April 4th, 1968 marks the unfortunate anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, as the powerful voice of the Civil Rights movement was tragically murdered despite his potent message for peace and unity. Today, the memory of King serves as an important reminder of civil unrest, and the importance of social equality for all.
When word spread of King’s untimely demise, an impromptu memorial concert was put together at the Generation Club in New York, NY. This is, however, where the story gets complicated, as various accounts are given of the same night. Either on April 7th or April 9th, the lineup for the performance included Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Al Kooper, Elvin Bishop and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Further accounts have Janis Joplin, Ted Nugent, and Joni Mitchell in the building, but it’s really hard to say. If only the iPhone existed in 1968.
You can watch Buddy Guy’s take on “Stormy Monday” below, with Hendrix watching from the wings:
A recording of the evening was released as The Kings Jam. While the album itself is in limited circulation, a YouTube user named GoinToSleepBIATCH posted a video playlist featuring each of the ten tracks from the night. Listen in below:
It doesn’t get much better than that!