As the story goes, rising soul-folk singer Michael Kiwanuka cut his teeth as a studio guitarist before gaining enough confidence in his own material to share that incredible voice with us last spring. That confidence bit aside, this trajectory does hold a few similarities to Jimi Hendrix, who first put sounds to tape as a session man for the likes of the Isley Brothers and Little Richard in the mid-’60s. This week Kiwanuka paid homage to the legend, not by showing off those searing electric guitar chops I’d bet he has hidden away, but by making Are You Experienced ballad “May This Be Love” — aka “Waterfall” — his own in a tender, understated way. Watch his performance, filmed and recorded by The Blind Club, above. Update: Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. have requested the removal of Kiwanuka’s video. We’ve replaced the clip with “Lasan” in the meantime.
