My old friend Cecilia passed yesterday morning. I first met her in 1964 when I came up to San Francisco from Santa Clara as a young college student looking for some affordable good food. I wandered into her first restaurant, the Mandarin, which was on Polk St. back then. I was a young nobody, but she treated me with respect. We became friends and when I moved to San Francisco in 1965 and she moved the Mandarin to Ghirardelli Square I followed her there. Later on in life we would be neighbors in St. Francis Wood.
It was my great honor for her to meet our daughter Izze in 2018. Of course I considered any time spent with Cecilia to be an honor.
So Myron and I had a spirited run from Pomeroy to Connecticut to New Hampshire and home… 1700 some miles. Some interesting weigh-ins on the RV… or Hawke as we affectionately call her in the comments section. I’ve been driving for 65 years as of this year. I might have profiled at some other point in my life but with a 17,000 pound vehicle and passengers in my charge, this is not time to be hanging out the window. This rig is eight and a half feet wide. The drivers compartment is not that much smaller than a Prevost. That Ford F-35 chassis with a Triton 3 valve V-10 has almost as much torque as my Cummins Diesel. She sh-ts and gits when she has to as well. I should have done this years ago. Anyway, it was a great trip musically and scenically. Strange to say, leaves were still on the trees.
Anyway, as noted, Ridgefield was great and Tupelos up in Derry was awesome as well. They did about 130 shows outdoors this year of which ours was the last.
Jorma Kaukonen 33, 2020
Tupelo Drive-In
Early Show (Noon)
Derry, New Hampshire
Sunday, October 25, 2020
Whining Boy Blues
Candy Man
Ice Age
Been So Long
Barbeque King
Search My Heart
Trial By Fire
Sleep Song
I Am The Light Of This World
Blue Railroad Train
Great Divide Revisited
Come Back Baby
Things That Might Have Been
Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
How Long Blues
Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
Encore: Embryonic Journey
This was a noon show and there was still a chill in the air. Heck, we were up in Vermont., not a big surprise. On the other hand, the 3 PM show was so warm I did it in my T shirt. Go figure.
Jorma Kaukonen 34, 2020
Tupelo Drive-In
3 PM Show
Derry, New Hampshire
Sunday, October 25, 2020
1. Dime For Beer
2. I See The Light
3. San Francisco Bay Blues
4. Day To Day Out The Window Blues
5. Things That Might Have Been
6. True Religion
7. Sea Child
8. Good Shepherd
9. Watch The North Wind Rise
10. Highway Song
11. The Terrible Operation
12. Trouble In Mind
13. Death Don’t Have Know Mercy
14. That’ll Never Happen No More
15. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning
16. Encore: Water Song
(Hm… format discrepancies… don’t sweat it!)
Oops… Ridgefield list:
Jorma Kaukonen 31, 2020
The Ridgefield Playhouse
Ridgefield, Connecticut
Early Show
Saturday, October 24, 2020
Too Many Years
Ice Age
Whining Boy Blues
Barbeque King
In The Kingdom
Sea Child
Song For The Stainless Cymbal
I Am The Light Of This World
Uncle Sam Blues
Serpent of Dreams
Death Don’t Have No Mercy
Follow The Drinking Gourd
Another Man Done Gone
Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
I Know You Rider
Encore: Embryonic Journey
Jorma Kaukonen 32, 2020
The Ridgefield Playhouse
Ridgefield, Connecticut
Late Show
Saturday, October 24, 2020
Been So Long
Dime For Beer.
River Of Time
99 Year Blues
I See The Light
Sleep Song
Good Shepherd
Watch The North Wind Rise
Day To Day Out The Window Blues
Hesitation Blues
Hamar Promenade
Trouble In Mind
How Long Blues
Waiting For A Train
3rd Week In The Chelsea
S.F. Bay Blues
Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
Encore: Water Song
We drove home 600 and change yesterday and as much as I like my ‘RV King’ there’s no place like the home bunk!
So… this weekend we’ve got # 25 of the Corona Concert Series and I’ll post the link as we get closer to the weekend. In the meantime, stay well…
Wait, there’s more. The Hurl/Kaukonen opus is emerging soon…
Fancy limited edition vinyl
We’re over the moon on this one. Don’t be late, they’re limited… limited I say.
So we had a six hundred some mile trip yesterday and I have to say, driving a 17,000 pound RV is not as relaxing as a trip in our truck. That said, when we got to Ridgefield, I had my house with me. I’ve been ‘camping’ with this rig, but this is my first road trip.
A good night’s sleep, a healthy breakfast and I’m good to go.
Since I’m actually on the road working I won’t be at the Fur Peace Ranch tonight for Quarantine Concert Series #24. Jack and I and the team thoughtfully recorded tonight’s show earlier in the week.
If it ain’t free, it ain’t me.
So if you’re not coming to my show in Ridgefield tonight, give a listen. If you are, you can catch an archived replay when you get home. I had hoped I would be able to chat on the feed, but I’ll be doing my second show then. Fortunately, Mr. Casady and Mrs. Kaukonen will keep the chat alive.
Well, here it is 0858 in Connecticut. I think I’ll seek out socially distanced sustenance.
PS There is a purchasable live stream from Tupelo tomorrow night. I can’t embed the link for some reason, but I’m sure you can find it on the web if interested.
We finished our Fur Peace Ranch session yesterday around noon and as always the goodbyes are bittersweet. Old friends and new… always a delight. The rain came yesterday but the cold was gone. The rain and wind knocked down many of he leaves but as you can see, it is still a beautiful fall.
I actually have a couple of gigs coming up this weekend. The Ridgefied Playhouse in Ridgefield, Connecticut on Saturday the 24th and on Sunday the 25th I’ll be at the Tupelo Music Hall Drive In which can be found in Derry, New Hampshire. Getting out of the house for a bit and being able to play in a safe environment, I’m really looking forwards to this one.
The above shot was take about a week or so ago. The leaves were still turning and peak was not yet upon us. At the time of this writing, peak is past but I still have a couple of shots to share with you.
One day there are still green leaves, and the next…
Photo by Jorma Kaukonen
It’s always great feeling the seasons change as you walk.
Even as Fall wraps itself around us we know that rebirth is already making its plans.
Moving right along… this Saturday night, the 17th of October we will feature Quarantine Concert Series #23!
Mr. Casady is on site and we’ll be teaching this weekend in addition the the concert Saturday night.
It is a beautiful Fall day today and regardless of what the weekend weather has in store for us, it will still be wonderful!
Done… and I drove in person to the electoral office in Pomeroy
Photo by Vanessa Kaukonen
Don’t forget folks, this is the deal… our deal… our right and responsibility!
So Jack and I have our first Drive-In gig at the Frederick Fairgrounds on October 22, 2020. Needless to say, we’re thrilled about this. It’s been way too long and we hope that you folks who are within driving distance of this venue will load your car up and join us!
Every day is contains a harbinger of change, but Fall really brings it home. The trees bursting into flame with fall foliage, that distinctive taste the air brings us… there’s nothing quite like it! At my age one cannot help but wonder how many more of these seasons we will get to enjoy but that’s a conversation for another time. Today, it is quite simply… beautiful!
Walking the Big Guy, this tree got my attention… and this is early!
Photo by Jorma Kaukonen
I’m expecting Mr. Casady to show up sometime today so I think I’ll help him out by dragging out some of his gear!
So we ‘camped’ out Friday and Saturday last and what a beautiful time of year. Chilly enough to the bugs were gone but not so cold we couldn’t hike around in light fall clothes
We’ve got Vault #4 coming up this Saturday and this time it’s something a little different.
There will be musical tidbits as well…
I took an 80 mile motorcycle ride today. The leaves have started to explode into color in the last couple of days. Vinton County was further along than Meigs… but this will be the first true foliage we’ve seen in several years.
Getting out there on the bike by myself was a true delight and I am grateful for every day that I can still do the things I love! Every day is a gift!
Mr. Casady is somewhere in Iowa at the time of this writing so he should be showing up here in the County any day now. We’re both looking forward to teaching and playing.
Who would have thought?
Evening at the Ranch…
Photo by Vanessa Kaukonen
Well, that’s about it for now. I’ll probably weigh in again tomorrow.
The vault is opening Saturday, October 3rd at 8 PM Eastern Time.
Be there or… you know!
We’ve got another good one for you, and even as we speak (more or less) Jack is wending his way across the country yet one more time to grace the Fur Peace Ranch with his august presence.
