J O R M A
K A U K O N E N
LEGENDARY SINGER-SONGWRITER-GUITARIST
WITH
JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
AND
H O T T U N A
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
In a career that has already spanned a half-century, Jorma Kaukonen has been one of the most highly respected interpreters of American roots music, blues, and rock. A member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and a Grammy recipient, Jorma was at the forefront of popular rock and roll, one of the founders of the San Francisco sound and a progenitor of Psychedelic Rock. He is a founding member of two legendary bands, Jefferson Airplane and the still-touring Hot Tuna. Jorma Kaukonen is a music legend and one of the finest singer-songwriters in his field. He continues to tour the world bringing his unique styling to old blues tunes while presenting new songs of weight and dimension. His secret is in playing spontaneous and unfiltered music, with an individual expression of personality. In 2016, Jorma, Jack Casady and the other members of Jefferson Airplane were awarded The GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award for their contributions to American music.
In 1965, met Paul Kantner and was invited to join a new not-yet-named rock band Kantner was forming with Marty Balin. As a self-described blues purist, Kaukonen was initially reluctant, but found his imagination excited by the arsenal of effects available to electric guitar, later remarking that he was "sucked in by technology." With the group still looking for a name, Kaukonen suggested Jefferson Airplane, inspired by an eccentric friend who had given his dog the name "Blind Lemon Jefferson Airplane." Jorma invited his old musical partner Jack Casady to come out to San Francisco and play electric bass for the new band, and together they created much of Jefferson Airplane’s signature sound.
A pioneer of counterculture-era psychedelic rock, the group was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve international mainstream success. Their 1967 record Surrealistic Pillow is regarded as one of the key recordings of the "Summer of Love."
Jorma and Jack would jam whenever they could and would sometimes perform sets within sets at Airplane concerts. The two would often play clubs following Airplane performances. Making a name for themselves as a duo, they struck a record deal, and Hot Tuna was born. Jorma left Jefferson Airplane after the band’s most productive five years, pursuing his full-time job with Hot Tuna. Over the past five decades Hot Tuna has performed thousands of concerts and released more than two-dozen records. The musicians who have performed with them are many and widely varied, as are their styles — from acoustic to long and loud electric jams, but never straying far from their musical roots. What is remarkable is that they have never coasted. Hot Tuna today sounds better than ever.
Purchase Jorma’s latest solo recording
Ain’t In No Hurry on Red House Records.
It has received wonderful critical acclaim:
at amazon.com
Purchase Jorma’s memoirs
Been So Long: My Life and Music
at amazon.com
For more information about Jorma Kaukonen
and Hot Tuna visit
Jorma blogs consistently.
Cracks in the Finish:
http://jormakaukonen.com/cracksinthefinish
BreakDownWay.com Online Guitar Lesson Workshop: Jorma Kaukonen & Friends Online Guitar Lesson Workshop, brought to you by the good folks at the Award-winning Fur Peace Ranch. Learn American Roots, Blues, Folk, Finger-picking and more, with enough to occupy all ranges of skills from beginner to advanced. http://breakdownway.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/BreakDownWaycom/195747373778909?sk=info&tab=page_info
