Beatrice at her house in Tahoe 1979

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen Sr. (Dad)

I’ve lost all track of time in this pandemic season. I’m tuned into Saturday nights for the obvious reasons but other than that, the days just seem to run together. Mother’s Day this morning and it suddenly occurred to me that I had missed my Mom’s Jahrzeit which was on May 8th. May 8, 1998 my brother Peter and I drove down into Mill Valley, Calfornia to get her some flowers and when we came back to the house she was gone. The hospice folks told me she would probably wait until we were gone before she took her final journey and that’s how it was. In the Foto above she is ten years younger than I am now, and so it goes.

From the Kol Haneshama

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.

I still miss you and dad, but that’s as it should be.

And also as it should be, all the living moms get a shout out. Izze and I couldn’t do it without Vanessa, and that’s a fact.

Back in the ‘present,’ we just have so much fun with our Quarantine Concerts that it is definitely the highlight of our week. For the first time we had some technical glitches this weekend. I know that poop happens… that’s life but we won’t be partnering with anyone again. Not that I have control issues, but we just do better on our own. At east we know who to blame. Anyway, Andy, our video director, is putting the who up from our recorded files so it will live again… perfectly.

Jorma Kaukonen 6, 2020
#6 Of The Quarantine Concert Series
Live From The Fur Peace Ranch
Fur Peace Station
Darwin, Ohio
Saturday May 9, 2020

1. Dime For Beer
2. In My Dreams
3. River Of Time
4. Living Just For You
5. Uncle Sam Blues
6. Song For The High Mountain
7. I Am A Traveling Man featuring Myron Hart
8. Kansas City Southern featuring John Hurlbut
9. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door featuring John Hurlbut
10. Trial By Fire
11. That’ll Never Happen No More
12. This Land Is Your Land, Hurl leads a world wide singalong.

Nessa is working on the global singalong… this should be fun.

Monday is coming, things are starting to open and well, we’ll just see what happens.

Good times now, but better on down the road…

Stay safe!

Hey everybody and a good, good morning this chilly but lovely Saturday morning. Tonight… #6 of the Quarantine Series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bok1vPD9y5w&feature=youtu.be

OK… as mentioned last weekend, we’re going to attempt to stitch together a world wide chorus of Woody’s great song, ‘This Land Is Your Land.’ The key word is ‘chorus.’ Tonight Vanessa will reveal the email address your clips should be sent to. Many of you are already excited about this and champing at the bit so here’s the deal. Who knows what key Woody did it in and it doesn’t matter. We do the song in C…. and you will too. You must sing along with us on the chorus only please. Again the participation is intended for a vocal chorus only. NO INSTRUMENTS! If you film yourself playing a guitar, it will languish on the cutting room floor. Make it easy for us to do the edits necessary to pull this off. Yeah, I know… I’m not fond of rules either but considering what we’ve all been going through, this is not too constrictive. 🙂

Needless to say, it will be the last song of the concert. Stay well, and see ya on the small screen.

A myriad of Mother's Day talent!

Hey folks, check this out…

Join me this weekend, Saturday May 9th at 8pm EST for our FREE 6th Quarantine Concert , Live from the Fur Peace Station Concert Hall. I have a great set planned and a part for all of you so I hope you choose to spend some time with us.

And on Sunday, May 10th at 10 pm UK, 5 PM Eastern, 4 PM Central and 2 PM Pacific, join me in a streaming concert along with Billy Bragg, Rosanne Cash, Mary Chapin Carpenter,Steve Earle, Shovels & Rope, Rufus Wainwright, Richard Thompson, The Indigo Girls, Todd Snider, KT Tunstall, Loudon Wainwright, Amy Helm, Jospeh Arthur, Stella Donnelly, Andrew Bird, Fink, Joan Osborne, Hamilton Leithauser, Valerie June, The Mountain Goats. With More to be Announced…WFUV’s Rita Houston will host the event. Families around the world will be able to connect virtually through this shared experience, celebrating all mothers everywhere through music while supporting those in need. 100% of net ticket proceeds will be donated to the The United Nations Foundation fund addressing sexual and reproductive health and rights during the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://citywinery.com/newyork/can-t-be-there-today-billy-bragg-and-the-city-winery-all-stars-presents-a-mother-s-day-special.html

And of course to reiterate, those of us still sequestered here in Southeast Ohio at the Fur Peace Ranch will be reaching out to you all again Saturday the 9th of May at 8:00PM Eastern time. Can’t say it too much!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bok1vPD9y5w&feature=youtu.be

More live music...

Have a great weekend, and stay well!

So with this time at home, I’ve been listening to the old stereo… tubes and everything:

The old Marantz pre-amp

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

The pre is a great place to start for vintage stuff… Here’s the next stop on the signal path:

Look art the size of the transformers

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

The Austin and Michaelson TVA-1 by Tim Paravicini… Check it out. 75 watts a side… 80 pounds… NIve.

Last but not least, the old JBL 4312’s.

Oldies, but Goodies

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

And… even after 30 years, one of the best high end D to A converter CD players ever made.

Alloy CD tray... nice.

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

The new Rega turntable does the job quite nicely… nice way to spend stay at home time.

Last Saturday was #5 for us, and here it is:

Jorma Kaukonen 5, 2020
#5 Of The Quarantine Concert Series
Live From The Fur Peace Ranch
Fur Peace Station
Darwin, Ohio
Saturday, May 3, 2020

1. True Religion
2. Whining Boy Blues
3. Letter To The North Star
4. Another Man Done Gone
5. Do Not Go Gentle for Mark & Christine
6. Hesitation Blues
7. Land Of Heroes
8. Mind Your Own Business with Myron Hart
9. The Borderline with John Hurlbut
10. All Along The Watchtower with John Hurlbut
11. Mann’s Fate
12. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out

A quick entry… time to spend some outdoor with the dog.

Coming this Saturday at eight PM Eastern… Quarantine Concert #6.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bok1vPD9y5w&feature=youtu.be

Be there or… you know…

And stay well.

Well, it rained today, but I did get a hundred mile ride in on Monday!

By the mighty Ohio near Marietta

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Just passed a long string of barges

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Just a great day for a ride… and about time, I might add.

back at the Ranch…

Zammy, Aslan and me invite our souls

Foto by Vanessa Kaukonen

With Diesel going for $2.31 and gas $1.40 or so, I just wish I could head out and do more driving. Well, it could be worse, that’s for sure. I took the Mule down to the Shade to check out the post rain haps. When the rain came in our bottom land started to flood but the new bridge held its own.

The crest just receding

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

The river comes and goes as it will. A day later it was like this.

Getting back to normal

Foto By Jorma Kaukonen

In a month or so, there will be hardly any water in the mighty Shade.

Between storms, there’s always a sunset.

What's not to like?

Drone shot by Jorma Kaukonen

Well, I’ve been getting some new/old gems together for the Quarantine Concert #5 and I’m really looking forward to breaking them out. Here’s the link for the May second show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEJvzHmsgSU

Rain or shine, be there or… you know…

See ya on the small screen!

Bear with me

Foto by Vanessa Kaukonen

The Fur Peace Station Concert Hall and the Psylodelic Museum

Drone shot by Jorma Kaukonen

Yeah… another great night for us here in Southeast Ohio at the Fur Peace Station. It is our pleasure and honor to bring these free concerts to our friends all over the world. We wish you were here, but we’ll take the win any way we can. We dealt our friends Myron Hart and John Hurlbut into the mix and hopefully we’ll have some more surprises for the coming show, Saturday the 25th of April. Here’s the link for that show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pImqCWpu_Hw

And here’s the set list from last Saturday:

Jorma Kaukonen 3, 2020
#3 Of The Quarantine Concert Series
Live From The Fur Peace Ranch
Fur Peace Station
Darwin, Ohio

1. Too Many Years
2. Parchman Farm
3. The Terrible Operation
4. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
5. Flying Clouds
6. Watch The North Wind Rise
7. If I Should Have Bad Luck with Myron Hart
8. Easy Rider song with John Hurlbut
9. Re-Enlistment Blues
10. Come Back Baby
11. Water Song

And the one before:

Jorma Kaukonen 2, 2020
#2 Of The Quarantine Concert Series
Live From The Fur Peace Ranch
Fur Peace Station
Darwin, Ohio
Saturday, April 11, 2020

1. Second Chances
2. Ice Age
3. I’ll Be All Right Some Day
4. Trouble In Mind
5. Living In The Moment
6. Sleep Song
7. Genesis
8. Angel From Montgomery with John
9. What Are They Doing In Heaven Today? (For Bob Kelly)
10. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
11. I Am The Light Of This World
12. Embryonic Journey

All the volunteers last Saturday night feasted in pizza from our favorite take out pizza place in Athens, Ohio.

A Hot Tuna Pizza from Avalanche with my name on it!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Yeah… Avalanche Pizza… quite simply the best!

I’ve entered the new age and am now doing workshops on Zoom… just like the kids. Hey, I love to teach and it keeps me feeling relevant.

In the meantime, more will be revealed as the week unfolds.

Stay well!

PS It’s 4/20…. Whoahhh

Flight testing the Phantom 3 Standard

Drone shot by Jorma Kaukonen

My Phantom 3 Standard is about to find a new home so I thought I’d fire it up an reacquaint myself with its vagaries so I can show Justin, our chef, how to fly it.

Justin and the kids leaving the facility

Drone shot by Jorma Kaukonen

Yeah, its been a while since I flew this bird so it took me a minute to figure it out. It doesn’t use Ocusync as a flight system like the more modern birds do. That said, once I got back on board it worked perfectly. Justin’s going to love this UAV if he can keep the kids from crashing it.

Meanwhile one of the blessings about living where I do is that it is a sparsely populated tri county area and I’ve got 126 acres of my own to play on not to mention the Farmer’s Market in Athens which brings up the next subject… fresh lamb. Ok… so we got the lamb last Saturday (baaaah) and grilled it last night… gotta love the grill. Vanessa made the crudités:

That's what I'm talking about

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Then my main course:

Lamb, new potatoes, roasted red peppers and flat bread

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

What’s not to like. Notice Dad’s old Phillips radio. It’s over fifty years old and today is still the source of my NPR news in the morning.

Yep, only 28 degrees this morning, but the grass is still growing

Drone shot by Jorma Kaukonen

Every night is movie night here at the Fur Peace Ranch. The other night we saw Unorthodox on Netflix. I always meant to read the book and now I think I will. Four hours well spent. I’m also revisiting The Strain. I loved it the first time around, and it seems truly timely today… vampires notwithstanding.

The ladies settling in for a movie

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

OK… Smiles is working on building a bridge across the mighty Shade River so we can easily hike the rest of our property. Good stuff in this time of personal limitations.

Now… Saturday the 18th of April another grand streaming show from our very own Fur Peace Station.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bV3AKkEPW8&feature=youtu.be

As always… be there… or be square… and stay well!

Doing what we must...

Selfie by Vanessa Kaukonen

Saturday morning… our daughter Izze is still asleep. (Every night is movie night here. Night before last was Dogma. Last night was Inception.) Nessa and I climbed in my truck and we headed into town to Farmer’s Market on State Street. I’ve take some motorcycle rides and gone out to fill up the truck when cheap diesel manifested itself, but this was the first time I was around other people besides my immediate family. Interesting to say the least. It was more than orderly with everyone keeping their distance.

Good food, good meat. Getting late...

Foto by Vanessa Kaukonen

Nessa is a vegetarian but she still knows where to find the good stuff… and this is the place for good stuff. Today, steaks… and from another booth, lamb chops. One of the many blessings we get from living here (aside from not being surrounded by people in times like these) is that ‘farm to table’ is a way of life not an expensive specialty. Moving right along, masks or not, we all seem to recognize each other. I ran into Nessa’s sister Ginger in time for a cheery ‘Hello!’

We've got to start meeting like this...

Foto by Vanessa Kaukonen

Shopping done, we stopped by the Donkey where I got my usual double shot of espresso. Gotta support the places that are still open!

OK… tonight… Another free streaming show from the Fur Peace Ranch at eight o’clock.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wTLGKvG4U0

Be there or be square.

Obsessed? Nahhh...

Foto by Vanessa Kaukonen

Life is more than interesting on so many fronts… Thanks to all for the illuminating discussion following the complaint at the Boulder Theater. Sometimes you just can’t please everyone.

Moving along…

We pull into River City in St. Louis

Foto by Phil Jacobs

We limped into River City with some transmission problems on the good old bus… but we made it. Stephen did some parking lot repairs… and we were good to go. It’s a new age for the shade tree mechanic. Anyway, walking into the registration lobby I was greeted by this:

Elvis?

Obviously this is not our normal type of venue… but hey, a gig’s a gig and the production folks here were absolutely the best!

The boys onstage at River City

Foto by Gary Sudin

Hot Tuna 15, 2020
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
And Justin Guip
River City Casino
St. Louis, Missouri
Tuesday, March 3, 2020

First Set:
1. Been So Long
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Ode To Billy Dean
4. Talkin’ Bout You
5. Second Chances
6. Living Just For You
7. I Am The Light Of This World
8. Can’t Get Satisfied
9. Bowlegged Woman

Second Set:
1. Serpent Of Dreams
2. Day To Day Out The Window Blues
3. Roads and Roads &
4. Rock Me Baby
5. Hit Single # 1
6. Watch The North Wind Rise
7. Sea Child
8. Walking Blues
9. Good Shepherd
10. Funky # 7
11. Encore: Water Song

All in all it was a great show for us and the St. Louis audience was awesome! Justin, Angus and jack flew home and Stephen and Myron and I started driving after load out. Spring ain’t here yet, but it’s coming. Here’s a picture Vanessa took in the morning before we rolled in:

Show au naturel!

Foto by Vanessa Kaukonen

It was a great tour across the spectacle that is America, but it’s great to be home and just be Dad again.

Great new Rock 'n' Roll room!

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Hot Tuna 12, 2020
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
And Justin Guip
The David Bromberg Band
The Commonwealth Room
Salt Lake City, Utah
Wednesday, February 26, 2020

1. I See The Light
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Ode To Billy Dean
4. Talkin’ Bout You
5. Living Just For You
6. Barbeque King
7. Bowlegged Woman
8. Come Back Baby
9. Watch The North Wind Rise
10. Sleep Song
11. Good Shepherd
12. Hit Single # 1
13. Funky # 7
14. Encore: Water Song

Then we all beat feet to Boulder and checked into the Boulderado… one of my favorite hotels of all time.

Breakfast at the Creole Restaurant

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Great place for breakfast. Don’t miss the Beignets!

First of two sold out nights!

Foto by Jack Casady

David has been graciously inviting me to join him on his acoustic Buddy Brown original. Big fun… every night. Thanks David!

Here we are pickin' it Old School...

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Hot Tuna 13, 2020
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
And Justin Guip
With
The David Bromberg Band
The Boulder Theater
Boulder, Colorado
Friday, February 28, 2020

1. Been So Long
2. Candy Man
3. Ode To Billy Dean
4. Talkin’ Bout You
5. Wolves & Lambs
6. Living Just For You
7. Can’t Get Satisfied
8. Bowlegged Woman
9. Sea Child. Chet
10. Watch The North Wind Rise
11. Hit Single # 1
12. Trial By Fire
13. Good Shepherd Chet
14. Funky # 7
15. Encore: Genesis

My buddy Kyle Brunnetti presents me with an Ian Buchanan CD

Foto by Kyle’s Dad

Here Kyle gives me some Ian Buchanan material that he passes on from John Sposato out on Long Island. Kyle’s a great young man… and a lucky one too. He’s got his Dad’s Les Paul!

With Day One at the Boulder Theater under our belt… a good night’s Boulderado sleep, and on to day 2.

Justin... tuning up the tubs!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

The Bromberg Quintet… A Capella

Standin' In The Need Of Prayer

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Tuna’s Set:

Hot Tuna 14, 2020
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
And Justin Guip
With
The David Bromberg Band
The Boulder Theater
Boulder, Colorado
Saturday, February 29, 2020

1. I See The Light
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Day To Day Out The Window Blues
4. Can’t Get Satisfied
5. Baby What You Want Me To Do?
6. Second Chances
7. I Am The Light Of This World
8. Rock Me Baby
9. Bowlegged Woman
10. Roads and Roads &
11. Trial By Fire
12. Walkin’ Blues
13. Hit Single # 1
14. Water Song
15. Encore: Embryonic Journey

Then it was time for our class picture.

Cast and Crew

Daggone it… I lost the card of the photographer who took the picture!

Note must be taken of David Bromberg’s wonderful band.

David Bromberg… Vocals, guitar, mandolin, fiddle and outstanding personality!
Mark Cosgrove (guitar, mandolin, backing vocals)
Suavek Zaniesienko (bass, backing vocals)
Josh Kanusky (drums, backing vocals)
Nate Grower, Fiddle, Mandolin
And of course Mike Russo (tour manager)

Tuna here in KC, MO tonight and off to St. Louis. We’re gonna miss David and his pals for sure. Safe trip home guys!