Jorma Kaukonen – Too Many Years
I’ve already written about how late I was to the Jorma Kaukonen party, despite having been a huge fan of Jefferson Airplane for decades. I only ventured into Hot Tuna territory in the past year or two. Why? I knew it wasn’t the Airplane’s music, and I didn’t want to be disappointed, so it took me decades to even really give it a listen. When I finally did, there was of course no disappointment. Now, different as it is from the Airplane, I definitely love the music Jorma and Jack Casady made in that group. I missed countless opportunities to see them play through the years, which I now regret.
During the pandemic lockdown, there were a number of musicians, near and far, who really helped us to get through those darkest days with their livestreams. Locally, or locally connected, there were weekly shows from our friends Anna Spackman and Shawn Cephas, Cliff Hillis, John Faye, and Amy Fairchild that provided such a bright light in that horrible time. And every Saturday night, after Anna and Shawn had signed off, we would switch over to Jorma’s livestream from Fur Peace Ranch. It was so comforting, so beautiful, and so important to us. My thanks to all those people, and it was such an essential reminder of what music means to so many people.
Just a few weeks ago we finally saw Jorma play live nearby, and we were fifth row center, perfect view, as he played all on his own. He didn’t do any storytelling or even hardly talk at all, a bit surprising to me after enjoying so many of his little chats during his pandemic concerts streamed from Fur Peace Ranch, but when he was alone on the stage he mostly let his fingers do the talking. And wow, did they ever. His incredible, graceful ease as he played was something that I can only aspire to at this point, having started on stringed instruments so very very late in life. To watch someone with that absolute mastery is something else.
This release came out last year for Record Store Day – an album originally released in 1998, but never before on vinyl. It’s beautiful. Jorma even does a cover of “Friend of the Devil” that I like (and believe me, I do not like The Grateful Dead). it’s a mix of covers and originals by a relaxed trio of really accomplished musicians, and it’s just a delight to listen to.
Fab! The Jorma-Falzarano-Sears trio was how I saw Jorma on what I think was the last time I caught him live, alas. (Pete Sears is one of those “makes everything better” guys . . . it always catches my attention when I see his name on something). (Even Jefferson Starship!). I agree with the awe of watching Jorma on his guitar. So evocative, even without his amazing singing . . . I always think “Embryonic Journey” is such a perfect piece of music, hugely emotive, loads of imagination, spectacular in construction and technique, and all done in less than two minutes. Swoon!
I remember discovering “Embryonic Journey” on a garage sale copy of “The Worst of Jefferson Airplane” (a pristine copy I still own) in the summer of 1979. While I knew the hits, most of what was on that collection really wasn’t hits – it was just their greatest songs. And I remember listening to that song and just going so deep into it, because it was open in a way that other instrumentals aren’t.
Marty Balin told a great story about finding Paul Kantner, then Jorma:
He [Kantner] was the first guy I picked up, and when we got together, down the stairs comes this guy with a guitar case in his hand and a chick on his arm. It was Jorma Kaukonen. I said, “Wow man, who’s that?” And Paul said, “Oh that’s Jorma Kaukonen; he teaches guitar upstairs. He’s a great guitar player.” I said, “We should have him join our band.” And Paul said, “Oh no. He’s really good.” Then I said, “Paul, that’s what we want (laughs). We want people who are really good.”
Fantastic! “Worst Of” was my intro (beyond the radio hits) to the Airplane too . . . nabbed from the Nassau Community College lending library, around the same time you stumbled on it. Definitely the Airplane album I have played the most and know the best, all these years on. (Well, maybe “Volunteers” might have edged into that top position, at some point . . . )