If you liked the music of the Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna you might enjoy watching this recent interview with guitarist Jorma Kaukonen. I know that I did. Long but informative. There is another written interview here.
Leslie and I were lucky enough to see the Airplane play with Grace Slick at Papa John Creech's funeral and will treasure the memory forever. Sat at the bar with Jim Marshall. People forget what kind of an impact they made on the nation and the world in the psychedelic era, both with Signe and Grace.
I loved the music of the Airplane, my older sister Liz was a big fan and I remember waiting outside the Fillmore East for her after one of their shows. She was heavily dosed and laughing at invisible nothings in our apartment's kitchen when she got home.
Way back in Texas I remember our evil stepfather repeatedly smashing her white rabbit 45's and tearing down her yab yum poster. This was maybe 67.
Anyway I love Jorma's fingerstyle work, especially Quah, but have to admit that I am ambivalent about Hot Tuna. I saw them many times but their music could be quite monotonous and often put me to sleep. Any music that requires large amounts of unnatural stimulant to enjoy might not pass the acid test?
I once fell asleep at a Tuna concert and woke up an hour later and could have sworn they were playing the same song.
Anyway, the point I was going to make is that as mixed as I feel about listening to Hot Tuna live, I freaking loved my cousin Jorma's electric playing with the Airplane. I think it was revolutionary and he doesn't give himself enough credit for it. It was jangly and bit very hard sonically and defined the Jefferson Airplane sound.
I love his electric work at least as well as his acoustic work, which is also masterful.
As the sound man for Hot Tuna for 7 years, I can tell you it was the same song. H
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