Ari Joshua covers “Voodoo Chile”

Ari Joshua is a talented composer and virtuoso instrumentalist who’s dedicated his life and career to music. Born in South Africa and refined in Seattle, Ari has earned a reputation as an extraordinary musician and a dedicated music educator. His ability to blend jazz with improvisational brilliance places him among the most thrilling artists in modern music today.

His sonic adventure began with a scholarship to study music on the East Coast, a step that allowed him to immerse himself in the art of jazz and composition. Not content to merely perform, he extended his impact by founding The Music Factory, an educational initiative that has provided nearly 100,000 lessons to several new generations of young musicians, reflecting his passion for nurturing the next wave of musical talent.

Throughout his career, Joshua has collaborated with some of the most respected names in the industry. From working with rock legends like Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam and R.E.M.’s Peter Buck to playing with jazz musicians like John Medeski and Billy Martin, his versatility as a guitarist and composer shines in everything he touches. These collaborations have resulted in recent works such as “Meeting of the Minds,” “Dragons Layer” and “Country Stroll,” blending genres in ways that impress both jazz aficionados and casual listeners.

That spirit of collaboration is alive and well on his latest release, a blistering take on Jimi Hendrix’s classic “Voodoo Chile,” reimagined with keyboardist Ray Paczkowski and drummer Russ Lawton under the name RAaR Trio. It’s a bold undertaking, covering a song that’s iconic not just for its structure but for its soul. Ari Joshua and company don’t just revisit the classic, they reinvigorate it and reframe it in their own way while paying respectful tribute to the original.

From the hallowed wah-drenched first notes, their rendition crackles with energy as Ari’s guitar howls and burns with the kind of controlled chaos Hendrix himself would admire as his compelling vocal performance serves up the leads with impassioned delivery. Ray’s Hammond organ swells and shimmers, anchoring the track in swirling psychedelia while Russ, ever the groove-master, drives it forward with deep, deliberate rhythms that keep the whole thing grounded even as it threatens to lift off into the stratosphere.

Released on Music Factory Records, the track feels live, magnetic and timeless, as though the trio stepped into a room, hit record and let instinct take over. The production team behind the release reads like a who’s who of audio alchemists with Ben Collette engineered the tracking, Jonathan Plum handled mixing duties and Joe Lambert brought it all together in mastering. Visual collaborators Burgandy Viscosi and Monte Mitchel added artwork that matches the track’s cosmic vibe, rounding out a release that’s as visually impactful as it is sonically spectacular.

Listen to Voodoo Chile below