Athens Irish Dance hits the road...

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.

The scene of the crime

Mmmm... soba

... and pickeled vegetables too!

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!

Jack, Yair Dala... his daughters and me...

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

They boys... distant greatness!

Foto by Phil Jacobs

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

The beast and beauty...

Then it was back to the airport hotel…

Me at 0500 in Burlingame

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

One of Aaron Morse's Harleys

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!

Well I got back from Jackson Hole in time for the first day of Arts & Minds at the Fur Peace Ranch. It’s a Beautiful Day Was There and we got to celebrate David L Flamme’s 75th birthday… long day for the Ole Cap… had to hit the sack.

Saturday, however, I played a set on the lawn in the Gazebo:

Jorma Kaukonen 27, 2016
On The Lawn , Arts and Minds Fest
Fur Peace Ranch
Jormaville, Ohio
July 18, 2016

1 True Religion
2 Ain’t In No Hurry
3 Death Don’t Have No Mercy
4 Sea Child
5 Good Shepherd
6 Barbeque King
7 San Francisco Bay Blues
8 How Long Blues
9 That’ll Never Happen No More
10 Living In The Moment

Then as evening rolled around… out came the Firebird and a sit-in with The New Riders Of The Purple Sage.

The Bird and I... backstage at the FPR.

Foto by Rusty Smith

A rockin’ good time was had by all… turn the pigs loose!

Back home again… can’t beat it.

Mav' and I hit the trails

No place like home!

Yummy

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.

Good times in Rifle

The pawnshop next to the cafe...

Foto by Phil Jacob

Be advised

What a lovely little theater...

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.

Arvada before the sold out crowd arrived

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

Great show... great picker!

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.

But first, breakfast...

Foto by Myron Hart

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

Then lunch in Rock Springs…

This is a good one...

Back side of the Tetons

Not a bad little view...

Then we arrived at the lodge in Alta…

Where's that restaurant?

Many elk contributed to this chandelier...

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

More will be revealed…

For some reason, yesterday I found myself thinking about my Mother’s passing. The writing that I’m doing is stirring up so many memories and it occurred to me again, as it has before, what an honor it was for me to be present when Mom finally freed herself from this earth and flew home. I remember it was the end of June, 1998. I called mom regularly but I had missed a couple of days. It was the opening week of the Fur Peace Ranch. Rory Block was there. We were wrapped up in nascent Fur Peace-ness.

Over the weekend, I called and asked to talk to Mom. My brother Peter answered the phone and said, ‘If you want to talk to Mom, you better get out here.’ What could happen in a few days? She sounded so there when I spoke to here forty eight hours or so before. I told Vanessa bout the call and she said, ‘You have to go,’ and started making plans. I remember I played Rory’s song, Mama’s Blues,’ with her on our little stage in the workshop and I wept… not even knowing yet what I was going to weep for.

In any case, I’m a huge Gretchen Peters fan and I had had yet to really get into her album, ‘Blackbirds.’ For some reason, the song Jubilee called out to me… and there is was, those last days with Mom.

Jubilee by Gretchen Peters

I got nothing, to hold me here
My old friends have all moved on and disappeared
It won’t be long now, till I fly
But oh my dear ones how I hate to say goodbye

So I sing holy holy from this prison where I lie
My arms reaching up to touch the sky
I sing holy holy, hallelujah I am free
Come on down and join the jubilee

I don’t hunger and I don’t thirst
There is nothing that I need upon this earth
My body’s broken but not my soul
You know it’s love and only love that’s made me whole

So I sing holy holy from this prison where I lie
My arms reaching up to touch the sky
I sing holy holy, hallelujah I am free
Come on down and join the jubilee

I’m an orphan thirty years on
How I miss my Father’s voice and my Mother’s arms
I was you once, and now you’re me
It’s in this circle that we make a family

So I sing holy holy from this prison where I lie
My arms reaching up to touch the sky
I sing holy holy, hallelujah I am free
Come on down and join the jubilee

Gretchen Peters
2014 Circus Girl Music

Check this link of Gretchen performing her amazing song… and while you’re at it… buy this great record!

My Mother’s last words to me as she held my hand, were ‘My dear one…’

She is now free over eighteen years and it is to us to join the jubilee…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8WiEO2u7Ao

It truly is in this circle that we make a family…

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.

Come and join the jubilee...

Foto by Justin Guip

Reminds me of the good old days!

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.

Stilt walking never goes out of fashion

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

Rockin' in Madrid

Foto by Phil Jacobs

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

Under the Big Top

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Good night moon...

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

If I have to see one more beautiful sky...

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

Tomorrow we play at the Ute Theater.

Hot Tuna moves on…

Breakfast yesterday in Brutus

Backstage at Blissfest

A lovely July eve

Oh what a night!

Then our time…

Sweet confusion under the moonlight

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

Placid Purple Plays

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Gittin' it!

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Then up at o445 to go to the airport…

You don't see this at La Guardia

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

Historic meets historic...

Now finally some sleep…

Welcome to Pellston...

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.

Yes folks, it's a BAB.

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

Goodness abounds

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

The scene of the crime

I ordered a beef pasty with fresh coleslaw…

This is it. Suzy's beef pasty.

Seated eating… outside, of course.

Good food... good friends!

Foto by Myron Hart

Gotta love it!

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

The main stage the day before

What's in the barn?

Rural art shot

Excellent… It’s going to be fun tonight!

Izze, Nessa, Ginger & Montana

Yeah, I know… you can hardly see anything, but there we were on the bike path in Athens, Ohio… waiting for the fireworks.

Family frivolity in the car and on the folding chairs… the way it was meant to be when families get together.

Happy Fourth Of July one and all… and Happy Birthday to this great land of ours that welcomed my family two generations ago.

G_d Bless!