Song Premiere: Jimi Hendrix & Band of Gypsys’ Rare, Live ‘Izabella’
On New Year’s Eve 1969, Jimi Hendrix’s short-lived but instantly legendary Band of Gypsys made their live debut at Bill Graham’s Fillmore East in New York City. Machine Gun: The Fillmore East First Show 12/31/69 comes out Sept. 30 via Experience Hendrix L.L.C./Legacy Recordings, but Yahoo Music is proud to premiere one of the album’s rare concert tracks, “Izabella,” today. Band of Gypsys’ first four Fillmore East shows — two on New Year’s Eve 1969, two on New Year’s Day 1970 — were historic not just because the group, which included Billy Cox on bass and Buddy Miles on drums, pushed the boundaries of Hendrix’s signature psych-rock sound, incorporating new elements of funk and soul.