Photo: By Dylan O’Donnell, deography.com [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Terry Kath has left behind a legacy of brilliant guitar playing with the band Chicago. In the late 1960s the band Chicago did some shows with Jimi Hendrix. The legendary guitar player Jimi Hendrix was blown away by Terry Kath’s guitar playing. When first hearing Terry Kath play, Jimi Hendrix was quoted as saying that he thought Terry Kath played guitar better than he did. It was later on reported that Jimi Hendrix also called Terry Kath the “Best Guitarist in the Universe.”
Fans and critics should positively take note of Jimi Hendrix’s comments about Terry Kath. We are talking about a legend in Hendrix who has been regarded by many as the greatest guitar player of all time, pointing to Chicago’s Terry Kath as being a better player. Was Jimi Hendrix right or was he just inspired by great musicianship? One close listen to Terry Kath’s guitar solo on Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4,” confirms that Hendrix was spot on.
Terry Kath’s virtuoso guitar playing was never celebrated as it should have been because Terry Kath was a team player. Many of the band members in Chicago stated that Kath was more interested in delivering great albums with his band Chicago. Anyone who has grown up listening to the first five Chicago albums knows that Terry Kath delivered on his goal.
When rock critics write about the great guitarists of the classic rock era, the names Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Duane Allman are always the ones mentioned at the top. Terry Kath rarely gets a mention. That’s a shame because his solos both in the studio and on the stage were among some of the greatest in rock and roll history. Just take a listen and judge for yourself.
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Check out this great album that was released a few years ago showcasing the talent of Terry Kath and his great guitar playing.
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![Rob De Luca of Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach & UFO: 10 Albums That Changed My Life From humble East Coast origins to grandest stages worldwide, veteran bassist Rob De Luca has seen and done it all. De Luca first hit the local Boston rock and metal scene in the late 80s after meeting guitarist Paul DiBartolo, bonding over Van Halen before forming Bang. Regional success came quickly, but eventually, the members of Bang went their separate ways, with De Luca and drummer Tommi Gallo heading to NYC and hooking up with Ray West and, later, DiBartolo to form Spread Eagle. By 1990, Spread Eagle was on the fast track, with a contract through MCA Records and a self-titled debut album poised to crush skulls. But poor timing and MCA's sad indifference left Spead Eagle out in the cold despite being a hard-boiled answer to Guns N' Roses's West Coast sleaze. Spread Eagle's first chapter came to an end in '95. 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Terry Kath was quoted in brainy quotes as saying that jimi freaked him out and nobody can do what jimi could do with a guitar…check more about this in brainy quotes.
Terry Kath was correct about Jimi Hendrix
But Hendrix has said the same thing about many guitarists. Hendrix was just a very humble, modest and kind person. He loved all Guitarist and wanted to make them all feel so great. Hendrix would never ever brag of his self and made all guitarists feel important. But Hendrix was a Supreme Guitar Master or shall we say Guitar God.
I’ve always loved that about Hendrix. His humility.
Oddly enough, Chicago was NOT known for playing heavy or metal – yet “Free Form Guitar” was one of the very first Metal cuts by ANYONE, and “South California Purples” also had a strong “metal” aspect to it.
Kath died WAY too soon.
All 3 of those comments just opened my eyes to what Real Character really means! And was well said! ThanX!
I think Kath showed brilliantly in 25 or 6 to 4 he was one of the greatest ever. It’s easy to see why artists like Jimmy though he was spectacular. It was more than kind words. That solo alone was mind blowing. The speed of his finger work. Jimmy had his own amazement. Using his teeth etc. Much more. But Terry was a genius and impressed me more than Clapton, Vaughn, or Eddie. Opinions vary. But mine is he was the top 3 all time. Hell Glenn Campbell was fantastic and played like 6 instruments. Who knows where Terry would be regarded today had he lived on. Sadly we’ll never know. But that solo, wow. I have to watch again. Amazing.
yes, that solo was magnificent. And while live on stage too! I love great guitar and while I would never get into this “”so and so” is best nonsense (all our views are totally subjective and even then they change from time to time), I place Terry as one guitarist I like to just relish listening to.
I do the same with David Gilmour – totally different types and styles of playing. Viva la difference
Hendrix did indeed say that, to one of Kath’s fellow Chicago musicians…But Jimi also said, in interviews, that he could not really say who was better…Segovia, or Albert King…..He said that comparing is where we run into trouble…and when Dick Cavett said to Jimi…”You are often called the best guitarist of all”, Jimi just smiled shyly, and said “let’s just say that I am the best guitarist sitting in this chair right now!”…He really was humble.
It’s crazy how I’ve heard this song since I was a kid. My mother would play Chicago songs way back in the early 70’s and today is the first time I listened to this song to check out the guitar solo…smdh! This is one of the best guitar solos I have ever heard. Thanks!!!!
If you check out the same song on video , live at Tanglewood 1970 your see for yourself Absolutely mind blowing guitar playing, incredible!.Also check out Liberation track on 1st Album not best song they done more of a loose jam in studio but for guitar playing Kath shows off his inventive , brilliant playing skills.