Buddy Miles

Although The Experience might be Jimi Hendrix's more famous backing crew, few would disagree that Band of Gypsies was better. Hendrix provided the Gypsies' six-string pyrotechnics, but the heart of the group was Buddy Miles and his supremely in-the-cut drums. Miles wrote and sang the classic "Them Changes" with Hendrix and went on to release his own brilliant, psychedelic-soul album of the same name. After his stint with the Gypsies, Miles beat skins for classic rock monuments like Santana, Stevie Wonder, and David Bowie. Schooled in soul and blues and facile with rock and roll flourishes, Miles wields a stunning range behind the kit and a soul-driven voice to go with it. Along with recently deceased, massively respected bluegrass fiddler Vassar Clements, he just recorded an album with the Boxrockers, a Jacksonville-based jam rock outfit. They'll be joining him at Churchill's for this performance, so expect a full-blown rock and soul freakout.