BENJI Kirkpatrick, energetic bouzouki maestro and master of the flying leap taking centre stage with folk big band and BBC Radio 2 regulars, Bellowhead, is set to appear at Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan on Wednesday (16th) as part of a national UK tour.

Marking 45 years since Jimi Hendrix’s untimely death, Benji’s show will see him play classic songs by the legendary guitarist, adapting them for bouzouki, banjo and mandolin.

Stripping back the layers of electric guitar, the solos and the psychedelia to reveal the songs in their pure form, Benji reveals Hendrix as a sensitive songwriter.

Alongside the national tour, Benji will be releasing an album of the material, simply entitled ‘Hendrix songs’.

A lifetime time fan of Hendrix, Benji made a conscious decision not to play the guitar at all in this project: “Well, Hendrix did that rather well! As a 12-year-old, newly equipped with an electric guitar, I tried my best to imitate him. I soon realised it was futile – he was an absolute one-off and changed rock music completely with the natural fluidity and brilliance of his playing. This project is about exposing his skill as a songwriter, which I think is often overlooked.”

The live show, entitled ‘Bendrix’ will incorporate a first half of Benji’s own material, with the second half entirely dedicated to the Hendrix material and set against a specially commissioned visual backdrop by Shropshire-based artist Esther Thorpe. The whole project has been funded by Arts Council England.

Tickets for Bendrix at Theatr Mwldan are £13 (£11) and are available via Mwldan’s Box Office on 01239 621200 or online at www.mwldan.co.uk.