So, Wednesday last, Jack and I went to Philly to be a part of the opening of the Bill Graham Exhibit at the National Museum Of American Jewish History… right down by Independence Hall… ground zero for our experiment in Democracy.

Our hotel was in the heart of everything… nice day for a walk.

We had some time before sound check to look around.

I didn’t notice you had to go through security to get in the area, so I jumped the fence. The police immediately pointed out my mistake.

All these years, and I had never stopped here before.

The museum on the mall was filled with really great stuff!

Yeah… this was a really great day!

Jack and I enjoy spending some memory time in Bill Graham Land!

We met some great folks… told some stories and played some music.

Hot Tuna 24, 2016
Acoustic Duo
Jack Casady & Jorma Kaukonen
National Museum Of American Jewish History
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Wednesday, September 14, 2016

1. True Religion
2. What Are They Doing In Heaven Today
3. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
4. River Of Time
5. 99 Year Blues
6. Sea Child
7. Hesitation Blues
8. Water Song

Then Myron and I drove home to Meigs County… in time for the Paw Paw Festival in Albany.

The annual Paw Paw Festival is such a blast. Glad I was here to hang with Vanessa and the kids!

Yeah, I love those smoothies… but every now and then a man needs a dog!

We denied cotton candy, but knuckled under for a potato tornado!

Lots of friends and neighbors… good times!

Nothing like a little fun in the country! We got a ride in a cart pulled by a team of Percherons… under the harvest moon.

Great stuff… the best!

Tonight at the Fur Peace Ranch we are hosting Maria Muldaur.

On this lovely almost Fall Day… life is good indeed!

Onward!

Wisdom from the Midwest!

The Englert Theater in Iowa City… we don’t get here often enough, but we love it!

Phil and I dined at Hamburger Inn #2.

Foto by Phil Jacobs

And at the Gig:

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Hot Tuna 21, 2016
The Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady
The Englert Theater
Iowa City, Iowa
Friday, August 12, 2016

First Set:
1. Too Many Years
2. I See The Light
3. Hesitation Blues
4. Things That Might Have Been
5. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out
6. Sea Child
7. Barbeque King
8. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
9. Brother Can You Spare A Dime
10. The Terrible Operation
11. How Long Blues
12. San Francisco Bay Blues
Second Set:
1. Second Chances
2. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
3. Where There’s Two There’s Trouble
4. Candy Man
5. Coe Back Baby
6. Third Week In The Chelsea
7. 99 Year Blues
8. Sleep Song
9. Good Shepherd
10. Bar Room Crystal Ball
11. Water Song
12. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
13. Encore: Embryonic Journey

Love the Englert… good friends, good food and a great show… then it was off to the Windy…

When I was at Antioch College in 1959… the Old Town School Of Folk Music was Folkie Mecca so to speak. Win Stracke did us all a service… and it was an honor for us to play there again… one more time.

Hot Tuna 22, 2016
The Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady
Two Shows @
The Old Town School Of Folk Music
Chicago, Illinois
Saturday, August 13, 2016

First Show:
1. Heart Temporary
2. Serpent Of Dreams
3. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out
4. That’ll Never Happen No More
5. Come Back Baby
6. Genesis
7. Sea Child
8. Watch The North Wind Rise
9. I Am The Light Of This World
10. Keep On Trucking Mama
11. Where There’s Two There’s Trouble
12. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
13. I Know You Rider
14. Encore: Embryonic Journey
Second Show:
1. Dime For Beer
2. I See The Light
3. Hesitation Blues
4. Brother Can You Spare A Dime
5. Barbeque King
6. Candy Man
7. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
8. Living In The Moment
9. Sleep Song
10. Good Shepherd
11. Ain’t In No Hurry
12. San Francisco Blues
13. Bar Room Crystal Ball
14. Water Song
15. The Terrible Operation
16. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning
17. Encore: Whining Boy Blues

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Then a couple hours of sleep and off to the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis.

Hot Tuna 23, 2016
The Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady
The Cedar Cultural Center
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sunday, August 14, 2016

First Set:
1. True Religion
2. What Are They Doing In Heaven Today?
3. Hesitation Blues
4. Heart Temporary
5. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
6. Barbeque King
7. Sea Child
8. Sleep Song
9. I’ll BE All Right Some Day
10. Brother Can You Spare A Dime
11. Death Don’t Have no Mrcy
12. San Francisco Bay Blues
Second Set:
1. Too Many Years
2. Candy Man
3. Come Back Baby
4. That’ll Never Happen No More
5. Watch The North Wind Rise
6. 99 Year Blues
7. 3rd Week In The Chelsea
8. Bar Room Crystal Ball
9. Water Song
10. How Long Blues
11. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
12. Encore: Genesis

This was an awesome run… Jack and Justin and I loved the four electric gigs with Leftover Salmon and an Jack and I loved the five acoustic gigs together…

Looking forward to the next move!

Onward…

Quite a haul from Boston to Kent in Ohio… but that’s why they pay us the moderate bucks.

Foto by Phil Jacobs

I have been to the Kent Stage a bunch of times… both solo and with good old Jack Casady. It’s always a good time here… plus, I was back in my home state for 20 seconds!

Hot Tuna 19, 2016
The Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady
The Kent Stage
Kent, Ohio
Tuesday, August 9, 2016

First Set:
1. Ain’t In No Hurry
2. Hesitation Blues
3. I See The Light
4. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out
5. Barbeque King
6. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
7. Sea Child
8. Sleep Song
9. 99 Year Blues
10. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
Second Set:
1. The Terrible Operation
2. Brother Can You Spare A Dime?
3. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
4. Come Back Baby
5. Heart Temporary
6. Watch The North Wind Rise
7. Good Shepherd
8. How Long Blues
9. Bar Room Crystal Ball
10. Water Song
11. San Francisco Bay Blues
12. I Know You Rider
13. Encore: I Am The Light Of This World

After the show, we go to hang with our pal John Sferro, of Glass Harp. Check out John’s own homepage too. He’s a fine fella… and Jack and I have gotten to play with him a number of times.

Foto by Myron Hart

Then it was off to Ann Arbor and The Ark.

The Ark is a dandy little venue and I’ve played all their locations!

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Hot Tuna 20, 2016
The Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady
The Ark
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wednesday, August 10, 2016

First Set:
1. True Religion
2. Serpent Of Dreams
3. Hesitation Blues
4. Barbeque King
5. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
6. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
7. Sleep Song
8. Sea Child
9. Candy Man
10. How Long Blues
11. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
Second Set:
1. Ain’t In No Hurry
2. In My Dreams
3. 99 Year Blues
4. Watch The North Wind Rise
5. Living The Moment
6. San Francisco Bay Blues
7. Come Back Baby
8. That’ll Never Happen No More
9. Bar Room Crystal Ball
10. Water Song
11. I Know You Rider
12. Encore: Good Shepherd

Remember musicians… be nice to the sound guys… the ‘Suck Button’ is at their finger tips…

But they didn’t use it… A great show!

Then off to the Englert Theater in Iowa City…

We’ll be pickin’ up a storm tonight…

Good times…

So a week ago tomorrow we started out on this little odyssey… Seems like a lifetime, or is it a minute? Hard to say. Anyway, we loaded up at the Fur Peace Ranch.

Vanessa and I got a Jeep Gran Cherokee for my son Zach, and I needed to drive it to Hagerstown to drop it off with him on the way to New Jersey.

Youth takes over the wheel as it should be. The bus picked me up at the Pilot Truckstop and we continued to Red Bank, New Jersey.

So, the ‘work’ part of this trip began. The Count Basie Theater in Red Bank has long been one of our favorite stops and this was a great place to begin our four day run with Leftover Salmon. These are a great bunch of guys and fabulous players. The Tuna guys and I had been looking forward to this part of the run for a long time. What do we have here? Aqua Rock? Who knows… anyway…

Foto by Phil Jacobs

This was the first time I was going to get to use my old Marshall Metalface… and I was pretty excited…

Then it was time for Tuna:

Hot Tuna 15, 2016
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
& Justin Guip
Count Basie Theater
Red Banks, New Jersey
Thursday, August 4, 2016

1. True Religion
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Ode To Billy Dean
4. Can’t Get Satisfied
5. Sea Child
6. Sleep Song
7. Bowlegged Woman
8. Come Back Baby
9. Serpent Of Dreams
10. Ain’t In No Hurry
11. Good Shepherd
12. Rock Me Baby
13. Water Song
14. Funky #7
15. Encore: Hit Single #1

Yeah… the first gig rocked and yeah, I love my Louis Electric Twinmaster and my Marshall Metalface.

It’s not only good… it’s getting better.

Foto by Phil Jacobs

This was a new one for us… and we liked it just fine. Vanessa and Izze flew in for the gig and it was such a blessing to see them.

Hot Tuna 16, 2016
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
& Justin Guip
The Space
Westbury, Long Island
New York

1. That’ll Never Happen No More
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Can’t Get Satisfied
4. Ode To Billy Dean
5. Watch The North Wind Rise
6. 99 Year Blues
7. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
8. Bowlegged Woman
9. Rock Me Baby
10. Good Shepherd
11. Bar Room Crystal Ball
12. Water Song
13. Funky #7
14. Encore: Come Back Baby

Then it was time to move on to Portchester and the Capitol Theater. All of us guys from back then have a long history with the Capitol Theater… and you know what, it’s better now than it ever has been.

There were lots of cool pictures and poster and such…

Hot Tuna 17, 2016
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
& Justin Guip
The Capitol Theater
Portchester, New York
Saturday, August 6, 2016

1. I See The Light
2. That’ll Never Happen No More
3. Rock Me Baby
4. Can’t Get Satisfied
5. Sleep Song
6. Sea Child
7. Feel So Good
8. Ode To Billy Dean
9. Watch The North Wind Rise
10. 99 Year Blues
11. Bowlegged Woman
12. Bar Room Crystal Ball
13. Water Song
14. Funky #7
15. Encore: Hit Single #1

Foto by Phil Jacobs

So my lovely daughter Izze watched our set from the wings.

Foto by Vanessa Kaukonen

After the show, I asked her how she liked it. She said, and I quote: ‘No offense Dad. You know it’s not my kind of music, but you’re very good at it!’

I love that girl! How good does it have to get?

Then it was off to Boston and the Wilbur Theater where we played with Leon Russell a couple of years ago.

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Hot Tuna 18, 2016
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
and Justin Guip
The Wilbur
Boston, Massachusetts
August 7, 2016

1. Serpent Of Dreams
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Ode To Billy Dean
4. Can’t Get Satisfied
5. Sea Child
6. Sleep Song
7. Bowlegged Woman
8. Come Back Baby
9. 99 Year Blues
10. Good Shepherd
11. Bar Room Crystal Ball
12. Water Song
13. Funky # 7
14. Encore: Hit Single #1

Yeah… this was an awesome little run with the boys and I hope we get to do it again.

One minute you’re a hero on stage… and the next, you’re walking to the bus by the garbage!

So… that was that. Yesterday was a ‘day off,’ which means we drove 600 some miles on the bus to Kent, Ohio where we will be at the Kent Stage tonight… acoustic.

The Electric Trio run is over for a bit… but we’ll be back!

Now for some laundry… what a great hotel!

Foto by Myron Hart

Myron and I blasted off for the left coast on Friday and my travel garment commemorated Izze’s Irish Dance World. Who needs River Dance when you’ve got the Athens Irish Dancers?

Getting into SF we checked into an airport hotel… this was just going to be an in and out trip. Even though we had to fight traffic to get into town Friday afternoon… it was off to Mifune in the Kintetsu Center.

Our gig with Marsha Ball and Taj Mahal was Saturday evening in Rohnert Park… not quite to Santa Rosa. Not very far, but thanks to NOCAL traffic, it took almost three hours to go 65 miles. California is beautiful, I’m glad I live in rural America today. Just sayin’!

Anyway… once at the gig in Sonoma State… we had more than a wonderful time!

Our buddy from Israel, Yair Dalal... was in town with his daughters and it was great hanging with them.

Here’s our set:

Hot Tuna 13, 2016
The Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
With Marsha Ball & Taj Mahal
Blues At The Green
Weill Hall & Lawn
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park,
California
Saturday, July 23, 2016

1. Ain’t In No Hurry
2. Things That Might Have Been
3. Hesitation Blues
4. Sea Child
5. Good Shepherd
6. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
7. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
8. San Francisco Blues
9. How Long Blues
10. I Know You Rider

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Got to hang with Taj a little bit… and chewed the fat with Marsha Ball.

Then it was back to the airport hotel…

The IM meditation went well… everything worked at the airport counter to my paranoiac tendencies. In the airport I saw a Kiehl’s Pharmacy.

Jack and I had the honor of getting to know Aaron Morse back in the 60’s. He was an amazing man… I wish I had kept up my friendship with him…

Friends I could count on
I could count on one hand
With a left over finger or two.
I took them for granted,
Let them all slip away,
Now where they are I wish I knew.

Knee Deep In A River (Dying Of Thirst)
Don Williams lyrics

And so it goes… Great to be home! Really great!

On the way to Rifle, CO., we stopped at Poncha Springs for some Thai food… delicious… go figure.

Then in Rifle, a trip to the Shooters Cafe for organic steel cut oatmeal.

Foto by Phil Jacob

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Hot Tuna 11, 2016
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady &
Justin Guip
The Ute Theater
Rifle, Colorado
Tuesday, July 12, 2016

First Set:
1. Ain’t In No Hurry
2. Second Chances
3. Hesitation Blues
4. Ode To Billy Dean
5. Can’t Get Satisfied
6. Sea Child
7. Sleep Song
8. Candy Man
9. Bowlegged Woman
Second Set:
1. I See The Light
2. I Am The Light Of This World
3. How Long Blues
4. Watch The North Wind Rise
5. Rock Me Baby
6. Baby What You Want Me To Do?
7. Good Shepherd
8. Come Back Baby
9. Bar Room Crystal Ball
10. Water Song
11. Funky #7
12. Encore: Hit Single #1

Then it was time to head for Arvada.

Michelle Malone was on this show with us and she is awesome. Check her out if you get a chance!

Here’s our stuff…

Hot Tuna 12, 2016
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady &
Justin Guip
Arvada Center
Arvada, Colorado
Wednesday, July 13, 2016

First Set:
1. Ain’t In No Hurry
2. Second Chances
3. Hesitation Blues
4. Ode To Billy Dean
5. I See The Light
6. Sea Child
7. Sleep Song
8. Bowlegged Woman
9. Rock Me Baby
10. Candy Man
11. 99 Year Blues
12. Watch The North Wind Rise
13. Water Song
14. Funky # 7
15. Hit Single #1

An early call this morning. We had an almost 600 mile drive to Grand Targhee, Wyoming.

Foto by Myron Hart

Yes, that’s a kale oriented juice in my hand…

Then lunch in Rock Springs…

Then we arrived at the lodge in Alta…

And now it’s finally time to rest… big show here tomorrow at Grand Targhee.

More will be revealed…

So the flight from upper Michigan was long and involved… Three flights… three airports but finally safe and sound in Albuquerque where we rented cars and drove to Santa Fe. Lovely to get in in time for a great Mexican dinner and some much needed sleep. I was up at 0300 to make the flights out of Michigan.

Last night was the festival in Madrid.

Foto by Justin Guip

Foto by Phil Jacobs

I got to hang with my old friend Fred King from East Of The Sun back in S.F. Always nice to see an old friend… alive and well after all these years.

Hot Tuna 10, 2016
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady &
Justin Guip
Madrid Ballpark Folk & Blues Fest
Madrid, New Mexico
Sunday, July 10, 2016

1. Ain’t In No Hurry
2. Hesitation Blues
3. I See The Light
4. Ode To Billy Dean
5. Can’t Get Satisfied
6. Sea Child
7. Watch The North Wind Rise
8. Bowlegged Woman
9. Come Back Baby
10. 99 Year Blues
11. Funky # 7
12. Encore: Hit Single #1

Foto by Phil Jacobs

We had to finish by 2100 and that’s what we did… a really fun show.

Foto by Phil Jacobs

We started driving towards Rifle, Colorado at 1000 and on the way we stopped at Poncha Springs for some Thai food. Go figure…

The drive from Santa Fe to Rifle was off the charts…

Tomorrow we play at the Ute Theater.

Hot Tuna moves on…

Then our time…

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Hot Tuna 9, 2016
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady &
Justin Guip
Blissfest
Harbor Springs, Michigan
Friday, July 8, 2016

1. That’ll Never Happen No More
2. I See The Light
3. Can’t Get Satisfied
4. Ode To Billy Dean
5. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
6. Candy Man
7. Bowlegged Woman
8. Rock Me Baby
9. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out
10. 99 Year Blues
11. Funky # 7
12. Encore: Hit Sigle #1

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Then up at o445 to go to the airport…

Then twelve hourse and three flights and airports later… Santa Fe!

Now finally some sleep…

Early flight… small planes… all good though!

As soon as you get off the plane in the Pellston Airport… there’s baggage claim… and a bear. Yep… we’re in the North Country now! And what better to do in the North Country? Find pasties.

Now my Dad was from Ironwood up in Gogebic County in the UP. Pasties are what’s for everything so since we were so near the Macinac Bridge… we figured ‘What the heck? Let’s go to the UP.

Cross the bridge, enter the Upper Peninsula and lo… Suzy’s.

The wonderful joint, rich in the Pasty Lore of the area.

I ordered a beef pasty with fresh coleslaw…

Seated eating… outside, of course.

Foto by Myron Hart

Then back across the bridge for a look at the Blissfest festival grounds.

Excellent… It’s going to be fun tonight!

Foto by Suzy Perler

Down to the Lakeside Diner in Buckeye Lake for breakfast… getting ready for an afternoon set at Legend Valley. It is Monday… Memorial day and the day after our little show yesterday… We had such a good time hanging with the Dark Star Folks and their pod of friends!

This was a great weekend for me and my Tuna pals…

It is also Memorial Day Weekend… As with many folks of my age, by Dad and his two brothers served in WWII. They are all gone now. Uncle Tarmo died in the service and we have his flag. Since we are still unpacking boxes here at the ‘new’ house, the flag has not yet re-emerged, but it will. Tarmo is in a military cemetery in LA and Dad and Uncle Pen rest next to Mom, Ida and Jaako in Inglewood. It is always a bittersweet day… hanging with the family, welcoming the coming summer and honoring those who passed in service of our great country. It ain’t all about barbeque and beer. Honor Memorial Day, I say!

With the transitory nature of life in mind, as the seventeen year cicadas fill my ears with their song, it occurs to me this may be the last time I hear them. I remember the first time I heard them when I was a kid back in D.C. I never thought there might be a time when the cicadas would outlast me, but so it goes.

Thornville, Ohio is so close to home… and what a great gig. We sure hope we get asked back net year.

Foto by Suzy Perler

And a big shout out and thanks to Cotter for helping us to sound so good!

Hot Tuna 8, 2016
The Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
Darkstar Jubilee
Legend Valley
Thornville, Ohio
Sunday, May 29, 2016

1. True Religion
2. Ain’t In No Hurry
3. Hesitation Blues
4. Been So Long
5. Barbeque King
6. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
7. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
8. Sleep Song
9. Good Shepherd
10. San Francisco Bay Blues
11. How Long Blues
12. In My Dreams
13. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out
14. Serpent Of Dreams
15. Keep On Trucking Mama
16. Bar Room Crystal Ball
17. Water Song
18. I Know You Rider
19. Encore: Genesis

Foto by Vanessa Lillian….