So… it seems like only a couple of weeks ago Nessa and Izze and I were driving down the Blue Ridge Parkway on our way to Blowing Rock and the Westglow Resort… and indeed it was. Myron and I drove out of Southeast Ohio to meet up with Jack and Justin and Phil in Roanoke for the nest leg of our journey which would find us in Floyd, Virginia and Floyd Fest.

Fopto by Jorma Kaukonen

Early Friday morning we all drove down that beautiful parkway for a podcast… and the assembly of our gear for the electric gig.

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Hot Tuna 19, 2019
The Electric Trio
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
& Justin Guip
Dreaming Creek Main Stage
Floyd Fest
Floyd Virginia
Friday, July 26, 2019

1. Been So Long
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Can’t Get Satisfied
4. Come Back Baby
5. Living Just For You
6. Sea Child
7. Talkin’ Bout You
8. Bowlegged Woman
9. Trial By Fire
10. Good Shepherd
11. Come Back Baby
12. Hit Single # 1
13. Funky # 7

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Then Saturday morning Jack and I broke out the acoustic gear for a morning set.

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Hot Tuna 20, 2019
The Original Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady
Dreaming Creek Main Stage
Floyd Fest
Floyd Virginia
Saturday, July 27, 2019

1. True Religion
2. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out
3. Barbeque King
4. Serpent Of Dreams
5. San Francisco Bay Blues
6. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
7. Sleep Song
8. Watch The North Wind Rise
9. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
10. Come Back Baby
11. I Know You Rider
12. Water Song

A delightful day in the mountains… and then the workshop stage.

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Hot Tuna 21, 2019
The Original Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady
Workshop Stage
Floyd Fest
Floyd Virginia
Saturday, July 27, 2019

1. Dime For Beer
2. Whining Boy Blues
3. Heart Temporary
4. That’ll Never Happen No More
5. How Long Blues
6. Death Don’t have No Mercy
7. Day To Day Out The Window Blues
8. I See The Light

Foto by Phil Jacobs

After the set and the Q and A we headed back up the Parkway to Roanoke. The evening could not have been more beautiful as the day waned. I’m used to seeing deer. We’re surrounded by them here in Darwin, but to see a bear cross the road… now we’re talking. Sorry I missed a picture, but I was driving. In any case…

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

I grew up in the D.C. area and one of the things Mom and Dad liked to do was take the family for a drive down the parkway. Many things have changed since then, but the Parkway has resisted this change.

Good times… and onward!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

The day before Arts And Minds… this tree came down at the entrance to St. Clair Rd.

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

The county and the township had been waffling about who’s responsibility this tree was. Nature made its own decision.

That was Friday… Saturday was the Arts & Minds Craft Fair.

The temperature was triple digits so we mover the performances into the Station.

Foto by Dennis Kane

Jorma Kaukonen 11, 2019
Arts & Minds Festival
Fur Peace Ranch
Darwin, Ohio
Saturday, July 20, 2019

1230 to 1330 Show

1. Dime For Beer
2. Search My Heart
3. Candy Man
4. Been So Long
5. Barbeque King
6. Heart Temporary
7. Death Don’t have No Mercy
8. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out
9. Trial By Fire
10. Watch The North Wind Rise
11. Trouble In Mind
12. How Long Blues
13. San Francisco Bay Blues

1530 to 1615 Show

1. Serpent Of Dreams
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Come Back Baby
4. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
5. Things That Might Have Been
6. Whining Boy Blues
7. Sleep Song
8. Good Shepherd
9. True Religion

Myron sat in with Rob McNurlin and then did a set of his own. Cool beans!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

What would Arts & Minds be without our good friend Heidi Holton.

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

It was more than hot… but it could have been worse. At least we had a breeze.

Then it was showtime!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

David and Adam Moss… are delightful… sensational… really, really good!

I really dug their show.

Michaeil Glabicki and Dirk Miller were there to close out the evening. Back in 1999 or thereabouts, the Tuna guys recorded ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want,’ wih Rüsted Root. Michael and Dirk asked if I would sit in with them and with a little review, than answer was a resounding , ‘Yes!’ Of course I used my 1962 Fender Super 2×10. The tremolo was delicious!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

A long day… chilled on Sunday, working in the rain on Monday and looking forward to Floyd Fest this weekend.

Indeed…

Nessa and I have known Jerry Weiner for over thirty years. Well, Nessa has known him longer than that. He was Nessa’s best bud in Key West before we met and he was her ‘maid of honor’ at our wedding on the Schooner Wolf in 1988. Jerry has done and been many things in his life, but he is also a master masseuse currently in residence at the Westglow Resort And Spa in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The Kaukonens travel together a lot… that’s what we do, but we rarely get true family time. We had a couple of days after I got back from Hawaii so Ness conspired with Jerry to book us into the Westglow. We climbed into my big truck and drove on down.

It had been a while since I had been on the Blue Ridge Parkway and it’s easy to forget how beautiful it is. Five hours later we were there checking into the Fleur De Lis house.

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

A delicious dinner in the Rowland House and a good night’s sleep in preparation for a morning trip to the Mile High bridge at Grandfather Mountain.

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

I’d been to Mt. Mitchell, but Never Grandfather Mountain. It was truly awesome!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Some consider that Appalachian Mountains to be among the oldest in the world. This is awesome stuff!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

This is better than my drone! What a view!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

The back to Westglow and the Rowland for another five star dinner and sunset!

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Another restful night at the Fleur De Lis, breakfast and a goodbye to Westglow and Jerry.

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Like I said, to just get away on a trip that is not surrounded with work… well, it just never happens.

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

Short but sweet… and now back home on a hot, hot July day!

Onwards!

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Back to North Shore Tahoe from Park City. I tried to find my Mom’s old place up in Talmont… but the route was lost in antiquity. Another time. The Crystal Bay joint rocked though, and Jack and I had a blast!

Hot Tuna 16, 2019
The Original Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady
Crystal Bay, Casino
Crystal Bay, Nevada
Monday, July 1, 2019

First Set:

1. Dime For Beer
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Been So Long
4. The Terrible Operation
5. Barbeque King
6. I See The Light
7. Things That Might Have Been
8. I’ll Be All Right Some Day
9. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
10. Sleep Song
11. Trial By Fire
12. Keep your Lamps Trimmed & Burning

Second Set:
1. Serpent Of Dreams
2. Ain’t In No Hurry
3. San Francisco Bay Blues
4. Come Back Baby
5. Let us Get Together Right Down Here
6. I Am The Light Of This World
7. Trouble In Mind
8. Sea Child
9. Good Shepherd
10. River Of Time
11. I Know You Rider
12. Encore: Water Song

Then the next day we rocked on down to Sacramento and the Crest Theater.

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Last time we were here, it was like Night Of The Living Dead on the street. The neighborhood had been cleaned up a bit since then.

Hot Tuna 17, 2019
The Original Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady
The Crest Theater
Sacramento, California
Tuesday, July 2, 2019

First Set:

1. Ain’t In No Hurry
2. I See The Light
3. Hesitation Blues
4. Second Chances
5. Wolves & Lambs
6. Barbeque King
7. Sea Child
8. Watch The North Wind Rise
9. Whining Boy Blues
10. Death Don’t Have No Meecy
11. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here

Second Set:

1. San Francisco Bay Blues
2. Come Back Baby
3. River Of Time
4. I Am The Light Of This World
5. Things That Might Have Been
6. Trouble In Mind
7. Sleep Song
8. Good Shepherd
9. Keep Your Lamps rimmed & Burning
10. Encore: Genesis

We kept on running into old friends… which is always good. Bill Laudner was there and I hadn’t seen him for at least forty years. I met him in Santa Cruz the same day I met Paul Kantner back in 1962. He was our first roadie when the Airplane (and all the rest of us) was young. More than bright and early the next day it was off the the airport and Hawaii bound.

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

We actually had a real day off in Honolulu the day before the gig so I got together with my old friend Bob Kinzie and his wife Joy. Bob and I were at Santa Clara together and he is the one who introduced me to Paul Kantner and Bill Laudner. Bob is a marine biologist so he and Joy were able to take me to Coconut Island. The island is a research center and preserve so it is closed to the public.

Foto by Jorma Kaukonen

You can see the reef where we were snorkeling.

Foto by Joy Kinzie

I so rarely get to get out of the bubble and just hang, this was awesome and a wonderful way to get set up spiritually for the gig at the Hawaiian Theater.

Foto by Erik Kabik

Check this interior.

Foto by Erik Kabik

And more…

Foto by Erik Kabik

Jack and I were psyched for sure for this one!

Foto by Erik Kabik

Hot Tuna 18, 2019
The Original Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady
Hawaii Theater Center
Honolulu, Hawaii

First Set:

1. Ain’t In No Hurry
2. Second Chances
3. Hesitation Blues
4. Been So Long
5. Barbeque King
6. Re-Enlistment Blues
7. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
8. Sleep Song
9. Trial By Fire
10. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out
11. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning

Second Set:

1. The Terrible Operation
2. In My Dreams
3. Wolves & Lambs
4. Come Back Baby
5. I See The Light
6. Whining Boy Blues
7. Sea Child
8. Watch The North Wind Rise
9. Good Shepherd
10. San Francisco Bay Blues
11. Things That Might Have Been
12. I Know You Rider
13. Encore: Embryonic Journey

Foto by Erik Kabik

The next day I left for home and through a series of traveling mishaps it took two days to get there. I didn’t get home till Monday morning. Oh well, at least I got home.

That’s about it for now… great little run with many good times!

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Jack and I started out this little run with a three day residency at the Egyptian Theater in lovely Park City, Utah.

Hot Tuna 13, 2019
The Original Duo
Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady
The Egyptian Theater
Park City, Utah
Day One
Thursday, June 27, 2019

First Set:
1. Dime For Beer
2. Been So Long
3. The Terrible Operation
4. Barbeque King
5. I See The Light
6. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out
7. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
8. Sea Child
9. Trial By Fire
10. Watch The North Wind Rise
11. Whining Boy Blues
12. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning

Second Set:
1. Hesitation Blues
2. How Long Blues
3. Serpent Of Dreams
4. Ain’t In No Hurry
5. Wolves & Lambs
6. San Francisco Bay Blues
7. Come Back Baby
8. I Am The Light Of This World
9. Sleep Song
10. Good Shepherd
11. Candy Man
12. I Know You Rider
13. Encore: Trouble In Mind

Foto by Myron Hart

Hot Tuna 14, 2019
The Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady
The Egyptian Theater
Park City, Utah
Day Two
Friday, June 28, 2019

First Set:
1. True Religion
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Second Chances
4. Too Many Years
5. I Am The Light Of This World
6. Come Back Baby
7. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
8. Sea Child
9. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out
10. That’ll Never Happen No More

Second Set:
1. I See The Light
2. The Terrible Operation
3. Things That Might Have Been
4. Search My Heart
5. Barbeque King
6. How Long Blues
7. Watch The North Wind Rise
8. Good Shepherd
9. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
10. San Francisco Bay Blues
11. Encore: Water Song

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Hot Tuna 15, 2019
The Original Acoustic Duo
Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady
The Egyptian Theater
Park City, Utah
Day Three
Saturday, June 29, 2019

First Set:

1. Ain’t In No Hurry
2. Second Chances
3. Hesitation Blues
4. Been So Long
5. How Long Blues
6. River Of Time
7. Barbeque King
8. Sleep Song
9. Trial By Fire
10. San Francisco Bay Blues

Second Set:

1. Serpent Of Dreams
2. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out
3. Come Back Baby
4. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
5. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
6. RE-Enlistment Blues
7. Sea Child
8. Watch The North Wind Rise
9. Good Shepherd
10. In My Dreams
11. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
12. I Know You Rider
13. Encore: Genesis

Foto by Phil Jacobs

Got to spend some time with some old friends and then an eight hour drive to Crystal Bay Nevada. Checked in yesterday and had a delicious dinner at the Casino Restaurant where we sat at the table where Michael Corleone called Fredo out here in Tahoe.

Not much soulful chit chat in this blog, but more is coming down the road.

Good times…