Il telegramma di Jimi Hendrix e Miles Davis per Paul McCartney

Lo volevano a suonare il basso con loro a Londra, ma lui era via: è il supergruppo che non ci fu

This image made available by Hard Rock International Friday, May 10, 2013, shows a telegram addressed to Paul McCartney and the reply. Fans of the late trumpet and guitar masters have long known that Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix had been making plans to record together in the year before Hendrix's sudden death in 1970. But less attention has been paid to the bass player they were trying to recruit: Paul McCartney, who was busy with another band at the time. This tantalizing detail about the super group that never was ó jazz standout Tony Williams would have been on drums ó is contained in an oft-overlooked telegram that Hendrix sent to McCartney at The Beatles' Apple Records in London on Oct. 21, 1969. "We are recording and LP together this weekend," it says, complete with a typographical error. "How about coming in to play bass stop call Alan Douglas 212-5812212. Peace Jimi Hendrix Miles Davis Tony Williams." The telegram, advising McCartney to contact producer Douglas if he could make the session, has been part of the Hard Rock Cafe memorabilia collection since it was purchased at auction in 1995. Still it has only generated attention in recent months with the successful release of "People, Hell & Angels," expected to be the last CD of Hendrix's studio recordings. (AP Photo/Hard Rock Cafe)
This image made available by Hard Rock International Friday, May 10, 2013, shows a telegram addressed to Paul McCartney and the reply. Fans of the late trumpet and guitar masters have long known that Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix had been making plans to record together in the year before Hendrix's sudden death in 1970. But less attention has been paid to the bass player they were trying to recruit: Paul McCartney, who was busy with another band at the time. This tantalizing detail about the super group that never was ó jazz standout Tony Williams would have been on drums ó is contained in an oft-overlooked telegram that Hendrix sent to McCartney at The Beatles' Apple Records in London on Oct. 21, 1969. "We are recording and LP together this weekend," it says, complete with a typographical error. "How about coming in to play bass stop call Alan Douglas 212-5812212. Peace Jimi Hendrix Miles Davis Tony Williams." The telegram, advising McCartney to contact producer Douglas if he could make the session, has been part of the Hard Rock Cafe memorabilia collection since it was purchased at auction in 1995. Still it has only generated attention in recent months with the successful release of "People, Hell & Angels," expected to be the last CD of Hendrix's studio recordings. (AP Photo/Hard Rock Cafe)

Dal ricco archivio di documenti sulla storia della musica nella collezione dello Hard Rock Cafe ha guadagnato nuova notorietà uno scambio di telegrammi – esposto nel locale di Praga della catena – acquisito a un’asta del 1995, su cui finora c’era stata poca attenzione. Il primo dei due messaggi è firmato da Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis e dal batterista jazz Tony Williams e fu spedito il 21 ottobre 1969 agli studi londinesi della Apple Records – la casa discografica dei Beatles, allora già in crisi – indirizzato a Paul McCartney. Il testo dice:

«Registriamo un LP insieme questo weekend a New York. Che ne dici di venire a suonare il basso»

Rispose loro un collaboratore dei Beatles spiegando che McCartney si trovava in vacanza (in Scozia) e non avrebbe potuto aderire all’invito. Sulla possibilità di un disco insieme di Miles Davis e Jimi Hendrix gli storici della musica hanno scritto molto, e l’amicizia tra i due era nota: poi qualcosa non la fece concretizzare nel disco previsto, e un anno dopo il telegramma Jimi hendrix morì a Londra per un’overdose, a 27 anni. Meno nota era l’ipotesi che il loro bassista potesse essere Paul McCartney.