By Rob Dugay

“When I think about blues music, I think about the musicians that came before me and what they had to say, all of those amazing guitar players. They were really playing a form of protest music.”

“Experience Hendrix” originated at the Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival in Seattle back in 1995. Since then it has become an annual tour event that attracts rock & roll fans from around the world eager to pay tribute to one of the greatest rock musicians of all time. The likes of Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford, blues legend Buddy Guy, and heavy metal shredder Zakk Wylde, along with many others have been performers in the expedition over the past few years (Wylde being part of the current edition). Others on this run for the show include Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Marcus King, and Devon Allman, among others.

“Experience Hendrix” is making a stop at the Lynn Memorial Auditorium on March 27, starting at 7 p.m. One of the talented artists who is going to be make her presence felt this year is Ally Venable. The Texas blues guitarist has been making music since she was a teenager, and has garnered critical acclaim for her seamless approach to the hallowed craft.

We had a talk ahead of the event. I asked Venable about how she became part of “Experience Hendrix”, the guitarist’s influence on her as a musician, and the new album, Money & Power, she’s going to release in April.

The Arts Fuse: How did you get involved in this current edition of “Experience Hendrix”” And is this your first time being part of anything like this, a revue featuring numerous musicians honoring a certain artist?

Ally Venable: I’m very grateful to be here, playing my part and paying homage to the legend that is Jimi Hendrix. I got invited to play in Austin as part of Jimi’s 80th birthday show, and it went really well, so they invited me to be on the tour the next time around, which was last year. That also went really well, and then they asked me to be part of the whole thing this year, and I’m really excited about it. There’s so many amazing guitar players.

AF: How did you discover Jimi Hendrix’s music while growing up in Kilgore, Texas? Would you consider him to be a major influence on you as a guitarist and a songwriter?

Venable: Yeah, he’s definitely been a force in my music and my guitar playing. I discovered Hendrix when I first started learning the guitar. In my opinion, he’s the most influential of all the guitar players I’ve come across. It’s not only with his guitar playing, but his songwriting as well. Each verse Hendrix wrote could be a song itself. It’s really amazing to go through his catalog — even if you take the guitar parts out, the songs remain incredible on their own. That’s what I really love about Hendrix.

AF: When performing in the New England region, do you get a different vibe from the audiences and the atmosphere?

Venable: With this music, anywhere you go people are excited to be part of the show, from the performers to the listeners. I wouldn’t say there’s a different energy in the crowds in different parts of the country because everyone’s excited to hear this music. The love for Jimi and his music is universal; the collective vibes are great all across the country.

Blues Rocker Ally Venable. Photo: Jeremiah Shepherd

AF: Talk about your new album, Money & Power. How did it come together? I know you brought in Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and Shemekia Copeland as guest musicians for a couple of the songs.

Venable: I’m very close to all the songs that are on this album. I wrote “Money & Power” on the plane ride home after the writing sessions for it. I wanted a tune that showcased my guitar, but also delivered a powerful message along with the powerful instrumental. My vocals there and in other tunes reflect how I’m feeling, what I see around me — infusing that energy into my shows empowers me. Also, when I think about blues music, I think about the musicians that came before me and what they had to say, like Buddy Guy, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Jimi, all of those amazing guitar players. They were really playing a form of protest music. They weren’t scared to say what they wanted to say and what they were feeling. That tradition gives me confidence to say what I want to say with my music.

That’s a really important role for an artist, to be a voice for those in the community that might not have a voice. Many do not have an outlet to express how they’re feeling. That responsibility raises the bar for you, as a musician, to spread a a message of unity and love so meaningful conversations can happen. That’s an important mission, and it was one of the goals in making this album, especially the title track. On top of that, it was very exciting to collaborate with artists in this genre, such as “Kingfish” and Shemekia. They’re both powerhouses on their own and I’m very grateful that I got to work with both of them.

Rob Duguay is an arts & entertainment journalist based in Providence, who is originally from Shelton, CT. Outside of the Arts Fuse, he has also written for DigBoston, Aquarian Weekly, Providence Journal, Newport Daily News, Worcester Magazine, New Noise Magazine, Manchester Ink Link, and numerous other publications. While covering mostly music, he has also written about film, TV, comedy, theater, visual art, food, drink, sports, and cannabis.