Yesterday was our daughter Izze’s eleventh birthday.

Birthday cake in bed with Maverick

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

That girl is into her second decade, heading out for summer camp and looking forward to 7th grade in the fall.

Zach and Bella

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

A great two weeks with my son and a chance to get to know his great girl Bella! What a time this is!!!!!

Tomorrow morning I’m heading up to New York… this is going to be a great summer touring with Susan and Derek and the Wheels Of Soul Tour!

An evening look at the FPR from the air.

Drone shot by Jorma Kaukonen

Got to ride my motorcycle on this beautiful day running last minute errands. Now a beautiful evening and then early to bed.

Evening clouds...

Drone shot by Jorma Kaukonen

Hot Tuna is ready to go!

Sunset at the Fur Peace Ranch

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Back home in Meigs County Zach and I got on our motorcycles and he took me out for a Father’s Day dinner at the El Camino Cocina in Athens, Ohio. Good times indeed. The girls came back Sunday and in spite of the fact that I’m going to the full court press to finish my book the time with family makes everything worthwhile!

The joys of swimming pool ownership

Foto by Zach Kearse

Things are a bee hive of activity here as we all get ready for the upcoming summer tour with Tedeschi/Trucks. With that in mind, we just heard about Kofi Burbridge’s heart attack yesterday and our prayers go out out to him and all of his extended family. There’s no good time for bad news. We were shocked to hear of his affliction and pray for a complete recovery!

Quiet as a tree...

In this calm before the storm, happy second day of summer to all!

Foto by Zach Kearse

So much has been transpiring the last couple of weeks and as I sit up here with my family on the beach in Maine I get to take a moment to look back a bit.

Jorma and Bruce

We hosted Bruce Cockburn at the Fur Peace Ranch and it was an honor and a pleasure. Bruce is an amazing artist… and a helluva guy personally. What a treat this night was. The following weekend was Founder’s Day in Akron. This is something I look forward to every year. I recharge my spiritual batteries with this one.

Packed and on the road...

I have been here many time... it is always powerful!

Were it not for this place and these people I would probably not be here today… and I’m not alone. Hanging out with like minded spirits for four days in a fellowship that earth people simply cannot grok. A miracle! On Sunday I rode in the motorcade to Dr. Bob and Annie’s grave in the Mt. Peace Cemetery. I have done this a number of times over the last twenty years, and when Joey plays Amazing Grace on he bagpipes at the end of the ceremony… my hanky is always ready!

How sweet the sound...

The language of the heart is spoken here… and all around the world for those who want it!

I got back from the run on Sunday afternoon. My son Zach showed up Sunday evening and Monday morning he and I drove 850 miles to Saco, Maine to meet Vanessa and Izze for a little family vacation.

Beauty and the Beach

Selfie by Vanessa

It was in the 90’s when we got up here. Two hot beach days and now it’s in the 60’s. Gotta love New England beaches!

Drone's eye view of Old Orchard Beach

Drone foto by Jorma

What a great calm before the storm of the Tedeschi/Trucks Wheels Of Soul Tour!

Drone shot of our home away from home

Drone foto by Jorma

To be with family in an utterly stress free environment… priceless!

Jorma, Zach and Izze breakfast selfie

Selfie by Izze Kaukonen

I see you

Drone selfie by Jorma

Today is the last day here. Zach and I will drive the 850 miles home tomorrow. Nice to able to share driving with my son.

Sunrise this morning...

Foto by Jorma

Nothing like taking a little time out to smell the coffee… or the roses… or whatever. Today we’re going to hit the Audubon nature water trail… hiking with canoes an kayaks, and tomorrow morning… home.

Onward indeed!

Thornville from the air

Drone Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Like I said, we love hanging with the Dark Star folks and their friends! The vibe at the Jubilee can’t be beat.

Main stage... calm before the storm

Drone foto by Jorma Kaukonen

There was supposed to be thunderstorms, but while Tuna was there the weather was beyond awesome. Not to hot and not too cold.

Rob Barraco, Jack Casady, Jeff Mattson & Jorma Kaukonen

It’s always a good time with these folks. Here’s our electric set:

Hot Tuna 20, 2017
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
& Justin Guip
Dark Star Jubilee
Thorneville, Ohio
Sunday, May 28, 2017

1. Candy Man
2. I See The Light
3. Can’t Get Satisfied
4. Ode To Billy Dean
5. Trial By Fire
6. In The Kingdom
7. Day To Day Out The Window Blues
8. Bowlegged Woman
9. Watch The North Wind Rise
10. Good Shepherd
11. Rock Me Baby
12. Bar Room Crystal Ball
13. Funky #7

The three of us got it done with style!

Can't beat a day like this!

Drone foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Then is was back to Meigs County where the boys and I planned on rehearsing for a couple of days in preparation for our tour with Tedeschi/Trucks this summer.

Jack heads up to the Fur Peace Station

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Justin Guip, Jack Casady and myself set up in the most comfortable of situations, the stage of my very own Fur Peace Station.

With the able assistance of our pal Myron Hart, we got to work on some new additions for the summer sets.

Myron examines the neck of the Firebird... the Les Paul rests

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

The three of us had a blast playing in this most friendly of environments… and we got some good Fur Peace Ranch cooking too!

The rhythm section working together

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Myron and Justin bordered by cymbals

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Two great days of playing bordered by a great dinner at Salaam in Athens last night!

Today is a pho day at the Beatrice Love Kitchen and Jack Casady and I will be playing for the lunch crowd.

Yummy… and onward!

FPR View from the sky

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

After the weekend at the Ranch with Spencer Bohren and Tim Reynolds I got ready to head for Salt Lake City… but first I must note a great solo show by Tim!

Jorma & Tim backstage at the Station

Tim is an amazing player and a great guy. Big shout out to Fluffy too!

Here’s our class picture from the air.

Teachers and students by the Psylodelic Museum

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Saying adieu to another great weekend at the Fur Peace Ranch Jack, Myron, Phil and I flew out to Salt Lake City for a three day residency at the Egyptian Theater in Park City.

The Boys in Park City

Foto by Phil Jacobs

I took a nasty cold with me from Ohio so I laid low in the hotel except for going to the gigs.

The first night at the Egyptian:

Hot Tuna 14, 2017
The Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady
The Egyptian Theater
Park City, Utah
Thursday, May 18, 2017

First Set:
1. Dime For Beer
2. Re-Enlistment Blues
3. I See The Light
4. Barbeque King
5. That’ll Never Happen No More
6. Ain’t In No Hurry
7. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
8. How Long Blues
9. Sleep Song
10. Watch The North Wind Rise
11. Living In The Moment
12. San Francisco Bay Blues

Second Set:
1. True Religion
2. Serpent Of Dreams
3. Waiting For A train
4. Hesitation Blues
5. Come Back Baby
6. I’ll Be Alright Someday
7. Candy Man Blues
8. In My Dreams
9. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning
10. Trial By Fire
11. Sea Child
12. Good Shepherd
13. I Know You Rider
14. Encore: Embryonic Journey

Nicely restored old theater

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

This is a great little theater run by great folks ith terrific sound!

Second night:

Hot Tuna 15, 2017
The Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady
The Egyptian Theater
Park City, Utah
Friday, May 19, 2017

First Set:
1. Ain’t In No Hurry
2. I See The Light
3. Things That Might Have Been
4. The Terrible Operation
5. Come Back Baby
6. Let Us Get Together
7. How Long Blues
8. Nobody Knows You When you’re Down & Out
9. Sea Child
10. Watch The North Wind Rise
11. Whining Boy Blues
12. That’ll Never Happen No More
Second Set:
1. Too Many Years
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Missing tune… Myron got locked out
4. Brother Can You Spare A Dime
5. Keep On Trucking Mama
6. Been So Long
7. Barbeque King
8. I Am The Light Of This World
9. Heart Temporary
10. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
11. Sleep Song
12. Good Shepherd
13. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
14. Encore: Genesis

Our name in lights

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Third night:

Hot Tuna 16, 2017
The Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady
The Egyptian Theater
Park City, Utah
Saturday, May 20, 2017

First Set:

1. Ain’t In No Hurry
2. Second Chances
3. Hesitation Blues
4. How Long Blues
5. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
6. Barbeque King
7. I See The Light
8. Full Go Round
9. Living In The Moment
10. New Song For The Morning
11. Candy Man
12. That’ll Never Happen No More

Second Set:

1. True Religion
2. Serpent Of Dreams
3. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out
4. What Are They Doing In Heaven Today
5. Whining Boy Blues
6. Come Back Baby
7. River Of Time
8. Sea Child
9. Watch The North Wind Rise
10. Good Shepherd
11. Trouble In My Mind
12. I Know You Rider
13. Encore: Nine Pound Hammer

Then it was off to Phoenix where we play at the Musical Instrument Museum tonight.

I'm not in Kansas anymore

Foto by Myron Hart

My cold is gone and I’m sure looking forward to the show tonight!

Remember... it's dry heat!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Onward!

Last turn to the Ranch

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Last weekend Tom Feldman, David Wolff and I hosted an Entrance Ramp Class an Saturday night the California Guitar Trio played and wowed us all!

Hurl, Wally and Ol' Jer get ready to great concert goers!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

The fellas in the CGT simply have to be seen and heard to be believed!

The boys hold forth

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

As soon as class wound up on Monday noonish, Myron and I beat feet to Nashville for a recording date with Tommy Emmanuel. Tommy asked me to play two songs with him and I was on my way!

Tommy and I check the levels

Foto by Myron Hart

We started out with a Merle Travis tune… two acoustic guitars, au naturale… no wires!

Listening and thinking

Foto by Myron Hart

The mighty engineer at the console

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Paying with Tommy is always a treat… to get to record with him is off the charts! We did a Roy Book Binder tune as well… double male vocal.

How's that song go?

Foto by Myron Hart

The mighty M-30 at work!

Foto by Myron Hart

We knocked out the two acoustic tunes and laid down and electric jam as well!

Jazzmaster vs. Tele

Foto by Myron Hart

Then it was time for lunch… bur first…

Pick it Jorm'

Foto by Myron Hart

Time for some southern BBQ

Three well fed buddies

And lest I forget… the first drone shot of last weeks FPR class!

Everything looks better from the air!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Onward!

Well, here it is Thursday night… A week ago we were in Wilkesboro, N.C. having dinner at a marginal Japanese Restaurant… and then it was Merlefest. Merlefest is always such a treat and it’s been way too long since I have been there. There were so many friends… the Waybacks, Peter Rowan, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Jason Crosby and countless others… good times and I love them all.

After a dandy week at home writing and playing guitar for the Pho Folks a lunch Wednesday and today… that and our daughter is a straight A student this year. Next year seventh grade, and tomorrow… the Entrance Ramp here at the Fur Peace Ranch with me, David Wolfe and Tom Feldmann.

How true... how true!!!!!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

The St. George Theater... who knew?

So last Saturday the mighty Tuna Trio had the honor of appearing at the St. George Theater in Staten Island. What an amazing venue… who knew indeed?

Bring on the cherubs...

Hot Tuna 13, 2017
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
And Justin Guip
The St. George Theater
Staten Island, New York
Saturday, April 15, 2017

First Set:
1. Serpent Of Dreams
2. Ain’t In No Hurry
3. Hesitation Blues
4. Day To Day Out The Window Blues
5. Can’t Get Satisfied
6. Sleep Song
7. Watch The North Wind Rise
8. Been So Long
9. Ode To Billy Dean
10. Bowlegged Woman
Second Set:
1. I See The Light
2. Second Chances
3. I Wish You Would
4. Come Back Baby
5. Sea Child
6. Trial By Fire
7. Good Shepherd
9. Funky #7
10. Hit Single # 1

Pickin' and grinnin'

Foto by Phil Jacobs

By the bye… while I was out in Westbury I was honored with this great award!

Love this honor!

Then it was back to Southeast Ohio where Myron and I settled down to overdub some guitar parts on a new project by my old pals The Ace Of Cups. The ladies started this great band in 1967… indeed perhaps the first all girl band… and they could all really play!

Myron critically eyes the board

The Ace Of Cups gals sent me three tracks to work on… a blues, a rocker and a finger picking ballad.

Pickin' and Wah'ing

This is going to be a great project and I was honored to be a part of it.

The back lot at the Johnson Hollow digs.

Then it was back to the Ranch to get ready for our camp this weekend with Eric Bibb, Happy Traum and me with an able assist from Tom Feldman.

Along the way I got to make some great shots around the Ranch.

Red Bud in the House

The redbud is everywhere right now… it is a paean to Spring in these parts and its beauty is delightfully ephemeral. In a week or so the blaze of color will be gone as green returns to the forest.

Twilight drones eye view of the A-Frame

I’ve been doing some sunset flying with my drones and was able to get some nifty shots!

Lake Hope after dinner

Welcome lights at the Beatrice Love Kitchen

Last light at the Fur Peace Ranch

Time to walk Big Maverick and get on over to greet the students…

Onward!

Week Three at the Ranch

This last weekend at the Fur Peace Ranch was our third of this year and what a killer one it was. We were honored to host Jimmy Dale Gilmore as well as our old pal Bill Kirchen. What a weekend indeed!

FPR from the eye of a drone

Friday was chilly to say the least but the weekend warmed up in more ways than one and Spring was in the air! Saturday night Bill and Jimmy Dale did a simply amazing show!

This is the Honky Tonk Hammer Of The Gods!

Jimmy Dale and Bill’s show was indeed, Poultry In Motion… I mean Poetry In Motion. Perfect in every way!

The men in action!

In and around the concert and classes, there is always plenty of time for folks to jam!

Back porch pickin'n at its finest!

The weekend moved magnificently towards the first of the week.

The men... and the women!

Foto by Vanessa Kaukonen

Nice shot of my guys here!

Well armed men on the porch!

Foto by John Hurlbut

Monday evening Izze and Vanessa and I drove into Athens to celebrate Pesach with our community at Hillel.

Izze and Vanessa on the steps of HIllel

The Jewish community here in Southeast Ohio is a singular creature… if it weren’t for Ohio University, it would be pretty lonely.

Izze and the old man on the steps

Foto by Vanessa Kaukonen

It was nice to reconnect with friends we only see periodically through the year… and share a meal together.

At the Seder Table

The brisket was awesome and the gefilte fish rocked too. I had double helpings!

And so as the full moon begins to wane, Zeissen Pesach to all out there!

I'm surrounded by the gold...

Foto by Dubi Silverstein

Another week has come and gone and then some. We had a camp last weekend with G.E.Smith and Woody Mann. It is always great to hang with these two guys… personally and musically.

Spring is unfolding

Now it is true that Spring is unfolding, but on this weekend we had a couple of really cold nights… a last gasp of Winter. The FPR is getting back into the rhythm of camp season and what with that and the Pho Restaurant, as always it’s a full plate. It’s a good plate though. Last Saturday night came and it was concert time at the Station. The show was G.E. and myself. We love doing this show. We just hit the stage and play songs together. On this particular night, we had a captive Woody Mann… so for us it was quite an evening. We didn’t do a set list and Myron did his best to keep track of the songs, so this is incomplete… but at least it’s something!

G.E. plays the legendary River Of Time guitar! Thanks for that Bud and Tracy!

I didn’t get the first solo GE songs of each set. (GE did 3 first Set and 2 second Set, I think?) So sayeth Myron Hart II.

Jorma Kaukonen, G.E. & Woody Mann

Ain’t In No Hurry
Second Chances
Things That Might Have Been
Whining Boy
Highway 61
Barbeque King
Arrowhead
Death Don’t Have No Mercy… with Woody
Sweet Loraine… with Woody

That’ll Never Happen No More
Living In The Moment
GE. – Trail Of The Buffalo
Come Back Baby
GE – Handsome Molly
Search My Heart – Woody… from here to the end…
Sleep Song
GE – Buddy Bolden Blues
Candy Man
GE – Let It Rock
Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning
Encore: Who knows?

Thanks Myron… better than nothing!

Woody, me and the G.E.

On Tuesday night my goddaughter Mia Falzarano stopped by on her way to Cleveland.

The old man and the young lawyer!

Foto by Vanessa Kaukonen

The last time this young lady was here, she was barely walking, now she’s in her last year of Law School. What a world, and how glad I am to be part of it!

On Wednesday, Vanessa celebrated her 55th birthday. The hits just keep on coming. Vanessa is even more beautiful today than when I first met her, and that wasn’t yesterday! It’s been a fine week, all things told and this weekend is an ‘off’ weekend at the Ranch so I’m guessing yard work is in store, as soon as it dries up from the mega rain we had last night. In the meantime…

Onward!

The road home...