Jimi Hendrix - as a guitarist

Although most go for his guitar playing, i like his introspective song writing such as "Drifting" and "Midnight Oil".

^ cool, Kazu - got the Hendrix vibe there all right!  Yeah, I'd heard the same about Miles, I understand, I'd have been looking for something like him too, for sure.

Hmm, it's a very good question; to me the most significant thing Jimi did was uncovering what the electric guitar was really capable of as an instrument wholly unlike its acoustic version, or any other instrument for that matter.   He saw that the amp could be as important and expressive as the guitar, and pushed that pairing past what anyone could have imagined in their wildest dreams.   This came out particularly live, e.g. Band of Gypsys or Live at Berkeley, but also on albums as Axis and Ladyland.   Had Hendrix just been the bitchin' guitarist and exciting hard blues songwriter he was he still would've been successful but not a legend.   It's when Jimi let go and just played that he was at his best.

I just borrowed from the library the album Gil Evans plays the music of Jimi Hendrix

What attracts me most about Jimi's playing is that he was so open to anything that could give him a new angle or a new sound.  I agree that he made the amp a vital part of his technique but he also used electronic effects fearlessly.  For example, "All Along the Watchtower" is a virtual tour de force of gadgets yet he never let them overpower his performance or become his trademark.