Jorma Kaukonen's Online Diary

We had a great time with Zack, AND attended the parenting conference at the Waldorf School. The conference opened with the keynote speaker commenting that people who give other people parenting advice should be treated as health hazards. That said, it was a great experience for Vanessa and myself and we got to spend more time with Zack. I have to give him a call in 20 minutes so this will be brief.

This has been a great trip... to New York for spiritual and business reasons... to Connecticut for both of us to reconnect with family and to D.C. to touch bases with the next generation. I am in the process of writing a couple of paragraphs for the Thoughts Page which will be up in a day or so.

Time to see the canines and then call the boy.

Monday at home... At the gym by 0630... We're working here... and I just put up a note on the Thoughts Page. Springtime in Southeast Ohio... We've got it all going on here today!

Yesterday we drove 11 hours and 1 minute from the Ranch to Salem. As Barry and I were heading out to go the Main Street Diner for breakfast the air was filled with the smell of wood smoke. A beautiful little town here in the Ozarks it is still cool at night while in the high seventies during the day. Small towns, you know I love them. The trip yesterday was long but uneventful. Good thing, because we're leaving early tomorrow morning for home. Well, we're off to the Zoe Jam in a couple of hours so I'm going to string my guitar and make up a set list.

Camp Zoe is a simply wonderful place for a festival. The land is beautiful. I floated in a john boat in a pond... drove a John Deere Gator to the bluffs... met some great people... played some music, which reminds me, here is our set list:

Hot Tuna 37, 2005

Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady

& Barry Mitterhoff

Zoe Jam

Camp Zoe

Salem, Missouri

Friday, May 06, 2005

 

1.               That’ll Never Happen No More

2.               Blue Railroad Train

3.               I Know You Rider

4.               I’ll Let You Know Before I Leave

5.               Blues Stay Away From Me

6.               Parchman Farm

7.               Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning

8.               Uncle Sam Blues

9.               Bread Line Blues

10.         Genesis

11.         Good Shepherd

12.         I Am The Light Of This World

13.         San Francisco Bay Blues

14.         Encore: Hesitation Blues

This is a short entry for such a great day, but we have to start driving back to Ohio.

In the last three days, 23 hours were spent driving. Indeed, we'll do anything to get to a gig. Anyway, the drive home was long but uneventful. Spring is firmly entrenched here in Southeast Ohio and the green is lovely. Today is the seventh year anniversary of the death of my Mother, and with that in mind I'm heading over to the Thoughts Page.

t's already busy getting ready for the coming weekend at the Ranch. Still and all there has been time for some motorcycle riding, and in fact, I think we're going to go for one right now. More later.

After a beautiful day yesterday... almost summer like, it's chilly and overcast today. The forest is rich with green and the sound of birds fills the air. Napoleon the Chihuahua hurt his little paw yesterday so I've got to saddle up and take him to the vet and then the two of us will hit the Ranch and do some work at my studio. What a helpful dog.

Anyway, it's just one of those bucolic days here down on the farm. Time for me to join it.

Happy Friday the 13th everybody. Forty years ago the Jefferson Airplane played its first gig at the Matrix down on Fillmore near Lombard Street. Wow... that certainly was the start of a long run for the Airplane Family. Happy birthday all!

For me today, I have the beginning of a weekend at the Fur peace Ranch with Ed Gerhard, Woody Mann and Pat Donohue. Boy, am I in heady company. This is going to be a really fun couple of days for all of us guitar lovers here!

It is supposed to rain in the county later today, but it's beautiful right now so I'm going to ride my bike to work. That's what rain suits are for anyway. Lots of good stuff going on... and of course, more later.

OK... so I was three months early... It is Friday the 13th... but the Airplane didn't start at the Matrix until Friday the 13th of August. No one's perfect.

What did I have for breakfast?

I have been so looking forward to this weekend. Pat Donohue, Woody Mann and Ed Gerhard... truly great players and good men! The show with the four of us last night was outstanding. O can hardly wait to do it again... sometime. Here is my set list:

Jorma 2, 2005

One of Four

With Ed Gerhard

Woody Mann & Pat Donohue

Fur Peace Station

Darwin, Ohio

Saturday, May 14, 2005

 

1.              I’ll Be All Right Some Day

2.              Uncle Same Blues

3.              Death Don’t Have No Mercy

4.              A Life Well Lived

5.              That’ll Never Happen No More

6.              Heart Temporary

7.              I Am The Light Of This World

8.              What Are They Doing In Heaven Today?

9.              San Francisco Bay Blues

Great stuff! It's a little cloudy today, so I think I'll drive my truck to 'work.' Onward!

It was clear and chilly yesterday... a great day to be indoors playing the guitar. My gang and I put in a lot of time in two sessions on Sunday as well as a really great afternoon open mike. I'm going to head on over to the Ranch a little early so we can get a little extra work done.

This has been a really good one for me.

Blue skies and beautiful this morning. Yeah, buddy... as soon as I take the trash down to the road, Bayha and I are going to jump on our scoots and look a some routes for the Pick 'n' Putt this weekend. Gotta get cracking. I'll give the route report this evening.

Man, what a great ride. Perfect temperature... the whole deal. We were riding by Stockport, a little town on the Muskingum River, and all of a sudden in front of us a Canada goose, followed by four goslings and another goose slowly crossed the road. We stopped to let them pass. it was like that book my Mom read me when I was a kid, 'Make Way For Ducklings.' Great stuff... truly great!

Yesterday I had a little private electric guitar workshop with Max from Athens. I don't remember how old Max was... suffice it to say teenager, Anyway, he wound up being a really good player with lots of decent ideas. I don't know if he had a good time, but I did. He had the rare ability to really learn quickly and put what he learned into action. Good stuff!

Today John and Kevin and I went for a motorcycle riding getting back to Hillside in enough time before today's rain started to wash the bikes. Lots of prep work to do tonight for this weekend's session. Jack and Geoff Acheson and I will be holding court and it promises to be a good one.

Now to Athens for a meeting and dinner. More, anon...

After the great ride yesterday morning and early afternoon, the rain came in with a vengeance. Ah yes... the Pick 'n' Putt Weekend and it's raining. But wait, it's just cloudy and humid this morning, and if the weather forecasting is to be believed at all, from this afternoon on it should be well, almost beautiful. It could happen. I'm packing up to spend the weekend with the gang at the Ranch, so I will not be updating the site until Sunday night.

When I was a kid, if my father had suggested that at some point in my life my career would involve both guitars and motorcycles, I would have taken mom aside and encouraged her to get dad some help. So it goes. Stranger things have happened.

Anyway, I'm going to spend a little time with my four footed pals, do some last minute packing, and head for the FPR. More on Sunday.

The rest of the campers came in on Friday morning. Jack Casady was there, Geoff Achison and a myriad of pickers and putters out for a great weekend. I spent the entire weekend at the Ranch and Saturday morning we went out for an hour ride before the first workshop. After the afternoon workshop we set up for the evening concert. Geoff was spectacular as always. Those unfamiliar with him would be well advised to pick up one of his CD's, He's the greatest. Jack and I did a dandy 90 minute show. It was the first time since our duo performance for GE Smith at the Great American music hall in San Francisco. We had a blast and in the process stumbled on some new musical roads. Sunday morning our scheduled four hour motorcycle ride went off without a hitch. Beautiful weather, great Southeast Ohio roads and the fellowship of a great bunch of riders. We got back in time for Lunch at 1300 the student open mike and another workshop after dinner. This morning it was bittersweet as always saying goodbye to old friends and new. Now I'm back home and Vanessa and I are just talking about what a great thing we have going here. My big thanks to all those who came from all over the world, and of course to all our great staff as well as my buddy Jerry B. who was instrumental in the planning and execution of the ride. Well... now, to bed early for the first time in four days.

Yesterday we spent the day going to Cincinnati to take care of some business at the Federal Building. All went according to plan but we didn't get home until almost dinner time. Today we are going to Columbus to do some shopping and we're getting together with John Hurlbut and some other pals to see the new Star Wars movie. (I am your father, Luke...)

It suddenly occurred to me that I didn't post the set list from Saturday at the Station so here it is:

Hot Tuna 38, 2005

Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady

The Fur Peace Station

Darwin, Ohio

May 21, 2005

 

1.                That’ll Never Happen No More

2.                Parchman Farm

3.                Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning

4.                I See The Light

5.                Too Many Years

6.                True Religion

7.                Big River Blues

8.                Living In The Moment

9.                Uncle Sam Blues

10.           Good Shepherd

11.           3rd Week In The Chelsea

12.           Hesitation Blues

13.           San Francisco Bay Blues

14.           Encore: 9 Pound Hammer

This morning when I woke up there was a wild turkey hen right outside our window... having breakfast. It is such a beautiful day, I would rather spend it here but there are things that need done that must be done in Columbus, so off we go.

More tomorrow.

We drove down here yesterday from Hillside Farm in seven hours flat. It was an absolutely beautiful day coming down through the mountains. Today it is raining, but they say it will clear up by the time we hit the stage at 1600. It was an intimate ride down with me, Vanessa and Myron squashed into her little Element. Ah, the life of the open road. I'm going to get some gear ready for the show and then we'll head on over to the Smilefest site. More tonight after the show.

Another great festival... Smilefest. Great location, great food... great performers... Our set went well. Here is the list:

Jorma Kaukonen & Barry Mitterhoff 3

Smilefest

Horseshoe, North Carolina

Saturday, May 28, 2005

 

1.              Big River Blues

2.              Hesitation Blues

3.              I’ll Let You Know Before I Leave

4.              Blues Stay Away From Me

5.              Breadline Blues

6.              Serpent Of Dreams

7.              That’ll Never Happen No More

8.              I’ll Be All Right Some Day

9.              Genesis

10.        Blue Railroad Train

11.        Embryonic Journey

12.        Good Shepherd

13.        I Am The Light Of This World

14.        Just Because

15.        Encore: San Francisco Bay Blues

We caught most of Bela's Set with Brian Sutton and a great violin player who's name escapes me at the moment. A truly great performance by the three.

We were up at 0530 and out of the hotel by 0800. Barry and his family joined Kathy, Myron, Vanessa and myself for a tasty down home breakfast at the Moose and then off we went. The drive home was a beautiful as the drive down and when we got home we still had time to unpack, saddle up our two bikes and ride into Pomeroy to meet Ginger, Ted and Montana for a good dinner down on the river.

As a spring day it was delightful. We had a great time at Smilefest, but as usual it is good to get home. Lots to think about on this Memorial Day weekend, but I shall write about that tomorrow.

A peaceful Memorial Day for us. We stayed home, got a lot of writing done and finally a barbeque with Ginger and Montana topping things off with a Harry Potter movie. This morning I went into town early to hit the gym and then over to the Ranch to meet Myron and get the gear ready to leave for S.F. tomorrow. After that, I actually had time for a motorcycle ride on this beautiful blue sky day. Ness will be here in a few moments with her Mom for dinner... and so it goes today at Hillside Far