IT'S a tribute to Hendrix's improvisational ingenuity that no two of his gigs ever sounded the same.

But by no means does that suggest they were all masterpieces of performance and here is a rather good double CD set of two January 1969 gigs demonstrating both sides of the coin.

Hendrix sounds bored with his own music in the first gig and, with his band failing to find a groove, songs like Fire more or less fall apart.

Thankfully there's still the occasional spark of inspiration, particularly during his blues workout Red House.

But all this pales compared to the thunderous onslaught of the second gig, surprisingly since it was recorded later the same night.

From the opening tour de force of I Don't Live Today to the grittiest version of Hey Joe imaginable, Hendrix plays beautifully throughout, and indeed sounds a far happier bunny than earlier.

This latest release comes courtesy of the UK based Purple Haze Records label, which will irritate the official Hendrix estate intensely - but fans will love it.

Go to www.purplehazerecords.com for more details.

JS