IF YOU pondered the possible influences of an elite modern violinist, your thoughts would probably gravitate towards a famous classical musician.

Johann Sebastian Bach, perhaps, or Antonio Vivaldi. Much less likely is that iconic rocker Jimi Hendrix. Yet Brighton-born Nigel Kennedy, the world’s biggest-selling classical violinist of all time, counts Hendrix as a major inspiration. Having covered his songs on record previously, Kennedy will perform a collection of Hendrix tracks at the Brighton Dome as part of the Rye International Jazz and Blues Festival.

In 1967 the Hey Joe singer, who was an emerging artist at that point, played the same venue and was supported by Pink Floyd – an extraordinary gig that Kennedy was upset to have missed. Having grown up in Brighton, the violinist had left for Birmingham by that point. Not that this had a negative impact on his Hendrix obsession – Kennedy is a life-long fan of the rock star.

“Jimi was an amazing artist and it’ll be special for me to be back in Brighton,” he says. “Jimi created such an eclectic range of influences. Voodoo Child [Hendrix’s 1970 single] was a heavy rock song before heavy rock was invented. Hey Joe was a more like a country song turned into something completely different. All Along The Watchtower was a Bob Dylan song that Jimi changed completely and made his own.

“Hendrix was fascinating because he went right back to the blues but the music metamorphosed in his hands. Everything he did had his fingerprint on it. I just love that about him.”

Just as Hendrix drew on various influences – including the aforementioned Dylan – and invented his own distinctive sound, Kennedy aims to do the same with his idol’s material. “I love the songs, but I want to make them mine by changing them at a structural level.”

A child prodigy in classical music, Kennedy would take to the piano to play the Fats Waller tunes he had heard from his stepfather’s jazz records. The violinist comes from an intensely musical background – his mother, father, grandmother and grandfather were all distinguished classical players.

At the age of seven, he became a pupil of the Yehudi Menuhin school of music in Surrey before graduating to the Julliard School for dance, drama and music in New York. At that point the centre was a who’s who of future performance icons across the arts.

Kennedy made his recording debut in 1984, and his take on Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons five years later sold over two million copies. After withdrawing completely from public performance in the early 1990s he returned midway through the decade and took to the stage once more.

Having collaborated with Sir Paul McCartney and Kate Bush, Kennedy released The Kennedy Experience in 1999, an album that featured improvisational recordings based on Hendrix compositions.

Kennedy was asked by members of Hendrix’s team to record the guitar legend’s work, having heard about a version of Purple Haze that Kennedy had played with Soft Machine guitarist John Etheridge. “It wasn’t my idea, really,” says the violinist. “They called me up and thought it would be interesting for someone like myself to take on Hendrix.”

An avid Aston Villa fan, Kennedy plans to take in his team’s match against Brighton tonight before enjoying a weekend back in his hometown. “I like Brighton itself and I’m also a fan of Hove. Hove seems like it’s got more pubs per square mile than anywhere else and it’s also got this bohemian thing going on. There’s a local community there.

"It’s got a lot going for it, as has Brighton. “The audiences are always warm so I always look forward to playing there.”

Nigel Kennedy Plays Hendrix, Brighton Dome, Church Street, Friday, November 25, 8pm, from £32, call 01273 709709