On the evening of April 4, 1968, the great Martin Luther King was shot down in Memphis, Tenn. The news shocked and angered the world as it tore people apart, and in other cases, brought them together via music.

According to Joni Mitchell's website, the following night (April 5), at a small club in New York City called the New Generation Club, a group of musicians including Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, Buddy Guy, Al Kooper, B.B. King, and according to legend, Ted Nugent, bonded together in grief held an impromptu jam session in tribute to the fallen leader.

The evening began with a performances by Mitchell and Guy. Eventually Hendrix made his presence known, and before long it was a full-on jam session tribute to King. Two nights later, Hendrix would again join up with Guy at the New Generation Club for another jam session. Though a track titled "Ezy Rider" / "MLK Jam" appeared on the 2006 Dagger Records compilation, Burning Desire, it is not the fabled late night jam in question.

The same night in Boston, Mayor Kevin White and city councilman Tom Atkins feared the onset of riots in wake of King's assassination. They called on none other than James Brown to calm the city. Brown's scheduled concert at the Boston Garden was, at last minute notice, aired live over public television station WGBH in an attempt to keep people home. The concert did the job, as police reported lower than average crime for a Friday night. On stage, Brown pleaded for people to be peaceful, and pleaded for the police to ease up. Both parties obliged.

Watch Buddy Guy Jam With Jimi Hendrix in April 1968

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