Well I guess there’s not much new except more cases of the virus. It’s somewhat easier for us to be distant here at the Fur Peace Ranch, as you can see. I’m not complaining, much… but it would be nice to see the outside world again, from my car or dare I say, a stage. More will be revealed I’m sure.
Nessa and Izze and I have been paddle boarding. We’re fortunate to be surrounded by little lakes here and it seemed to me that paddle boarding would be a good thing to undertake to maintain my balance skills as I meander into dotage.
This is truly awesome stuff!
Foto by Vanessa Kaukonen
I won’t be skating again… that train has left the station. When you fall off the board… it doesn’t hurt. I’m consumed!
Land Ho!
Foto by Vanessa Kaukonen
Good times.
Jack and I are getting ready for #13 of the Quarantine Concert Series and I’m thrilled to have him back in our lives for at least a little bit. I’ll take the win.
This should get you all in… enjoy!
The oppressive heat has put a motorcycle ride on the back burner and even the paddle boarding has to be done early in the day. Ah, heat and humidity… the Ohio summer way,
Well, I’ve got a Zoom Class to teach tonight… Jack and I will catch you all on the small screen tomorrow.
Yeah, so Jack ventured forth from LA and we’ve been able to share some quality rehearsing time. Rehearsing is always good. There were some technical problems with the stream last night and we are aware of them and are working on it. I will say this though. Many people had flawless reception and some did not. We did not send out two streams, one good and one bad so with no facts to back this up I’m surmising that this problem was not on our end. That said, we’re on the case and we will figure it out. Stick with us.
Hot Tuna 17, 2020
The Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
#12 Of the Quarantine Concert Series
Fur Peace Station
Darwin, Ohio
July 4, 2020
Too Many Years
Ice Age
Hesitation Blues
Been So Long
I’ll Be All Right Some Day
Broken Highway
3rd Week In The Chelsea, Jack plays the old Balalaika.
Flying Clouds
Trial By Fire
Good Shepherd
I Know You Rider
As seen last night, not only did Jack drive out from LA, but he brought the balalaika which is a simply magnificent instrument. It’s very old and doesn’t travel well, so to see it outside his home was a big deal.
Our friend Scott Phelan from On The Roof, drove down from New York and Jack and I participated in a two plus hour interview with him. Check out his site. He’s got some great folks on.
Well, the Fourth Of July was hot and uneventful here at the Ranch. Again, Happy Birthday America…
And then of course Jack and I rehearsed diligently for the show tomorrow and capped this rehearsal with our lunch show today. Some of our dear friends from up in the New York area drove down for some Paninis and we were honored by their presence. Our family is large indeed!
Hot Tuna 16, 2020
Panini Concert #5
The Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
Beatrice Love Kitchen
Fur Peace Ranch
Darwin, Ohio
July 3, 2020
I See The Light
Search My Heart
Broken Highway
Great Divide Revisited
San Francisco Bay Blues
Roads and Roads &
Barbeque King
Highway Song
New Song For The Morning
Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
Embryonic Journey
Indeed, we’re ready for the Quarantine Concert Show tomorrow!
Be there or…
It’s going to be a good time.
We were socially distant with everyone here, but we were sociable.
It’s been hot, but hey… it’s July in Ohio. It’s meant to be hot. We’ve been prepping for Panini # 4 and Jack and I have been rehearsing for #12 of the Quarantine Concert Series. It’s been a great week playing with him. The last time we played together was in February and that was electric. Getting back to basics in these times of isolation has been more than a blessing.
Of course there is still time for Maverick and me to take a walk together!
Foto by Vanessa Kaukonen
So Jack and I certainly have some treats in store for you all as well as us. Truly a win/win situation!
So… Saturday July 4 at 8PM fire up your YouTube, go to Fur Peace TV and enjoy the show!
Sometimes it seems as if life is an equal mixture of ghosts and angels. I’d been agonizing all week about weighing in but I just really found myself with nothing positive to say about my world view so saying nothing seemed like the right thing to do. On the brightest of sides, our daughter Izze turned fourteen and being part of her life as she blossoms into a woman is one of life’s greatest blessings. My son Zach is a self-supporting young man… what a concept! He’s going to be spending some time with us in August so indeed, the kids are all right.
The virus is not going anywhere, and the folks that think masks are a political statement are no friends of mine. I don’t need to know someone to know what they think of me if they’re in my face with no mask. Just sayin’!
Having said that, the music is balm that never ceases to salve the soul. I watched the free Fur Peace Ranch show tonight featuring Spencer Bohren, Larry Campbell and myself. Spencer has been gone a year know and this show was taped four months before he was diagnosed. The soul goodness of this man was so evident in everything he did but his music always spoke to us all, deeply and profoundly. Death removes all possibilities and Spenser’s story now belongs to the ages. That said, to see and hear him still fit and healthy tonight on the small screen was magic. Remembrance is difficult, but there are those who must be remembered. My mom and dad have been gone for over two decades but they still walk beside me every day.
The music continues to sustain me. My buddy Jack will be pulling into town and we will be doing some vigorous rehearsing for the July 4th show. The last time we saw each other was at our last gig in February at a casino in St. Louis. It seems like a lifetime ago and in some ways it is.
I get interesting questions from time to time about the creative process in my life. During these WWCV times I have chosen to seriously try to elevate my guitar playing as well as resuscitating some old seldom played gems. I have also been spending golden time with the family. I’ll take that win.
The older I get, the smaller my world of old friends become. I guess the good news is that I get to lament their passing in person. In the spirit of good news, I’m still in the game of life and that is more than a miracle.
Well, as confining as it is I’m grateful for the Zoom lessons. It is truly better than nothing. I was hoping to go paddle boarding at the lake tomorrow, but it looks like thunderstorms are going to make that unlikely.
The weather held yesterday midday for another stellar Panini Lunch and Mini Concert.
Jorma Kaukonen 14, 2020
#3 Of The Panini Lunch Sessions
Live From The Fur Peace Ranch
& The Beatrice Love Kitchen
Friday, June 19, 2020
Dime For Beer
Come Back Baby
Hesitation Blues
Roads and Roads &
Watch The North Wind Rise
Travelin’ with John Hurlbut
The Old Homestead with John Hurlbut
How Long Blues
Brother Can You Spare A Dime?
Candy Man
That’ll Never Happen No More
Always a pleasure to get together with Brother John… always and of course a special thanks to our esteemed colleague Myron Hart who always makes sure that our stuff works.
Today I got up early and saddled up Black Beauty to meet my friend Bim in Nelsonville for a more than awesome two hundred mile ride. We headed up SR 78 and made a stop at the Big Musky Bucket. All these year in Ohio and I’d never visited before.
Bim led me to the home where he grew up in Summerfield. He’s slowly renovating the place and it’s going to be beautiful when it’s done. In the meantime amidst the construction, a multi generational story lives on.
Long ago but not so far away…
Foto by Jorma Kaukonen
I have lived here in Ohio for almost thirty years now and it is my home… it shall remain so. It was an honor to get to know my friend a little better by being a guest in his home place. On some levels, small town America might seem to dwindle, but it is still strong and the roots run deep.
We took a moment to pay respects to his mom, resting on a beautiful hillside.
Amazing Grace indeed…
Foto by Jorma Kaukonen
The roads, the weather, expanding one’s family by meeting another… just a great way to spend a day.
You know, I meant to write more but I’m not sure that more need be said.
I keep hearing from my friends who I don’t see during this pandemic, ‘At least it must be great having all this time on your hands.’ I’ve never been home and had less time and I don’t know quite how that happened. The Quarantine Concert Series has had me practicing guitar in a way I haven’t done for decades. Playing gigs is not the same as practicing. I remember the great Steve James coming to the Fur Peace Ranch after eight weeks touring Europe. ‘My show is great,’ he said. ‘My chops are shot.’ I know exactly what he meant. This respite from the road has given me an opportunity to work on both my show and my chops, and I’m grateful for that.
Well, it’s Father’s Day weekend and although we didn’t really factor this into the decision, I’m glad to have a weekend off when it looks like the weather might be beautiful. We’re getting ready to host Jack Casady but we’ll still have time for ourselves. That said, I’m already feeling withdrawals from The Series and I’m really looking forward to getting back in saddle.
This Saturday the 20th, we have the last electric Hot Tuna show of last year for your perusal!
Getting serious!
If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to Fur Peace TV on YouTube. You’ll get announcements and it helps us… plus, it’s free.
Got to get back to work on some tunes Jack and I will be unearthing!
Yeah, the day was beautiful and cool enough so there weren’t many mosquitoes
.
The stairs from the A-Frame to the house
Foto by Vanessa Kaukonen
Percy and Mav on the prowl
Foto by Vanessa Kaukonen
Sunday, June 14, 2020
An epic Quarantine Concert last night… well for me they’ve all been epic. My good pal Jack Casady will be heading our way soon and we’re going to do a special Hot Tuna show for the Fourth Of July and the next weekend as well. Needless to say, we are both truly looking forward to this. Working on new old songs as well as some new, new ones… yeah, it’s going to be fun.
Here’s the set list from last night’s concert:
Jorma Kaukonen 13, 2020
#11 Of The Quarantine Concert Series
Live From The Fur Peace Ranch
Fur Peace Station
Darwin, Ohio
Saturday June 13, 2020
Too Many Years
Wolves & Lambs
Day To Day Out The Window Blues
Folsom Prison Blues
Great Divide Revisited
Flying Clouds
She Belongs To Me with John Hurlbut
Sugaree with John Hurlbut
Hamar Promenade
Death Don’t Have No Mercy
Water Song
This morning stellar and Ness and I hiked the property with the dogs and I taught Zoom lessons for three hours. A great day, all in all.
Our own botanical garden
Foto by Vanessa Kaukonen
Next Saturday at 8 PM we’re going to run the last Electric Hot Tuna from the Fur Peace Ranch last November and the Quarantine Concert Series will be back July Fourth. We are not done with the Quarantine Concert Series by long shot!
Good times!The Psylodeic Gallery From The Lower Road
Were my mom still of this earth she would have been 110 years old today. Born June 12, 1910 she walked across most of the century with very long strides indeed and along the way touched many lives. I hope that at the end of her life (and Dad’s too) she could rest knowing that her kids would be all right. I’m sorry my kids Izze and Zach never got to meet their paternal grandparents. I’m sorry Mom and Dad never got to meet them but time is a finite commodity.
I read this poem for Mom before I started my little lunchtime gig.
In Many Houses
In many houses
all at once
I see my mother and father
and they are young as they walk in
Why should my
tears come,
to see them laughing
That they cannot
see me
is of no matter:
I was once
their dream:
now
they are mine.
Izze, Nessa and Myron on the workshop porch
Jorma Kaukonen 12, 2020
#2 Of The Panini Lunch Sessions
Live From The Fur Peace Ranch
& The Beatrice Love Kitchen
Friday, June 12, 2020
True Religion
River Of Time
I Am The Light of This World
Ain’t In No Hurry
Flying Clouds
Dark Hollow with John Hurlbut
All Along The Watchtower With John Hurlbut
Barbeque King
San Francisco Bay Blues
Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
Now, people get ready for Quarantine Concert #11 tomorrow, Saturday, June 12, 2020 at 8 PM Eastern Time.
Remember, if it’s not free, it’s not me. Enjoy the day and hope to ‘see’ you tomorrow.
Our 10th Quarantine Concert evolved last night and as it always days it once again gave me a sense of purpose and removed the stress that had been building up all week. We really had such lovely goings on at the Ranch this week it sometimes seemed hard to realize that our world here in the States was… well the way it was. I did have some reminders though. There was this one POS who has been trying to get his comments approved. He’s anti-Semitic, racist, xenophobic and generally speaking a waste of human skin. The mere fact that I read his shit before I deleted it made me want to take a bath! I have prided myself on not being heavy handed in the editorial department but I’m done with that laissez-faire nonsense. I will do my best not to let the enemy at the gate in… in any way, shape or form. My wife and daughter have both been protesting and that’s a good thing. If you can’t stand up for what you believe in there’s not much point in being human.
Anyway, all this real life conspired to really put me off my feed as the week rolled on. When we went live for Quarantine Concert #10, all that melted away for a couple of hours. The music and the human interaction nourishes my soul.
Here’s what we played:
Jorma Kaukonen 11, 2020
#10 Of The Quarantine Concert Series
Live From The Fur Peace Ranch
Fur Peace Station
Darwin, Ohio
Saturday June 6, 2020
Heart Temporary
New Song For The Morning
San Francisco Bay Blues
Blues Stay Away From Me with Vanessa
A Little More Faith In Jesus with Vanessa
Walls Of Time with Myron Hart
Been So Long
Travelin’ with John Hurlbut
Get Together with John Hurlbut
Follow The Drinking Gourd
That’ll Never Happen No More
It’s been a while since Nessa and I sang together on stage. It was a real treat for me. So much for my world for now. Looks like a little yard work is calling my name.
