Watch Buena Vista Social Club Recording Landmark 1997 Album

In July 1998, a collective of Cuban musicians that became the inspiration for the film Buena Vista Social Club performed a one-night-only show at New York's Carnegie Hall. Today, the two-disc Buena Vista Social Club at Carnegie Hall hits stores, and the film will screen in several U.S. cities, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle (see the full list after the jump). Click above to watch the musicians digging into the Cuban jam "El Cuarto de Tula" at Havana's Egrem studio during the recording of their Grammy-winning 1997 album.

Buena Vista Social Club screenings:
New York, October 14th at 8:00pm - The Film Society of Lincoln Center
Chicago, October 14th at 8:00pm - Gene Siskel Film Center
Los Angeles, October 16th at 7:30pm - American Cinematheque at the Egyptian
Seattle, October 19th at 2:00pm - Big Picture Seattle
San Francisco, October 20th at 9:30pm - Landmark Embarcadero

Related Stories:
• Performance: Ibrahim Ferrer
• Buena Vista Vet Omara Portuondo Talks Music and Barriers

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Song Stories

“All Along the Watchtower”

The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1968

Jimi Hendrix got hold of Bob Dylan's early John Wesley Harding tapes and in late 1967 recorded a version of "All Along the Watchtower" with the Experience in London. Dissatisfied with that first development, Hendrix brought those tapes with him to New York in early 1968 when he began work on Electric Ladyland. Eddie Kramer, Hendrix's engineer at the time, told Rolling Stone that Hendrix "was still looked upon by his basically white audience as the mammoth black guitar hero. There was a constant fight within him to expand himself." Hendrix's successful take on Dylan's work has long been recognized by the songwriter. "I liked Jimi Hendrix's record of this and ever since he died I've been doing it that way," Dylan wrote in the liner notes to his Biograph box set. "Strange how when I sing it, I always feel it's a tribute to him in some kind of way."

More Song Stories entries »

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