Jorma Kaukonen's Online Diary

Here it is the second of January in the first week of 2009. I got to spend New Year's Eve with Zach as well as Vanessa and Izze. To be home for the holidays with family really means a lot to me as I am gone so much. Yesterday was brisk and muzzle loading season had ended the day before so it was a perfect day for Zach and myself to take a good long walk in the woods. There's nothing quite like a Dad and a Son trudging through a forest together in search of adventure. It was cold enough so the ground was frozen negating the mud factor.

Today we're going to finish up the Pinewood Derby car and who knows what else.

Oh yeah... HAPPY NEW YEAR to all. As always... I hope for the best and I'll leave it at that!

Well here we are pulling into the end of the first week of the New Year. Life is indeed like a roll of toilet paper... the closer to the end you get, the faster it goes. I'm getting to head out to Palm Desert to teach for a bit and of course there's lots of stuff to get ready. It has been such a blessing to be here at home for the holidays... that doesn't happen often in my world.

It's a chilly grey day and we expect snow tonight. Tomorrow my Father will have been dead for twelve years. I must say that I still miss him as if he died yesterday. The years splash by like water in you hand. It would have been nice if he could have lived to meet his grandchildren and yet sometimes I feel his presence and Mom's as well. The river of time continues to embrace me. Family is so important... without that there is really nothing.

Hmm... that reminds me, it is time to go to town to pick up the little one at the Child Development Center.

A snowy morning as I drove into Athens on the way to school with Izze in tow. The Athens public schools were closed but the rugged kids and parents at the CDC forged onward. I'm getting ready to head to to Palm Desert to teach, and yes, I wrote something on my Thoughts Page on the remembrance of my Father's death.

Up at 0400 this morning to come out here to Desert Hot Springs for two weeks of Fur Peace Ranch On The Road. As winter struck back home with a vengeance, here in the high desert it was in the seventies with almost zero humidity. I'm pretty tired today but I'm going to wander around a bit tomorrow and write a little more about how beautiful I find this country.

Snooze....

Thanks to the three hour time difference between east and west, we were up very early this morning and did some driving in the high desert winding up in Joshua Tree National Park by 0900. I have b been coming to Joshua Tree since the 60's and it is no less spectacular to me today than it was then. Thanks to my Golden Age Passport, they waved us through gratis. Yes, the rewards for getting older are boundless and this one rivals Medicare. The morning was crisp and from one of the vista points you could see past the Salton Sea. We spent several hours in the park and then headed back to the hotel.

Marjorie T. and John H. arrived in time for dinner and I'm going to get Book Binder at the Palm Springs airport at 2100. Tomorrow the students arrive and classes begin. It is warm, dry and not snowing. All things considered, a nice place to spend time in January.

Onward...

The second year of FPR on the road started today as folks checked into the hotel. I hit the hot springs this morning but that's bound to be it for me for a while... gotta toughen the fingers back up. Our first meal tonight was delicious. I've got to get this recipe back to Chris at the Ranch. I think he wold dig it.

It's a somewhat early trip to bed tonight. Tomorrow will be a full day of teaching. Once again, good stuff!

It's been a great trip to Desert Hot Springs as one would expect. Everyone has really been digging into the tunes and we are definitely going deep. Last night Roy Book Binder and I did little show... au natural as it were. With minimal sound reinforcement, it was guitar picking the way it was meant to be... the men and the guitar. Roy was fantastic s always and I had a pretty darn good time myself. I sort of winged the set so I have not list to report. What a concept! Just music... Marjorie Thompson has been a huge helpt to me in my teaching capacity as always... What a pro!

Well here it is first thing in the morning and the sun and Izze are up. Time to greet the day...

Today was the end of our first edition of the second annual visit to Desert Hot Springs. Old friends and new... I had a great week and I shall miss them all. Of course I plan on seeing everyone again. My friend Marjorie Thompson was invaluable as she always is. My dear friend Roy Book Binder was as deep and exciting as he always is. Yes friends it was a grand week.

Tomorrow I'm sallying forth into Anaheim to hand at the NAMM show for a while. This was just one of those days when after I talked to my son back in Virginia and hung with my wife and daughter here in the high desert I was once again bathed in the blessing that life has bestowed upon me.

What more can one say on a day like this?

Yesterday while the girls went to Sea World at Dana Point I and some of the gang went to the NAMM show in Anaheim. Now, this is a big trade show where music merchants of all sizes from all ovedr the world hawk their wares in a way that... well, you have to see it to believe it. We got our badges from Audix Microphones. Thanks guys. I got to say HEY to my pals at Gibson, Carr amps, Acoustic Guitar magazine and countless others. I got to see some old friends and met a host a great young players.

An exhausting but great way to spend the day. I think we'll just hang out in the desert today.G.E.Smith is coming in later and I look forward to hanging with him for the next week.

Onward!

With all the hubbub surrounding the inauguration yesterday, I didn't get to do any writing. I'm hoping things are getting 'back to normal,' and I can hardly wait to see what is going to happen.

In my world which, thank goodness, seems tangibly real today, I got to teach all day and play guitar with GE Smith tonight. You know, it's almost always the simple things that make me smile, and I am smiling right now... smiling right into bed. We played some good music this evening and now I'm going to hit the sack.

It has been such a grand time these last two weeks here in Desert Hot Springs. G.E.Smith was with us for the last week and we had a great time hanging together. I've been working with Dick Boak on my upcoming Martin Guitar and G.E. sure helped me out with that. to say I'm excited would be an understatement!

Anyway, I've already got separation anxiety from the missing campers but, as I like to say... onward.

And so, onward I shall go.

Well here I am home for 20 minutes or so and when I took Izze to school this morning, it was snowing a little. I actually welcomed it. I like the change of seasons... it makes things well, real. When Izze got in the room with her little pals she announced, 'I saw Shamu.' What a traveling little gal she is. Kids today...

I'm outfitting for the Robben Ford Ruthie Foster tour. Myron and I will be heading out soon, guitars in hand. Speaking of guitars, I am working with Dick Boak and the good people of Martin Guitars on the Jorma guitar and as things advance, I'll keep you posted. With the sage counsel of G.E.Smith and Roy Book Binder as well as Dick, I think this is going to be really cool. Who would have thought.

Now that the election is over and there is a new administration in power, I would simply like to say, it was exciting, it was about time and now let's push the hoopla into the past and get down to brass tacks. Let's see whatcha got.

In the meantime, I'm going to climb back into my Jeep and head back into town to run some errands. Boy, am I glad I'm just a player and singer.

So they were talking about weather yesterday... and so it came to pass. Most of my friends lost their power about 0200, ours was still on when we got up, but about 1030, it too went out. The ice storm left downed tree limbs everywhere around the house... fortunately nothing struck the building. I used the tractor and the plow to move limbs out of the driveway. When I killed the engine, I could hear trees falling in the forest with sounds like gunshots. I fired the generator up and continued to get ready to leave for me tour. Of course, the flights out of Columbus were canceled. Myron, Corbett and I drive up here anyway to be ready for tomorrow. Corbett took the Jeep back to Vanessa and Izze. It was Izze's first big snowstorm and she built a snowman... Rasta style. At least someone was having fun. it took almost four hours to go a hundred miles. Yow... the ice storm of '09.

Well that's about it for now... I guess the best I can say is that every day is another day closer to Spring.

Myron and I finally got to Boston and were met at the airport by Susan and Bob. On the bus, Robben Ford and his gang aas well as Ruthie Foster were waiting for us and off to Pittsfield we went, which is where I am now. It's cold an wintry outside but the music is hot. We had a great rehearsal yesterday and I look forward to our first show tonight at the Colonial Theater. Obviously, when I get back after the show, I'll put some notes and thoughts down.

Now for a set list...

This is going to be a short entry. I'll expound more on down the road. I thought our first show went really well. Ruthie, Robben and the gang are wonderful and charismatic musicians and I can see this is going to be a fun tour. We did a lot of rehearsing in the afternoon, and indeed it paid off. What a concept. Here is my set list along with the things we did together:

Guitar Blues Tour 1
With
Jorma Kaukonen, Robben Ford & Ruthie Foster
The Colonial Theater
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Friday, January 30, 2009

Jorma’s Acoustic Set:
1. Come Back Baby
2. There’ A Bright Side Somewhere
3. Death Don’t have No Mercy
4. Barbeque King
5. Fur Peace Rag
6. That’ll Never Happen No More
7. Full Go Round
Jorma With Robben:
1. Rock Me Baby
2. I Wish You Would
Jorma with Ruthie & Robben:
1. You Got To Serve Somebody

Meanwhile, back home in Meigs County, the power is back at HIllside Farm and that makes me feel better about not being there. This has been a grand day, I just have to get some sleep. More Anon...

Tonight was our second show of this long tour and everyone truly shine. I listening to and playing with Ruthie was like walking with angels... a gem of a blessing. It was no less of a treat playing with Robben Ford. His rhythm section with Gabriel Ford on drums and Dewayne Pate on Bass, well, they just did what needed to be done. Definitely the A team. Here is my set list as well as the things we did together:

Guitar Blues Tour 2
With
Jorma Kaukonen, Robben Ford & Ruthie Foster
The Garde Arts Center
New London, Connecticut
Saturday, January 31, 2009

Jorma’s Acoustic Set:
1. True Religion
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Heart Temporary
4. Let Us Get Together
5. Uncle Sam Blues
6. I Know You Rider
7. I Am The Light Of This World
Robben & Jorma & the band
1. Rock Me Baby
2. I Wish You Would
Robben, Jorma, Ruthie & the band
1. You Got To Serve Somebody
2. Encore: Don’t Think Twice

A dandy night for any night... a truly great night for a second night. For now, to bed and then... onward!