

¡Buena Nigel!

[@davy1458]

Let's hear him try to play Jimi hendix "machine gun" on that violin.

[@dizzydino1]

Core!!!

[@pearljam619]

Up The Villa!

[@iwantthe80sback59]

If you haven’t already check out the 2 guys on cello playing Thunderstruck.

[@Random-rt5ec]

Ok had I not been told they were playing Hendrix I never would have known, but either way I thought it was awesome. In my opinion teacher unions have dumbed down the USA & as soon as we open the doors to school choice & educational competition I believe classical music will make a huge comeback as will the greatness of the USA.

[@ironmantooltime]

You have to know hendrix pretty well to recognise the parts that are straight lifts. But the magic is how he leads the orchestra and merges with I don't know what else he's got. Amazing stuff.

[@smkh2890]

"Jurassic FM " is going to stick!

[@ArnoldVeeman]

Imagine Jurassic FM said this to Paganini 🪤🙃 They've set a trap for themselves really... Great job mister Kennedy!!

[@cesarvanera]

5:10 Dude! You're so in there (Greg)

[@orenshoval2141]

Where is the sheet music for this?

[@DWClassicalMusic]

Thanks for the request. There is probably no sheet music of Nigel Kennedy's version of Purple Haze. Maybe you get the one of Jim Hendrix's original.

[@orenshoval2141]

@@DWClassicalMusic Thank you for the response. To be honest, I asked jokingly. I don't think anyone can compose what Nigel played in this video(excep for him). He is the Hendrix on violin.

[@DWClassicalMusic]

👍

[@Awfki]

If purple Haze is in there I'm not hearing it. I looked up an instrumental version since I hadn't heard the song in awhile. This seems to be a different song by the same name.

[@8odycount]

I was thinking the same. I am a very big Hendrix fan and I can only hear suddle fractions of it, if anything at all. And the intro and the outro sounds simply awful. If not to say disgusting. He's definitely a virtuose but I have to admit, I don't like the violin very much, compared to other classical instruments. That might have an impact on my opinion.

[@K1DA420]

PLUR 💚

[@magdalenaludwicka3800]

Rockmen skrzypiec♥️

[@stephenjames4937]

I'll bet that was fun to play.

[@melaniamonicacraciun9900]

You can always bring the Wide cinema screens to add the pictures, to enjoy the picnic in the park, to feel just fine like a huge enlarged family, we trully need this Spirit of solidarity humanity & positive mood, now more than ever for increasing the human immunity system

[@solangelagos3251]

Simply hardcore😂

[@cynthiakeller5954]

Is he playing a stradivarius?

[@K1DA420]

MOSHPIT 👊

[@gerardpaing4650]

FORMIDABLES LES DEUX !

[@hottiestub6420]

Great stuff,glad he told them to stuff their stale attitudes,music needs a good shake up,labelling ,pigeon holing etc,we should be hearing the sex pistols next to Shostakovich on the radio ,it's all bloody music!

[@admater85]

Czy ja słyszę na końcu: trzy, dwa, jeden?

[@Dijahtal_Arts_Not_Digital_Arts]

It bears no resemblance to Purple Haze

[@neurotic4]

Yeah, shouldn't it be in E-flat not E.

[@Dijahtal_Arts_Not_Digital_Arts]

@@neurotic4 Ha ha

[@revealedgnosis]

Yeah Jurassic fm is rubbish huh. They don't realise the world evolves? That people move on and try new stuff? That generations come and go? But music and classical music lives and breathes with every generation

[@andrewharper831]

I don't hear it...

[@markjex9035]

NIGEL, think you should do a " DUET " with KAROLINA PROTSENKO ? she's the only PERSON in the World 🌎 who could teach you a few good moves ! 🕺 🕺 😇 🇬🇧

[@markjex9035]

Well !

[@markjex9035]

Nigel, can you Respond to this Comment Please 🇬🇧

[@PrinsTan]

Sounds like a Patty Smith arrangement

[@pekkapohjola2727]

Completely misses point of original Song and that/this is Great!

[@Millennial_Mike]

I totally respect and dig NK's investment I this... but the rest of the orchestra screams of SQUARE .

[@ianbrooks2412]

not purple haze

[@ronniewest3867]

Wow! Classic FM! You’ve made a big error. If it’s the audience you’re worried about. Watch this one.

[@melaniamonicacraciun9900]

Music happenings are the best regenerating healing dope fans, not only for spreading good vibes, but even for a economical welfare strategy, when a showbiz tour of concerts is creating more than hundred new jobs, an industrial company might get broke in a cup of years. If we want to save Whirlpool washing machines company, how many concerts do we have to build up? Each city square, each weekend if possible, every park garden & school yard, fans, get involved, get in action, music is our salvation, even from the economical depression threat, my favorite political strategy, who said that only terrorists can manufacture the Daily TV news? Musicians deserve the honor of all front pages Ok?

[@Scrob]

Fine musicianship, but it's hard to call this a cover when it literally sounds NOTHING AT ALL LIKE THE ORIGINAL. I understand taking SOME artistic liberties, but it was so completely different that it was almost disrespectful. Just plain awful.

[@thedoddfishtreemonkey.7760]

Sounds f*ck all like Purple Haze but nice try.

[@bobdyllan5206]

Bruh just start the real part

[@paulopie1541]

Sounds like Brexit. My dog was indifferent. I was less positively inclined.

[@Solaar_Punk]

He's cringe but then obviously that's secondarily important compared to his awesome talent. He looks so healthy these days too. Good luck to him.

[@ManoelMarianomoraes]

😫😫