Reviewed: Hot Tuna (Carnegie Hall & The Cabot), Jorma Kaukonen (Bombyx) - Happy Birthday Jorma!

There are days when I think Hot Tuna is the coolest band on the planet. 

Back in the 1970s, there was a saying,  “There is nothing like a Grateful Dead concert.” Of course nowadays, there are plenty of things like a Grateful Dead concert. Sometimes it even features members from the original lineup. 

However, there truly isn’t anything like a Hot Tuna, or a Jorma Kaukonen, concert. While things have changed since their original days as an offshoot of the Jefferson Airplane, the same vibe, and musical excellence, has remained constant. Their fan base continues to be fanatical, if a bit more subdued. No one really plays like Jorma, or has the decades-long friendship that he has with bassist Jack Casady. Plus Jorma, either solo or with Hot Tuna, still delivers the goods. 

Over the past 13 months, I’ve seen Hot Tuna three times, and Mr. Kaukonen once. (See my review of last year’s show at the Wilbur Theater in Boston.) This is an honor usually reserved for either Bob Dylan or Robyn Hitchcock (at least in recent years.) There are two main factors for this. First of all, during lockdown, I made a promise to myself that I would not skip over any chance to see someone I liked, and I would catch any act that I felt like seeing as many times as possible. I could no longer take these things for granted, and as I’ve been saying for the past 40+ years or so, “Who knows how long they’ll be around?”

(4/1/21)

The other factor was that I was fortunate enough to interview Jorma via Zoom in April of last year. It’s easier to connect with someone if you’ve interacted with them before, but when conversing with Mr. Kaukonen, there was a connection I’d never experienced from a complete stranger. It almost unfolded like a dream. When I began by letting him know how I planned to proceed, he immediately put me at ease, pretty saying he was up for anything. 

My plan was not to ask the usual questions, such as “What was Woodstock like?”, which he’d been asked dozens, if not hundreds, or times. I focused on recent activities, like his albums with John Hurlbut (The River Flows, Vol. 1 & 2), his quarantine online concerts, and his recent (at the time) 81st birthday online celebration. Then I focused on things he wasn’t usually asked, like the obscure Jefferson Airplane song “Eat Starch Mom,” or the Suffolk Forum in Commack, Long Island, where I saw Tuna play twice in the 70s.     

This led me down a (white) rabbit hole. The interview unlocked forgotten memories, sent me to record stores and online shops to fill the holes in my collection, and led to playlists of post-Double Dose Jorma-based albums on my phone. I just couldn’t get enough. I got my guitar fixed up, and my old amp should be ready soon. Whenever I pick up my axe, I always warm up by playing a couple of tunes from First Pull Up, Then Pull Down.  

Of course, there are a lot of acts from my youth that are shadows of their former selves. Jorma’s style may have evolved over the intervening decades, but he’s still Jorma, and Jack is still Jack. Hot Tuna was one of my musical obsessions as an adolescent. I saw Hot Tuna at the Suffolk Forum/Commack Arena/Long Island Arena for the first time in 1976, got up close and personal, and watched Jorma’s fingers, trying to memorize what he was doing, and then attempted to replicate it when I got home. Of course, my version was the equivalent of an 18th generation cassette copy, but it felt pretty good playing my takes on those songs. Still does.  

So after my born-again Jorma epiphany last year, it didn’t take much to convince myself that when it was announced that when the delayed​ Jorma’s 80th birthday celebration (born December 23, 1940), with “Electric Hot Tuna,” would take place at Carnegie Hall in April, I made arrangements to go with Danny, my childhood friend and former concert-going companion. Although we hadn’t been to a show together in about 45 years, we did see that show in Commack back in ‘76. The announcement of the addition of Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, and playing the album Burgers in its entirety, just sweetened the deal. I wasn't gonna miss this once-in-a-lifetime event, and I also lucked out, and got us a pair of fourth row center seats. Jorma’s wife, Vanessa, even leaned over to talk with someone sitting on our right. Remember, this was during very uncertain times, with Covid raging, and new variants emerging, I got my Pfizer booster before I left, and wore my mask everywhere. 

I drove down to Manhattan a day early, figuring it was the safest way to travel during a pandemic. During the day of the show, I visited the Morgan Library & Museum to catch the “Woody Guthrie: People Are The Song” exhibit, which featured a lot of cool stuff, from some original Woody Guthrie writings, drawings, and recordings, to a shirt his son Arlo once wore on an album cover, to an entire section devoted to Bob Dylan. There was also a list of people who have covered Woody's songs, which included the name of one Jorma Kaukonen. 

    

Later in the day, after meeting my friend Danny for dinner across the street, we headed over to Carnegie Hall. We had to show our Covid-19 vaccination proof cards, and wear masks. Ah, those were the days! 

Before I get into the actual show, I’d like to talk about Hot Tuna in general, and Jorma Kaukonen in particular. 

Usually, when discussing Mr. Kaukonen, the focus is on his guitar playing. However, I want to spend some time praising Jorma’s singing, because I believe, to a certain extent, it is taken for granted. Like Bob Dylan, Jorma already sounded like the blues legends of old from which he forged his own unique style. While many attempt to emulate the masters, they usually fall short. Jorma sings like he speaks. LIke all the greats, Jorma doesn't reach out to the listener, he draws the listener in, his deep baritone phrasing circling the words, bringing you closer to the feel of the lyrics, as opposed to just their superficial meaning  Whatever the term “authentic” means to you, it can be applied to Jorma. 

As for his guitar playing, it affects me like no other. Having the opportunity to watch Jorma up close was an experience in and of itself*. Jorma doesn’t just play his guitar, he and his old guitar are one. It’s almost as if he isn’t even pressing his fingers against the strings on his fretboard, it’s all one entity. It appears so effortless, it’s almost like a magic trick. He’s channeling the spirit of a long gone era, and he’s taking his audience along for the ride. 

Random notes and vital parts: 

Carnegie Hall (4/22/22): While Jorma was the master of ceremonies, he was also the eye of the hurricane. Multi-instrumentalist (and Jorma/Hot Tuna producer) Larry Campbell spent much of the time conjuring up the spirit of Papa John Creach, Tuna’s (and Airplane/Starship) fiddle player. Teresa Williams dressed up like a downtown Christmas tree, something I would imagine she originally bought in preparation for the originally planned December birthday celebration. 

Burgers is arguably Tuna’s most beloved album by fans. (It was originally planned as part of a trilogy, to be followed by albums titled Shakes and Fries, Jorma joked. I think?)  The first set, Burgers in its entirety, was about an hour long, with the second set clocking in at 80 minutes. (Hint: Perfect for a 2 CD set.)   

The night began with a gloriously faithful recreation of side one, with things starting to loosen up soon after, certainly by the time of “Ode To Billy Dean.” Teresa stepped up to the mic for “Let’s Get Together Right Down Here,” taking things to the next level. Since the closing track, “Sunny Day Strut,” was a loose studio jam, it was up to Larry to figure out how to recreate it.    

As if the first set wasn’t special enough, the second set was even more extraordinary, and somewhat unexpected. In some pre-concert interviews, Jorma hinted that he and Jack might go back to the days of their teenage band, the Triumphs, when Jack was the lead guitarist, and do some oldies. Well, 50s oldies are actually relatively “new” by Hot Tuna standards. With the help of Teresa, Jack and Jorma covered the Everly’s “All I Have To Do Is Dream,” and Elvis’ (by way of Clyde McPhatter) “Money Honey,” a touching tribute to their early days. 

The rest of the night focused mostly on their 70s output, although someone commented somewhere, wondering if this was the first Tuna show without any songs performed from their eponymous debut? They also completely ignored their Jefferson Airplane material (OK, so technically some of the songs were originally played by the Airplane, but Tuna recorded and released them first. Also, the Campbell-produced Ain’t No Hurry album from 2015 featured Larry and Teresa on a remake of “Bar Room Crystal Ball,” which closed the second set. So there.) “John’s Other” was such a showcase for Mr. Campbell, it might as well be rechristened “Larry’s Other.” Teresa was almost jumping out her skin as she belted out “Keep Your Lamps,” and Jack actually took a flying leap during “Hit Single #1.” Casady, as always, shone on “Bowlegged Woman” and the encore, “Funky #7.” A nice birthday celebration, even if it was a year and a half late. 

When I got home, I ordered the official concert t-shirt.    

SET LIST:

April 22, 2022 (With Larry & Teresa)

Burger Portion:

1. True Religion with Larry
2. Highway Song with Larry and Teresa
3. 99 Year Blues Larry
4. Sea Child Larry
5. Keep On Truckin’ Mama. Larry
6. Water Song. Larry
7. Ode To Billy Dean. Larry
8. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here L and T
9. Sunny Day Strut Larry

Second Set:

1. All I Have To Do Is Dream  … L & T
2. Money Honey.  L & T
3. Great Divide Revisited with Larry and Teresa
4. John’s Other featuring Larry
5. Bowlegged Woman with Larry
6. Letter To The North Star… L & T
7. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning… L & T… their version
8. Song For The Stainless Cymbal… Larry
9. Hit Single #1 with Larry
10. Bar Room Crystal Ballroom Crystal Ball with L & T
11. Encore: Funky #7… Larry

 

The Cabot, Beverly, MA (11/30/22):  

Later that same year …. Totally different , much looser vibe. Heard a bit of “Ode To Billy Dean” during soundcheck.  My front row seat was right in front of a bank of speakers, so I stuffed wadded up pieces of paper towels in my ears. There appeared to be a lot of audibles, with Jack and Jorma having numerous summit meetings between songs. For whatever reason, Jorma was favoring his acoustic, although there was still plenty of electricity in the air. It was also fascinating to see Jorma interact with drummer Justin Guip, reminiscent of the way Keef and Charlie used to do it. The arrangements for the trio, especially of the opener, “Hesitation Blues,” felt fresh, as if the paint was still wet and the guys were still figuring out how to frame it.       

This time, Tuna revisited their Airplane days by playing “Trial By Fire,” “Good Shepherd,” and the encore,”Embryonic Journey.” They also ventured into the 80s for “Ice Age” and “Barbeque King.” 

The highlight, in some ways, was just watching Jorma and Jack interact between songs, as well as during them. There's a real connection betrween those two.

SET LIST:

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

First Set:

1. Hesitation Blues, Flammang
2. How Long Blues, Flammang
3. Great Divide Revisited Blond SST
4. I See The Light, Blond SST
5. Ode To Billy Dean, ES-345
6. Bowlegged Woman ES-345
7. Water Song, Cherry SST

Second Set:

1. Letter To The North Star, Blond SST
2. Ice Age, Blond SST
3. Barbeque King, Blond SST
4. Come Back Baby
5. Hit Single # 1 ES-345
6. Soliloquy For Two, Blond SST
7. Death Don’t Have No Mercy, Blond SST
8. Trial By Fire, Blond SST
9. In The Kingdom, Blond SST
10. Good Shepherd, Blond SST
11. Funky # 7, ES-345
12.  Encore: Embryonic Journey, Blond SST

Bombyx, Florence, MA (12/12/22):

Twelve nights later, I was heading west instead of east, to the Northampton area, to see Jorma solo. A new venue, a converted church, and an extra $15 for the best seats.  

For almost an hour and 50 minutes, Jorma sat center stage surrounded by (electric?) candles, kept to one acoustic guitar, effortlessly floating from song to song. Again, he was focusing on the early stuff, some Airplane and 80s material, along with the more recent “Take Your Time,” about how quickly his daughter is growing up. Actually, Kaukonen was promoting, probably inadvertently, his recent Record Store Day releases by playing the title track from Too Many Years, and a couple from The Legendary Typewriter Tape 6/25/64 album, which featured Janis Joplin on lead vocals, and Jorma’s first wife, Margareta on rhythm typewriter **.

While Jorma is a generous collaborator, and gives lots of room with whomever he shares the stage, it’s always a treat to just watch the master at work. He must have played “Hesitation Blues” thousands of times, yet he always finds ways to reinvent this and all the other songs he digs up. Jorma said from the stage that although this was his first visit to Bombyx, but he hoped it would not be his last.

Anyway, it’s getting late, and Jorma’s birthday is almost over, so I’ll stop here.Thanks Jorma and Jack, and Justin, Larry and Teresa. It’s been a dark year in many respects, so thanks for shining a little light into it. 

SET LIST:

Monday, December 12, 2022

1. Dime For Beer
2. How Long Blues
3. Great Divide Revisited
4. Trouble In Mind
5. Ice Age
6. Too Many Years
7. Parchman Farm
8. Hesitation Blues
9. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
10. Letter To The North Star
11. Trial By Fire
12. Sleep Song
13. Good Shepherd
14. Barbeque King
15. Take Your Time
16. That’ll Never Happen No More
17. Whining Boy Blues
18. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
19. Encore: Come Back Baby

*Front row left for the Cabot and Bombyx

** Not really. She just happened to be typing in the background.

© 2022 Text and Photgraphs: Harold Lepidus.