Purple Haze & Star Spangled Banner - Hendrix - Von Cello

Von Cello, the first cellist to perform a Hendrix influenced Star Spangled Banner (starting in the 1970's), is seen here playing the Star Spangled Banner and Purple Haze for the New Directions Cello Festival, at the University of Connecticut in the 1990's. This performance predated the formation of Von Cello, the band. Calling itself the Aaron Minsky Trio, the group included Tom Charlap on bass, and Joe Carozza on drums.

On this video we first see Von Cello playing the anthem, then joined by the band as he launches into Purple Haze. Afterwards we hear the same version of Purple Haze with a better mix (taken directly from the mixing board) with psychedelic images in the background.

Aaron Minsky is famous in the cello world as the composer of over a dozen music books published by Oxford University Press. His pieces are performed, taught, and recorded around the world. He is a Yamaha Artist, a D'Addario Artist, and in Who's Who. He started out in music as a rock guitarist but become a classical cellist in his late teens. His goal, however, was to one day combine his rock guitar knowledge with his classical cello knowledge creating a new rock style of cello playing. He calls his new style: "Celtar", the combining of cello and guitar.

He had mixed feelings about demonstrating his rock style at a cello convention, fearing that the other cellists would not approve. As you can hear on the video, the crowd "went nuts", leading Aaron to realize that the time had indeed come for him to re-enter the world of rock. Shortly after this event the Von Cello Band was formed, the first rock cello fronted rock power trio in history! You can find out much more here: http://www.voncello.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Jimi
• Hendrix
• Purple
• Haze
• Star
• Spangled
• Banner
• Von
• Cello
• Aaron
• Minsky
• Psychedelic
• Classic
• Rock
• Electric

[eggmangoogoogoojoob]

At first, I thought that this was nothing more than desecration of the great Jimi Hendrix' work, but then I watched it again and I must admit that Von Cello is actually a very talented musician. That said, it is only really a novelty act and as such it's all rather tongue-in-cheek.  It bears little comparison with Hendrix' original apart from the lyrics and musical arrangement, but people who think he is trying to rip off the great man are missing the point. It's not altogether serious, guys.

[voncello]

I's not a novelty act. It's classic hard rock being played in a power trio using a cello. It's like what Ian Anderson did with the flute - revolutionizing an instrument! Now there is even a genre called Cello Rock.

[voncello]

Okay, since two people asked I guess I better respond. The cello is a school quality regular "acoustic" cello that I filled full of car foam and then painted blue with a gold trim. The pick up may be an Underwood. Honestly, I don't remember. I converted this cello in 1988 when I premiered my "Ten American Cello Etudes" at the First World Cello Congress. I don't know, but I bet I was the first person to ever electrify an acoustic cello, fill it full of foam, and paint it blue!

[UKNintendoManiac]

VC, that was a great performance! I wasn't really aware that the cello and guitar were so close in range; cellos are much more interesting instruments in my opinion anyway.

How do you get the (what sounds like) whole range of a guitar on a cello when a cello has 2 less strings? (excuse my ignorance, but I don't play a string instrument yet).

[voncello]

Good observations! I started out as a rock guitarist and when I first decided to move my rock knowledge to the cello I wondered the same thing. Eventually I realized that because of the deeper sonority you don't have to play as many notes to get a full sound. I do chords with 2 - 4 notes as opposed to the 6 note guitar chords, but it still sounds good. My published cello pieces provide a blueprint for my new style, which I call "Celtar" (cello mixed with guitar). My 4th CD will be out this year.

[voncello]

Hey Harry Honda! I can't believe you are still trolling here. (Still trying to publicize your page?) As for intonation (I can't believe I'm responding) you can listen to any of my CD's to hear that it's excellent. You can also listen on my audio pages to live performances of classical music, like when I was on WNCN. When playing rock music live it is sometimes hard to hear yourself. So the intonation is sometimes out. You hear this on many live recordings with even the commercial "rock stars".

[LordPeng1]

@UKNintendoManiac As for the question of range, the strings of a guitar are tuned closer to each other than those of a cello. Cello strings are a fifth apart (seven half-steps) while guitar strings (in standard tuning) are a fourth (five half-steps) apart, except for one pair which are a major third (four half-steps) apart.

[eggmangoogoogoojoob]

Sorry about that, voncello, I didn't mean to speak out of turn. It's just that I've appreciated Hendrix' work for so long now that it's difficult for me to accept others' interpretations of his music. You're quite right, though, it is just a different angle on a hard rock power standard - very much in the style of Ian Anderson, as you say. Great stuff!

Cheers,

John

[NickFeder]

THIS IS SICK! You should do...everything! =D

[BreakofReaIity]

what kind of cello are you using? and what kind of pickup?

~BREAK OF REALITY

"heavy cello thunder"

[americanrazorkid]

whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oo now this is the music ive been looking for!!!!!rock on

[TogDitties]

what cello are you using here? this is great and my name is aaron too =)