Jorma Kaukonen's Online Diary

Being home is just great. Obviously there is stuff that has to be done. I mowed for four hours yesterday. Over the weekend we went on a picnic with Izze and had time for a motorcycle ride on Sunday. I got some work on my new project in today and in a little bit I'm going to pick Izze up at school. This weekend is Founder's Day in Akron so I'm busy packing and repacking my gear. I know it's all going to fit on that bike somehow.

Well, time for a snack and then off to get the little one.

Well folks, it's Founder's Day again for me and thousands of other like minded spirits and we'll all be heading up to Akron tomorrow. This is a real retreat for me so I won't be taking my computer with me and I won't be back on line until Monday. Yep... a totally unwired weekend... what a blessing.

It's pouring rain right now but hopefully tomorrow will be clear as this is a motorcycle trip. In any case, that's what rain gear is for. Bring it on... I'm gone anyway. Have a great weekend all!

More anon...

I'm back after a weekend in Akron for Founders' Day. I am working on an entry about this weekend, but it isn't done yet. I'm home, had a great time... and my computer didn't miss me while I was gone.

Oh well... more anon.

Well folks, I'm behind on my 'creative' writing right now but I do have sometehing to post. It is indeed about a birthday show for Red House Records at the Birchmere in Virginia. Check this out:


OUR SIDE OF TOWN:
A Red House Records 25th Anniversary Concert
with Jorma Kaukonen, Robin & Linda Williams and Guy Davis
Saturday, June 28, 7:30 p.m.
The Birchmere
3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA
(703) 549-7500

Win free passes to Americana Music Festival in Nashville!



ST. PAUL, MN — The Americana Music Association (AMA) proudly joins Red House Records in presenting Our Side of Town: A 25th Anniversary Concert with Jorma Kaukonen, Robin & Linda Williams and Guy Davis at The Birchmere (3701 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria) on Saturday, June 28th at 7:30 p.m. Featuring some of the hottest Americana talent on the scene today, the night is sure to be one to remember with unique performances and special door prizes. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased through Ticketmaster. For more information about the concert, contact The Birchmere at (703) 549-7500 or visit http://www.birchmere.com.

In honor of Red House Records’ 25th anniversary and their ongoing contributions to Americana/roots music, The Americana Music Association will be giving away a pair of passes at The Birchmere to the 2008 Americana Music Festival and Awards Show taking place September 17-20 in Nashville, TN. Red House will be offering other special giveaways at the concert, including free downloads.

In conjunction with Red House’s yearlong celebration, the Grammy-winning label released a special new CD called Our Side of Town: A Red House Records 25th Year Collection, which will be available for sale at the June 28th event along with special edition men’s and women’s t-shirts. This album shows the colorful landscape of the place that is home to today’s finest acoustic artists—Jorma Kaukonen, Robin & Linda Williams, Guy Davis, Lucy Kaplansky, Storyhill, Ray Bonneville, The Wailin’ Jennys, Greg Brown, Jimmy LaFave, Lynn Miles, Cliff Eberhardt, John Gorka, The Pines, Eliza Gilkyson, Peter Ostroushko, Bill Staines and Meg Hutchinson, the latest addition to the Red House roster. A finely woven collection of some of the staff’s favorite recent performances, it is a perfect snapshot of the label in its 25th year.

For more info about Red House Records and its 25th Anniversary, please visit http://www.redhouserecords.com. To set up interviews with Jorma Kaukonen, Robin & Linda Williams, Guy Davis or Red House Records’ new president Eric Peltoniemi, call Ellen Stanley at (651) 644-4161.

I'm actually working on some lyrics for a new tune right now so I'm going to get back to it. Maybe I'll see some of you at the Birchmere?

Ninety eight years ago today, my Mom Beatrice Love Levine was born in a farmhouse in East Windsor, Connecticut. She has been gone now ten years and I still miss her as I do my Dad, Jorma Sr. All things considered, she spent quite a time on this earth and in that time saw things change... and change... and change. I have to wonder what my kids will see. Well... wonder specifically since change is inevitable in any time.

So it goes. I am here getting ready for a session at the Ranch starting tomorrow... getting ready to pick our daughter up... getting ready to take my son to Europe next month... getting ready.

The river flows and we with it. I'll take it and with that thought in mind head to town to pick up the wee one.

Onward!

I haven't been on this thing for days... there has just been too much going on in the real world. At the Ranch last weekend wwe had me, Larry Coryell, Bob Margolin and G.E.Smith. What a cast of characters. It was a very large weekend and my class was the only acoustic one. My friend Marjorie Thompson was there to assit me in my endeavors and a fine job she did.

For the show, Erik Diaz and Ray DeForrest came down from Akron. Ray is a bass player friend of Erik's and Erik, of course is the talented drummer who plays with us. G.E. put together an amazing show and well, you just had to be there. All in all, it was a perfect weekend. My friends David and Michael came into town on motorcycles and yesterday we had a fabulous ride after the camp was over. What a Father's Day weekend! Family, music, bike riding and fine weather. When someone tells me life isn't good, I suggest they take another look. Some times are better than others, but this was a good one! Onward!

A short note. We're getting ready to go to Kent State tomorrow to do a TV show as well as All Things Considered and then on Saturday it's Prairie Home Companion. I'll be picking Barry up at the airport in the morning and heading on up.

Oh yeah... I actually wrote on my Thoughts Page Today!

Onward

Indeed I was up bright and early yesterday morning as I drove up to Columbus to pick Barry up at the airport. He squeezed his old Gibson Tenor Guitar and his brand new Buckeye Mandolin that Pete Hart made for him into my little car. I already had my M-42 Martin, my Gibson J-45, the tenor banjo, the octave mandolin and the ukelele on board. With our luggage, the little Honda Fit was filled to overflowing. Myron Hart, Pete Hart's son and my trusty colleague had been furloughed to attend the Poston Lake Bluegrass Festival. Barry and I were on our own. If indeed it's not folk if it takes more than two trips from the car... it wasn't folk music.

We found ourselves at the Kent State TV facility and we set up to do Folk Alley, a webcast, as well as some stuff for NPR's All Things Considered. Oh yes, this was for WKMU. As we all know, when an interview is involved, it is the interviewer that makes it happen. Jim Blum was just such an interviewer. We both live on old Ohio farms so we had that in common in addition to our love of the music. He made Barry and I feel welcome and it was a treat to talk to him.

In the course of the show, Barry and I played four songs:

1. There's A Table Sitting In Heaven
2. Heart Temporary
3. Fur Peace Rag
4. Come Back Baby

After the show we said goodbye to our friends at Kent State and drove over to the hotel in Cuyahoga Falls. I had just been in this neck of the woods a couple of weeks ago when I was up in Akron for Founders' Day so I felt right at home.

Yes folks, it's morning here. Izze is playing in the room, Nessa went for coffee, and stringing my guitar and typing (obviously) and I'm going to give Barry a call in a minute or two. Prarie Home Companion is this afternoon so this is going to be a full day.

Onward...

Summer is here... another summer. I remember one of the characters in Rumblefish saying, 'One morning you wake up and realize you only have fifteen good summers left.' If I'm franted fifteen good summers at this point, that would be a very good thing for me indeed.

Yesterday, Barry and I were on A Prairie Home Companion with Robin and Linda Williams (of course) and the Wailin' Jennies. This production is run by real pros and they always steer us in the right direction, which is good, since you never know what is going to happen. I played Blossom with the Jefferson Airplane in '89, in the 90's with the Furthur Festival and now yesterday. There were almost ten thousand people there in spite of the tornado warnings and the rain.

After the radio show all of the guest players went over to another little venue on site and played short sets for the folks remaining. On the show, Barry and I played:

1. Come Back Baby
2. Bread Line Blues
3. Embryonic Journey
4. More Than My Old Guitar

...and at the little after show venue:

1. That'll Never Happen No More
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Uncle Sam Blues
4. Just Because with Eric Diaz on spoons.

Thanks Erik, that was cool.

Gotta pack up and get Barry to the airport in Columbus.

Izze is in school and Zach is not here yet so I have a moment to write a little which I have done on my Thoughts Page. We are home at the farm on this beautiful early Summer day and so far everything is as it should be. The grass seems to have a way of growing at times like this, so I think some mowing may be in order.

Onward...

The sun shines, the rain falls, the grass grows... and mowing must be done. Things grow nicely here when there is rain. As far as the meadows, i don't care if it's really grass as long as it isn't poison ivy and it is green. The dog runs are neatly trimmed, and landscaping around the house is done for now and all I have to do is fine a place for the catnip before the kitties rip it out of its pot.

It's Izze's second birthday today nd we're going to the full court press on that and all things considered, all is well here in Southeast Ohio.

Onward

The birthday season is starting to close for a while. Summer is here for real and we've had some spectacular storms. John H. and his Mom and Dad are coming over for a brunch here at Hillside Farm and then I'm going to Morgantown, West Virginia to meet my son Zach and bring him back to Hillside Farm in preparation for our trip. All this including music and good food.

A darn good day no matter how you look at it.

Onward...