BOSTON, MASS.- A previously unheard live recording featuring the guitar stylings of the then-unknown Jimi Hendrix during a 1965 concert with rock and roll pioneer Little Richard has surfaced. The recording, made at Boston's Back Bay Theatre—formerly known as the Donnelly Theatre—is set to be auctioned off by RR Auction, a Boston-based auction house specializing in rare and historic memorabilia.

This invaluable tape documents a significant performance on May 12, 1965, featuring Hendrix as part of Little Richard's backing band, The Upsetters. The recording was engineered by Boston radio personality Little Walter DeVenne using a Scotch 190 reel-to-reel tape at 7.5 ips and has been preserved in DeVenne's personal archives until its recent discovery.

"Hearing Jimi Hendrix attack the opening chords of 'I Saw Her Standing There' makes your hair stand up," remarked Bobby Livingston, Executive Vice President at RR Auction. "Finding a live recording with both Little Richard and Jimi Hendrix is akin to discovering a musical holy grail."

The tape holds particular significance as it is one of the few known live recordings of Hendrix before he became a global sensation in the late 1960s. At the time of the recording, Hendrix was only 22 years old and had recently joined Little Richard's band after becoming dissatisfied with the repetitiveness of playing with the Isley Brothers.

The concert's setlist features a vibrant mix of rock and roll standards and Beatles hits, showcasing Little Richard's dynamic vocal range and Hendrix's emerging guitar mastery. Noteworthy performances on the tape include "I Saw Her Standing There," "Lucille," and an entrancing rendition of "Shake a Hand," which reportedly mesmerized the audience.

Though Hendrix's time with Little Richard was brief, marred by disagreements over showmanship and stage presence leading to his eventual departure, this period was crucial for his early development and exposure in the music industry.