As amazing as the tour with Derek and Susan was, there’s no place like home. We had a camp and a concert the weekend I got back so we all hit the ground running. Gretchen Peters was there to teach a songwriting class and play a concert with her husband Barry Walsh. Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams were also teaching and played a magnificent show… I got to sit in with both families and what a treat it was!

Drone shot by Jorma Kaukonen

My pal Norm broth his Phantom 4 Pro and we flew together!

The weather was spectacular, the music wonderful and the food… as always… delicious!

It was great to put on another hat this weekend. I enjoy teaching so much and it’s always great with a good class!

Before it was all over Larry and Matt and I had to pose with our Jorma M30 Sunburst beauties. Matt now owns Frank’s guitar with was the one that started all the sunburst models. Thanks Frank. You’re going to miss that guitar though!

Well… it’s not much of an entry but here I am.

Great to be home!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

After the last show with Susan and Derek we beat feet to Minneapolis for a two shows at the Dakota Jazz Club. We did a half a day to walk around and decompress.

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

We love coming to Minneapolis whether it be the Cedar Cultural Center or in this case, the Dakota Jazz Club. We had two shows, one at seven and one at nine… more or less.

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Hot Tuna 43, 2017
The Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen And Jack Casady
Dakota Jazz Club
7 PM Show
Saturday August 5, 2017
Minneapolis, Minnesota

1. Second Chances
2. How Long Blues
3. Hesitation Blues
4. Barbeque King
5. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
6. The Terrible Operation
7. Let Us Together Right Down Here
8. Heart Temporary
9. Keep On Trucking Mama
10. 99 Year Blues
11. Death Don’t have No Mercy
12. I Know You Rider
13. Encore: Wining Boy Blues

Foto by Phil jacobs

Hot Tuna 44, 2017
The Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen And Jack Casady
Dakota Jazz Club
9 PM Show
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Saturday, August 5th, 2017

1. I See The Light
2. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out
3. Brother Can You Spare A Dime?
4. Candy Man
5. Come Back Baby
6. True Religion
7. Trial By Fire
8. Sleep Song
9. Good Shepherd
10. Things That Might Have Been
11. That’ll Never Happen No More
12. Bar Room Crystal Ball
13. Water Song
14. 9 Pound Hammer
15. Encore: Embryonic Journey

Then it was on to St. Charles, Illinois for a gig at the Arcada Theater. The power steering blew out on the bus leaving Minneapolis so we limped into St. Charles and got some superb help!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

The Arcada was a great little theater!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Hot Tuna 45, 2017
The Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen And Jack Casady
The Arcata Theater
St. Charles, Illinois
Sunday, August 6, 2017

1. True Religion
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Roads and Roads &
4. Heart Temporary
5. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
6. Barbeque King
7. Trial By Fire
8. Sleep Song
9. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
10. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out
11. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning
12. Come Back Baby
13. Watch The North Wind Rise
14. Good Shepherd
15. Bar Room Crystal Ball
16. Water Song
17. Encore: Genesis

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Then our merry men scattered to their homes and Myron and I came back to Southeast Ohio where I resume my role as a husband and father.

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

No matter how simple… there’s no place like home!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Johnny and I played at our Pho Eatery today. It’s our last weekday offering. We’re going to be doing special event Pho dinners and entertainment. More on that later.

In the meantime, nowhere like your own bed.

Foto by Phil Jacobs

This has been an intense tour and these last three gigs were no exception. I had never done Red Rocks before and I sure thank Derek and Susan for taking us along!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Hot Tuna 39, 2017
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
And Justin Guip
With Tedeschi/Trucks
& The Wood Brothers
Red Rocks
Morrison, Colorado

1. Trial By Fire
2. Wolves And Lambs
3. Roads and Roads &
4. Ode To Billy Dean
5. Talkin’ Bout You
6. Sea Child
7. Funky # 7

Next day we definitely had to take some prep time out to take some pictures!

Hot Tuna 40, 2017
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
And Justin Guip
With Tedeschi/Trucks
& The Wood Brothers
Red Rocks
Morrison, Colorado
Sunday, July 30, 2017

1. Second Chances
2. Living Just For You
3. Can’t Get Satisfied
4. Rock Me Baby
5. 99 Year Blues
6. Bowlegged Woman
7. Hit Single #1
8. Water Song

Foto by Suzy Perler

Foto by Myron Hart

Then off to Salt Lake City.

Drone shot by Jorma Kaukonen

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

The chow at the Red Iguana was worth the forty five minute wait and more!

Drone shot by Jorma Kaukonen

Drone shot by Jorma Kaukonen

Hot Tuna 41, 2017
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
And Justin Guip
With Tedeschi/Trucks
& The Wood Brothers
Red Butte Garden
Salt Lake City, Utah
Tuesday, August 1, 2017

1. Wolves And Lambs
2. Living Just For You
3. Rock Me Baby ( with Susan Tedeschi)
4. Talkin’ Bout You
5. Watch The North Wind Rise
6. 99 Year Blues
7. Funky # 7

Susan joined us for Rock Me Baby and tore it up, of course!

Then it was off to Bonner, Montana.

Drone shot by Jorma Kaukonen

Drone shot by Jorma Kaukonen

Hot Tuna 42, 2017
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
And Justin Guip
With Tedeschi/Trucks
& The Wood Brothers
Kettlehouse Amphitheater
Bonner, Montana
Wednesday, August 2, 2017

1. Trial By Fire
2. Sea Child
3. Can’t Get Satisfied
4. Come Back Baby (with Derek)
5. Roads and Roads &
6. In The Kingdom
7. Bowlegged Woman

Playing with Derek and Susan and their pals is off the charts! Loved the Wood Brothers too!!!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Foto by Phil Jacobs

It is always a bittersweet moment when a tour end. This one was especially so… we all became family.

A heartfelt thanks to all who worked on this project! You made it possible for us to fly every night.

Now Jack and I head to Minneapolis for two shows at the Dakota Jazz Club, and then off to St. Charles, Illinois and the Arcata Theater.

Home is looking good. I’ll be at the Fur Peace Ranch soon!

Drone shot by Jorma Kaukonen

We got in from Indiana in time for me to get a drone flight in by the hotel… overlooking the river.

Drone shot by Jorma Kaukonen

Then yesterday a ten mile bus ride to Riverbend on the Ohio side.

Drone shot by Jorma Kaukonen

We got together with Derek and Susan and the gang to rehearse Marty Balin’s great song 3/5’s Of A Mile In Ten Seconds.

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Hot Tuna 34, 2017
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
And Justin Guip
With Tedeschi/Trucks
& The Wood Brothers
PNC Pavilion At
Riverbend Music Center

1. Trial By Fire
2. Sleep Song
3. Talkin’ Bout You
4. Ode To Billy Dean
5. Roads and Roads &
6. 99 Year Blues
7. Come Back Baby

Then I go to sit in with Chris an Oliver Wood for Rev. Davis’ tune, Death Don’t Have No Mercy and subsequently Jack and I joined Derek and Susan for the aforementioned Jefferson Airplane song from Surrealistic Pillow.

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

I have been thrilled with the way Justin and Jack and I have been playing… and there’s more to come!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Last night the Wheels Of Soul Tour was at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia. Jack and I are hometown boys here in the D.C. area so for us it was a powerful homecoming!

Foto by Suzy Perler

I’ve played the Barns here at Wolf Trap, but never the Filene Center. This was a real treat!

Hot Tuna 25, 2017
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
And Justin Guip
With Tedeschi/Trucks
& The Wood Brothers
Wolf Trap
Vienna, Virginia
Wednesday July 5, 2017

1. Ain’t In No Hurry
2. I See The Light
3. Day To Day Out The Window Blues
4. Can’t Get Satisfied
5. Roads And Roads &
6. Bowlegged Woman
7. Hit Single # 1

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Derek asked Jack and Justin and I to sit in with the gang on Keys To The Highway. What a treat!

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Here’s Jack and myself along with Ronnie MacDonald… Ronnie played drums in the Triumphs, our band in high school in 1958/59. Here we are… same guys… a lot older.

Good times!

Yeah man, another good one. Tomorrow we are in Providence at the Providence Performing Art Center. I’ll miss being at the Fur Peace Ranch for pho today, but I have to work too.

We drove to Providence after show last night so we have a ‘day off’ today. I think I’ll find some seafood.

So here we are at Wolf Trap with Susan and Derek. We’re still setting up and a post show wrap up will go up tomorrow. In the meantime, I got to thinking about the goings on at the Fur Peace Ranch. Tomorrow is a Pho Day at the Beatrice Love Kitchen and one of the many things I miss about not being home is the delicious Pho Wednesday and Thursday. Aside from the more than delicious food options, tomorrow’s music will be provided by our very own John Hurlbut and our favorite cowboy poet Rob McNurlin. Needless to say, this will be a treat on all fronts.

Take a trip to the Fur Peace Ranch for lunch Wednesdays and Thursdays and let me know how you liked it.

Wish I was there too!

Foto by Phil Jacobs

We left the Fur Peace Ranch a little shy of a week ago and started out with a solo show in Westhampton.

Hot Tuna 21, 2017
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
And Justin Guip
Westhampton Performing Arts Center
Westhampton, New York

1. Been So Long
2. Candy Man
3. Ode To Billy Dean
4. Can’t Get Satisfied
5. Second Chances
6. Living Just For You
7. Come Back Baby
8. Talking Bout You
9. Bowlegged Woman
10. Trial By Fire
11. Watch The North Wind Rise
12. Sleep Song
13. Roads and Roads &
14. Funky #7
15. Encore: Hit Single # 1

After the show it was on the bus and off to New Hampshire.

Drone shot by Jorma Kaukonen

A few short hours in the rack and off to the gig where Myron got our gear ready to go on Susan and Derek’s semi.

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

This gig was at a venue sponsored by the Bank Of New Hampshire and the amenities were off the chart.

Selfie by Jorma Kaukonen

There were all manner of goodies backstage.

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Rain was coming so we got our soundcheck done.

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Hot Tuna 22, 2017
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
And Justin Guip
With Tedeschi/Trucks
& The Wood Brothers
Bank Of New Hampshire Pavilion
Gilford, New Hampshire

1. I See The Light
2. That’ll Never Happen No More
3. Ode To Billy Dean
4. Talkin’ Bout You
5. Sea Child
6. Watch The North Wind Rise
7. Bowlegged Woman

Some might think these sets short… but it’s a long evening for all of us and it’s a great show. The dynamic of us opening the show and sliding into the Wood Brothers is magic too!

Then it was on to Vermont!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Our Set:

Hot Tuna 23, 2017
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
And Justin Guip
With Tedeschi/Trucks
& The Wood Brothers
Midway Lawn At Champlain Valley Expo
Essex Junction, Vermont
Sunday, July 2, 2017

1. Been So Long
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Can’t Get Satisfied
4. Rock Me Baby
5. Trial By Fire
6. Sleep Song
7. Funky # 7

Then it was time for Susan, Derek and their gang of superlatives!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

A sold out show up here in Burlington!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

As the evening moved on in excellence…

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Then it was on to Saratoga and SPAC.

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Yesterday was our daughter Izze’s eleventh birthday.

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.

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!

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.

Drone shot by Jorma Kaukonen

Hot Tuna is ready to go!

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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 foto by Jorma

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

Drone foto by Jorma

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

Selfie by Izze Kaukonen

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.

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!