On the Road Again Hot Tuna
Hot Tuna are on an American tour now through the end of the twelvemonth. Band leader and guitarist Jorma Kaukonen also has a recent release, The River Flows Vol. 2 , recorded with long-time friend John Hurlbut. If you lot like Hot Tuna, you're going to dearest this release.
"Look at it this way," says Jorma. "My friend John Hurlburt, my buddy, we did those little records together, and he's my manager. Nosotros've been friends for 4 decades easily. And so, it wasn't like we had to know each other on whatsoever level, and he's been working at the Fur Peace Ranch for 20 years, and nosotros just knew each other forever.
"I've always really enjoyed his really sort of pure un-self-witting mode of singing songs he just loves. Every bit a guitar player, he'south very skilful at what he does. The guitar people, they desire to see a Tommy Emmanuel or someone like that. Yous know, in that location'due south a lot of levels of artistry with a guitar, and in my opinion, John is a major artist.
"He does exactly what he needs to do to sing a song. And it gives me the opportunity – and I can't say it also much where I tin be me without the burden of me existence me in the forefront of whatever is going on, like I'chiliad the front guy for Hot Tuna, or I'm the lead guitar histrion for Jefferson Aeroplane or whatever, you know?
"I just go to play music with a friend. I'thou not a specialist on any of the songs that he does. I don't know how Roger McGuinn would have done this, and I don't really intendance. I beloved his songs. So, merely beingness able to play the song with Hurlbut in an unconscious manner where I can just mess effectually and experiment with what John and I did, just playing music with somebody that's proficient is a successful connection. And when there'south only 1 person talking, it'due south not a conversation, it's a monologue and that's another story."
Jorma is mayhap the nigh unassuming rock icon I've ever interviewed. Not simply did The Jefferson Airplane bring psychedelic music of the '60s to a wider audience than The Grateful Dead scored for more than a decade to come, but Jorma's work with Hot Tuna opened a door to folk fans that Dylan had kickoff explored when he went electric.
The "counter culture" booed Dylan but cheered Hot Tuna. The folk scare of the early '60s originated with musicians and fans who were rebelling, not embracing the rock music of the twenty-four hour period. Dylan was viewed equally a traitor by the difficult-core folkies by plugging in in 1965. Hot Tuna began equally an offshoot of the very electric Jefferson Aeroplane, and for more than one-half a century have fluctuated betwixt acoustic and electric concerts. The current bout with David Grisman will feature both when the ii jam together.
Jorma says he was set to have his biggest year yet in 2020 when the pandemic hitting, considering the tragedies information technology's wreaked and then many musicians, he's made out well.
"We were lucky. We have our infrastructure here at the ranch, and so there were quarantine concerts. I've been able to look back over my quantity of work and study it equally a sort of way I wouldn't have been able to do otherwise. We started thinking nigh stuff, wrote a couple of songs. I mean, life actually, considering how bad it could take been for united states, it was really getting good.
"I honestly think I'k still learning in a lot of respects. I'm playing better. The affair is when you lot're young, a lot of that stuff is new and exciting in a unlike kind of way, but to be able to ramp myself in it today is much more (problematic) moving than it was when I was in my 20s.
"My surroundings helped me out a lot. I live in a rural surface area (in Ohio), and there are pluses and minuses to it. Nosotros don't need to become into that now. Some believe in that location'south a disease. Some people don't. People are vaccinated. Some people aren't. I got my booster, by the way. Anyway, simply nosotros've got a ranch here.
"So, when I'one thousand not on the road, I live in a canton with less than twenty,000 people, and then I can sort of socially distance from people in a way for 30 years. So, the other affair is our environment is very comfortable here. We have a theater. Nosotros have all this stuff that my wife, God anoint her, makes happen. And then, thanks to my family unit construction, the central integrity of my mean solar day-to-mean solar day life is very unchanged. This is not the case for a lot of people.
"I was talking to Vanessa about this because she does all the stuff. I can say the business is really hers. If in that location's paper work, she's gonna do it. If there's any hiring or firing, she's gonna exercise it. Then, really it's like a drunkard'due south dream, you know. All I need to practise is keep myself mentally and physically in the game which I dearest doing.
"We have our little theater here, and then nosotros can practice our trivial quarantine concerts. I did hundreds of Zoom lessons which I actually got to like. There's plusses and minuses to that. I enjoyed that. Information technology kept me in the game, but the fact my guitar is my constant companion for almost 70 years, then that friend I didn't lose, you know?
" In that location'due south a lot of stuff I taught my girl when she did the virtual schooling, just honestly, aside from the fact information technology's been tough on all of us, of class guys similar me lost a lot of money, merely fortunately nosotros ain our place. I don't have a mortgage. Then, I didn't have that hanging over my head.
"All that considered, even though it's taken some work and some adjustment, and nosotros weren't happy about a lot of stuff, information technology wasn't tragic. I was also lucky, too, because I didn't lose as many personal friends as some people did for some reason. We lost a lot of people. By the end of the day, I lost people that were important to me actually in my life, just as far as virtually and dear close friends, I was actually lucky. I'k not blowing smoke. For united states of america, it could take been worse."
When I watched Jorma's virtual concerts, I said that human's in heaven, and cypher's going to finish him.
"I concur. People have expressed gratitude for u.s. doing that, and I say, 'Listen, I can tell y'all with all honesty it was just equally important to us or maybe more so in some ways. It gave us purpose. It let us be u.s.a., you lot know?'"
Jorma also institute the balance with his family unit, and that'south something a lot of musicians tin't seem to get.
"Yeah. That's true. Again. I say it all the time. I'll say it 1 more fourth dimension. I'm a lucky guy. And I accept a peachy family. That's the other affair that happened that we didn't mention at all is that in these quarantine times, I've never been at home and then much. I've never spent and so much time with my family unit.
"I've been able to drive my daughter to school, to take her to volleyball, to do all that stuff my wife would have done, and I'd take been tuned in on Facetime or whatsoever. Something they'd talk, and 'Yes, yous did groovy, honey,' simply just in a twenty-four hour period-to-solar day level, to be with the family has been you take information technology for granted because most people are around the family unit all the time, just guys like the states aren't, so that was cool. That was a expert thing. Maybe they wanted to get rid of me. We'll see.
"We accept the pandemic so piece of cake to run into that every bit the entirety. Information technology'southward a big part of information technology of form. I'grand not an idiot, but the affair is at that place is relief from this stuff. At that place is relief, and it tends to be in music.
"NO BULLSHIT! 2020 was gonna be our all-time year e'er. In every possible style it was gonna be our best twelvemonth ever, and of grade that didn't happen. Ok? Having said that, there's a bunch of money we didn't make, but I retrieve in the course of what happened, I personally take discovered a lot more about myself (during the pandemic). It's really important to be able to nonetheless notice stuff.
"I just bought my daughter a piddling motorcycle today, and she's gonna have a let in a month or and so. So, I'm gonna play with my daughter'south motorcycle.
"And I will take my helmet on."
Who'due south playing in electric Hot Tuna?
"Ok, so, information technology's me, Jack (Casady) and Justin Guip obviously. David Grisman is on that bout. I hateful it'due south a co-beak betwixt the two of u.s.. I assume there'll exist some jamming although it'southward non something we've talked well-nigh. Steve (Kimock) is on a bunch of these gigs, and Steve and I are really close musical friends, and he was at the ranch recently. And we get together several times a yr and do stuff. I love him. I'm certain nosotros'll do some jamming with him. I couldn't tell you what it is because I haven't washed that before. But with Steve Kimock nosotros do that a lot, and I will find that crawly. Perhaps nobody else volition, only I will find that awesome. He'due south so much fun to play with. And David, he wants us to exercise some audio-visual stuff also, and that'southward fine with me. So, we'll have our acoustic gear, and we'll be plugged in of course, but he wants to practise stuff with me gigging on audio-visual guitar. I'm downward with it."
Electric Hot Tuna & David Grisman Trio
Nov 26 The Paramount, Huntington, NY
November 27 The Mahaiwe Theater, Bang-up Barrington, MA
Nov 28 The Wilbur, Boston, MA
November 30 Flynn Theatre, Burlington, VT
Dec 01 The Egg Albany, NY
Dec 03 Penn's Superlative, Jim Thorpe, PA
Dec 04 The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY
Dec 05 Count Basie Theatre,Reddish Bank, NJ
Dec 07 Carnegie of Homestead M.H., Munhall, PA, Electric Hot Tuna also Steve Kimock and Friends
Dec 08 Kent Phase, Kent, OH Electric Hot Tuna also Steve Kimock and Friends
Dec 09 Ludlow Garage, Cincinnati, OH Electric Hot Tuna also Steve Kimock and Friends
Dec 28 – 31 Freight & Salvage, Berkeley, CA, Acoustic Hot Tuna
Jorma Kaukonen
Source: https://www.americanbluesscene.com/2021/11/jorma-kaukonen-on-the-road-again-with-hot-tuna/
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