Reimagining Hendrix is no easy task, but guitarist Ari Joshua and the RAaR Trio breathe new life into “Voodoo Chile” with raw chemistry, deep reverence, and fearless improvisation. Here's our conversation.
1. Ari,
covering Jimi Hendrix is no small feat. What inspired you to take on “Voodoo
Chile,” and how did you approach reimagining such an iconic track?
My family
moved to the States and we shipped all our furniture—including our stereo
systems and records—overseas when I was really young. I was captivated by
anything Jimi Hendrix was on, and it was amplified by the fact that my dad
loved playing that music really loud. From vinyl to cassette to the first
compact discs, Jimi Hendrix was always there in force. I mean, it may be this
song that got me into the instrument. I remember also loving the Stevie
Ray Vaughan version.
2. The
chemistry between you, Russ Lawton, and Ray Paczkowski is undeniable. How did
this trio come together, and what makes your musical connection so special?
It was
during the pandemic that we were able to connect and plant the seeds to
collaborate. Everyone was at home and able to share ideas. I was talking to
Russ about drums and music education, and I told him I’ve always gravitated to
the organ trio format. We were about to do a remote session online—he was
sending me some beats and kind of sharing how he and Trey Anastasio
collaborate.
We were
planning to start a session through a studio out there called Tank Recording,
run by Ben Collette, who also works with PHISH. I was keen, but then they got
booked out for like eight weeks. Turns out those eight weeks were basically
Trey’s Beacon Jams series, where they played to an empty
theater and quarantined each musician until they had a full band and orchestra
by the end. It was pretty innovative, and in doing so, the organization set up
a protocol.
Pending a
quarantine period, Russ and Ray invited me out. I started writing songs and
flew out, held up in an apartment for the quarantine period, just writing more
ideas. I took a test when the quarantine was over and drove through the icy,
snowy roads of Burlington to the studio—and from the first note, there was just
magic. The chemistry was everything I could hope for. We went on to track about
20 songs together.
3.
You’ve described this recording as a “one-take” performance. Can you walk us
through that moment in the studio and the energy you were channeling?
I had a bag
of ideas and charted them all out. We did a lot of that in the first session,
but when I came back for another round of recording, we took a more
collaborative approach. We played a pair of shows in Las Vegas where we did
this song and it was just explosive.
There
wasn’t really much planned for covers in the studio, but we had a few hours
left on the clock and I was like, “Voodoo Chile?” One take… and done. I mean, I
did some post-production with Jonathan Plum at London Bridge Studios. We worked
hard to get that surround sound, stereo feel in the mix. London Bridge is
where Temple of the Dog and Pearl Jam Ten were
recorded, so there’s a bit of Mike McCready influence in this one too.
4.
Hendrix’s music carries a deep emotional and spiritual weight. What elements of
his original version did you feel were most important to honor, and where did
you allow yourselves creative freedom?
Well yeah,
Hendrix is the deepest. I mean, I would headbang to this song all through my
adolescence. I walked the halls of high school with this on my Walkman. When I
hear the music, I don’t hear notes or scales or patterns—I really just hear his
spirit.
The goal is
creative freedom. Even more than perfection, the goal is freedom. We didn’t
pre-plan this song, so we may have left out a thing or two, but I’m more than
fine with that.
5. Ray’s
Hammond organ work adds a rich, swirling dimension to the song. What was your
approach to capturing that psychedelic and bluesy feel?
The organ
was captured in stereo by Ben Collette, who has tracked with Ray a lot. I’m
pretty sure he was the engineer on the last few PHISH albums and was definitely
involved in the Trey Anastasio Band recordings.
A lot of it
comes down to the way Ray plays—wild, beautiful, and so personal. Jon and I
really pushed the envelope in the mixing room too. I have a handful of tricks
up my sleeve, but really, it just takes hours and hours over weeks and months
to arrive at the right level of swirl and psychedelia.
6.
Russ’s drumming on this track has a deep, grooving pocket. How does he balance
staying true to the classic feel of “Voodoo Chile” while adding his own
rhythmic voice?
Russ is the
best—so professional and so solid. He’s played so many rooms and records over
the years. He really does have his own voice, and he serves the music with so
much love and joy.
7. Ari,
your playing often bridges jazz, rock, and psychedelia. How do those influences
shape your interpretation of Hendrix’s music?
When you
study jazz, you can really go deep—and I certainly did. I grew up playing jazz
every day for four years as part of a high school big band at Roosevelt High
School. After that, I moved to NYC to study with the masters, which I did for
six years at The New School and Mason Gross.
As much as
I evolved into jazz and classical, my roots remain in blues, rock, and ‘90s
rock ‘n’ roll. It’s really a love of vibration and emotion, more than a love
for any one style. I think that comes through when an artist reaches a certain
point.
8.
“Voodoo Chile” is just the latest in a string of releases from you and the RAaR
Trio. How does this track fit into the larger vision for your music?
The RAaR
sessions were magical. I hope to do more with them. I’d be happy to play with
those guys anytime. There have been a lot of really special lineups I’ve been
lucky to work with over the last ten years.
I’ve also
been recording and playing a lot on the East Coast with a new band called The
All’s Eye, featuring Kris Yunker and Ben Atkind, and that’s been a blast. We
have shows on April 11 at Umbra in Brooklyn, and April 12 at Park City Music
Hall, with three songs queued up for release.
Ray and
Russ are pretty busy with their projects—Trey Band, Soule Monde, and LaMP—but
I’d love to play with them again. I’m just always making the best music and the
best moves I can with what I have in each chapter. The Ari Joshua Band is also
playing a couple shows this month—April 18 and 19 at Queen Anne Beer Hall after
PHISH plays at Climate Pledge Arena.
9. The
recording features top-tier production talent—from Ben Collette to Jonathan
Plum and Joe Lambert. How did their expertise shape the final sound of the
track?
Those
engineers did an incredible job. It was an absolute pleasure to work with them.
The sounds are just really pleasing to my ears—on big speakers, in the car, and
especially with noise-canceling headphones.
10.
Music Factory Records has been building a rich catalog of genre-blending
releases. How does this track contribute to the label’s growing sonic identity?
The label
is my vehicle to figure out how to survive—and even more, how to thrive—in the
industry. The music industry is really challenging to navigate. You need funds
to make things happen, but at the same time, you don’t want the pursuit of
money or notoriety to interfere with making the art you love.
Hendrix is
a good example of that—and so are many legendary artists. I’ll just keep
putting out music that’s in my heart, that’s healing to me, and that I’d like
to see in the world. The label will continue learning the ropes and offering
other artists access to the systems we’re building along the way.
11.
Beyond this release, what’s next for RAaR Trio? Are there any upcoming
collaborations, live performances, or projects in the works?
This
project has another 10–15 songs in the bag that I’m working on. I tend to work
in a round-robin style—there’s a lot, and I jump around until one thing rises
to the surface and is ready to share.
The All’s
Eye has both live and studio versions of “Say What You Wanna Say,” and a
version of “Gramama” captured at Barbershop Studios for the Saturday
Sessions series is set to release on April 9.
In
addition, I’ve been collaborating with John Medeski and Billy Martin (of
Medeski Martin & Wood). Tracks like “Blurry Face” and “Reversible
Submersible” were recorded during sessions in Woodstock, NY, and mixed at
London Bridge Studios. The songs have a psychedelic cinematic mix of
composition and improvisation, and there’s more coming soon.
12. For
fans of Hendrix and psychedelic rock, what do you hope they take away from your
rendition of “Voodoo Chile”?
I can’t
tell a fan what to take away—but if you haven’t yet, listen to this track with
headphones on in a space where you can really sink into the sound. That’s what
I do, and it never gets old. I hope my art stays fresh for listeners.
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