David got experienced living an entire life immersed in Jimi Hendrix’s music, to a point well beyond obsession. Jimi was one of a kind, an incredible combination of cosmic planetary alignment, family DNA, vivid life experience, and a bit of gypsy magic. Absorbed in the wild, intense, improvised electric guitar music that Jimi brought us, David heard a direct echo of the freedom, chaos and love that he was experiencing in his own uniquely undisciplined childhood. David plays improvised Hendrix covers on piano and guitar that are “feel for feel” rather than “note for note.”
In the 1980s, David formed what the Village Voice called one of the best Hendrix tribute bands ever to pay homage to Jimi: a three-piece called Purple Blaze. In 1993, the L.A. Weekly named him “Best Unsigned Rock Guitarist in L.A. County,” in part for his work with that band.
If you’ve been hoping to finally see another living guitarist like Hendrix, forget it: God broke the mold. But if you’re looking for someone who plays Jimi’s music with undeniable dedication, feeling, skill, conviction and authenticity, and who can take you to some similar territories, David Rotter just might be a musician worthy of your attention.