David Harrington [Kronos Quartet]

David Harrington [Kronos Quartet] :


David Harrington : “What if we need to do an encore? What can we possibly play after ‘The Rite Of Spring’?” The only thing that came to mind was Jimi Hendrix. And that’s why we got started playing “Purple Haze.” It was an encore to “The Rite Of Spring.” Then what happened is, the group got more and more amplified as time went on, and our version began to change and the version you’ve probably heard is the result.

David Wolinsky: Why did that song occur to you as encore material?

David Harrington: I grew up in Seattle, and Hendrix was from Seattle. When I was starting in high school and college, his music just completely galvanized me. The sound—there was something about his virtuosity and the sound and the naturalness of the way he played that just seemed really fantastic. I really can’t explain it. I was just drawn to his sound and his music.

Source : http://www.avclub.com/chicago/articles/kronos-quartets-david-harrington,37804/