Jorma Kaukonen's Online Diary

Five shows in three days... that's what I'm talking about. Last night was the last show on this run for David Bromberg, Barry Mitterhoff and myself. It was chilly up here at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis... but not indoors. Here is our set list... sort of:

Bromberg/Kaukonen Extravaganza 11
With Barry Mitterhoff
The Cedar Cultural Center
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sunday, January 31, 2010

First Show:

With David:
1. Hesitation Blues with David
2. Telephone Call Blues with David
3. Let Us Get Together with David
4. I Belong To The Band with David
5. Come back Baby with David
6. Tongue with David

Our Set:
1. Been So Long
2. I See The Light
3. River Of Time
4. A Walk With Friends
5. I Know You Rider
With David:
1. I’ll Let You Know Before I Leave with David
2. Travelin’ Man with David
3. How Long Blues with David
4. David’s Blues with David
5. Nine Pound Hammer
6. Kansas City
7. Encore: Midnight Hour Blues

Second Show:
Our Set:
1. New Song For The Morning
2. There’s A Bright Side Somewhere
3. Things That Might Have Been
4. Trial By fire
5. Parchman Farm
6. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning
With David:
1. More Than My Old Guitar with David
2. Summer Wages with David
3. Sally Where’d You Get Your Liquor From? With david
4. Keep On Drinkin’ with David
5. Uncle Sam Blues with david
6. David’s Blues with David

David’s Set:
With David:
1. Keep On Truckin’ with David
2. Sittin’ On Top Of The World with David
3. Trouble In Mind with David
4. Image Of Me with David
5. BBQ King with David
6. Helpless Blues with David
7. Encore: Death Don’t Have No Mercy with David

David and Barry have flown out and I am leaving on the bus in less than an hour so I'm going to try to grab some breakfast. Home... here we come...

'Ah... it's not going to snow,' said I with prescient certainty. 'Look at the sky... it forty degrees. D.C. and New York might get it, but not us.' As we know, there's no fool like an old fool. I just finished ploughing and shoveling for three and a half hours. Guess who was wrong. Well, now that it's done, I can enjoy the winter wonderland... although snow is still falling.

Nobody's perfect.

Well, the snowstorm came and went... the Superbowl came and went and a darn good one it was. When one watches teams they have no deep emotional investment in one hopes for a great, competitive game. This prayer was answered. It was a great game.

It's FAC today... that's freeze ass cold. The snow from day before yesterday has turned to ice and well, Spring is looking better every day. I've finished my coffee in town and I'm heading for a massage.

Life is good.

Out of the snowy Mid-West into the relative warmth of Southern California. Not bad. I wouldn't trade where I live for anywhere else in the world, but it's nice to travel and get a little change of scene every now and then. Yesterday we went up to Encinitas and walked through the Yogananda's Garden... walked on the beach for a while and basically enjoyed what passes for a winter's day here in SoCal. The girls are up and it's time to let the day begin.

It's been busy and I've been off line. Sometimes spending time on the computer just seems an unaffordable luxury. That said, here I am for a couple of minutes before the little one gets up and I have to start teaching.

We're at Desert Hot Springs for our third year. Back home in Ohio the weather has been and still is very harsh. Out here in the high desert, things seem balmy and surreal. So it goes... I love this job.

I do love this job, but the older I get the more I find I miss being surrounded with the familiar love of my homeplace. It's almost as if when I am on the road, moments not spent playing music are spent marking time waiting to go back.

it could be lots worse, of course and this is merely an observation not a complaint. The sun is up and it is going to be another beautiful day. Breakfast awaits and my guitar is not far behind.

I think I'll gently wait the little one up.

Sometimes life just seems more hectic than usual when it's probably just business as usual. Why is that" Well, I'm sure that doesn't really matter. G.E. Smith and I are finishing up our week here at Desert Hot Spring and after the morning workshop, we're heading west to Santa Monica for our first pair of shows at McCabe's music store.

About this more will be written I'm sure. I need more coffee.

Well alrighty then... Last night was my first pair of shows at McCabe's Music Store in Santa Monica. Well, the show was G.E.Smith and myself. I;m the luckiest guy in the world. I get to play with world class people all the time. This little incarnation is the first time that I have done double guitar in many years and it was just as much fun as I remembered it. George and I have been pals for a number of years and we have played and taught together, but this is the first time we've launched our guitar duo for people who actually paid for tickets. We had a simply great time! Now, normally I do a set list but not with G.E. It's easy to remember my own stuff but I haven't gotten all of G.E.'s titles down yet. I will. So Indeed, the following set lists are definitely in the 'sort of' category.' Progress not perfection... I'm working on it:

G.E.Smith and Jorma Kaukonen Extravaganza 1
McCabe’s Music Store
Santa Monica, California
Friday, February 19, 2010

First Show:
1. Been So long
2. G.E.
3. True Religion
4. G.E.
5. Let Us Get Together
6. G.E.
7. Things That Might Have Been
8. There’s A Bright Side Somewhere
9. G.E.
10. Come Back Baby
11. G.E.
12. Hesitation Blues
13. G.E.
14. Encore: G.E. Empire State
Second Show:
1. Trouble In Mind
2. G.E.
3. River Of Time
4. G.E.
5. What Are They Doing In Heaven Today?
6. G.E. Arrowhead
7. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
8. G.E.
9. Cracks In The Finish
10. G.E. Drink Up And Go Home
11. Preaching On The Old Camp Ground
12. G.E.
13. How Long Blues
14. G.E.
15. The Terrible Operation
16. Let It Rock
17. Encore: Nine Pound Hammer

OK... a lot of blank spaces where there were great songs that are at least temporarily blank. I'll talk to G.E. later today and se if we can reconstruct some of this stuff. Now after a great show, and a late but long sleep, it's time for breakfast.

Well... it's been a hectic three days. Five shows in three days... only the strong survive. Anyway, this little run with G.E. is just about as much fun as a picker can have. Last night after driving up from Santa Monica we played the two following sets:

Smith/Kaukonen Extravaganza 3, 2010
The Great American Music Hall
San Francisco, California
Monday, February 22, 2010

First Set:
1. Big River Blues
2. G.E. Dark As A Dungeon
3. Come Back Baby
4. G.E. Plastic Jesus
5. True Religion
6. G.E. Chicken Blues
7. Things That Might Have Been
8. G.E. Trouble
9. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
10. G.E. Blind Fiddler
11. The Terrible Operation
12. G.E. Eyesight To The Blind
13. Izze’s Lullaby
14. G.E. Great Speckled Bird
Second Set:
1. Hesitation Blues
2. G.E. Comin’ Home Someday
3. There’s A Bright Side Somewhere
4. G.E. Codine
5. River Of Time
6. G.E. Baby Let Me Follow You down
7. Uncle Sam Blues
8. G.E. Buffalo Skinners
9. I Am The Light Of This World
10. G.E. Guilty
11. Full Go Round
12. G.E. Hold On
13. Nine Pound Hammer
14. Encore: G.E. Let It Rock

Night before last in Santa Monica at McCabe's we played the following two shows:

Smith/Kaukonen Extravaganza 2, 2010
McCabe’s Music Store
Santa Monica, California
February 20, 2010

First Show:
1. Big River Blues
2. G.E. Eyesight To The Blind
3. Full Go Round
4. G.E. Lowell George Tune
5. Too Many Years
6. G.E. Buffalo Skinners
7. Come Back Baby
8. G.E. Bedside Of A Neighbor
9. Trouble In Mind
10. G.E. Baby Let Me Follow You Down
11. How Long Blues
12. G.E. Too much Alcohol
13. River Of Time
14. G.E. You Can’t Spend What You Ain’t Got
15. Living In The Moment
16. G.E. Hold On
17. Encore: The Terrible Operation
Second Show:
1. Been So Long
2. G.E. Chicken Blues
3. Candy Man
4. G.E. Jesus Left Chicago
5. Uncle Sam Blues
6. G.E. Blind Fiddler
7. Things That Might Have Been
8. G.E. Dark As A Dungeon
9. I Know You Rider
10. G.E. Trouble
11. Izze’s Lullaby
12. G.E. Shake Sugaree
13. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
14. G.E. Camptown Races
15. I Am The Light Of This World
16. G.E. Plastic Jesus
17. Nine Pound Hammer
18. Encore: Route 66

We're sure having a blast and I rested up today by eating some great food in San Francisco. Tomorrow morning we leave for Santa Cruz, where... more shall be revealed.

Work, work, work. Pouring rain and Northern California cold... I remember it well. Bless the people who came out last night to see G.E. and I play. I got a full night's sleep, just got up a little bit ago and we're leaving post haste for Petaluma. Here is our set list from last night"

Smith/Kaukonen Extravaganza 4, 2010
The Rio Theater
Santa Cruz, California
Tuesday, February 23, 2010

First Set:
1. Big River Blues
2. G.E. Baby Let Me Follow You Down
3. Come Back Baby
4. G.E. Keep Your Hand On The Plow
5. True Religion
6. G.E. Plastic Jesus
7. Things That Might Have Been
8. G.E. Buffalo Skinners
9. I Know You Rider
10. G.E. Trouble
11. Izze’s Lullaby
12. G.E. Great Dreams From Heaven
13. Hesitation Blues
Second Set:
1. Been So Long
2. G.E. Blind Fiddler
3. The Terrible Operation
4. G.E. Bedside Of A Neighbor
5. Uncle Sam Blues
6. G.E. You Can’t Spend What You Ain’t Got
7. What Are They Doing In Heaven Today?
8. G.E. Shake Sugaree
9. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
10. G.E. Eyesight To The Blind
11. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
12. G.E. Buddy Bolden’s Blues
13. Late Breaking News
14. Encore: Full Go Round

The van awaits...

I love the Mystic... quite simply, it's always fun. G.E. and I really had a great show tonight. Everything was just as it should be. Here is our set list:
Smith/Kaukonen Extravaganza 5, 2010
McNear’s Mystic Theaer
Petaluma, California
Wednesday, February 24, 2010

First Set:
1. Hesitation Blues
2. G.E. Baby Let Me Follow You Down
3. Come Back Baby
4. G.E. Chicken Blues
5. Izze’s Lullaby
6. G.E. Trouble
7. I Am The Light Of This World
8. G.E. Bedside Of A Neighbor
9. Too Many Years
10. G.E. Plastic Jesus
11. A Life Well Lived
12. G.E. Blind Fiddler
13. Full Go Round
Second Set:
1. Big River Blues
2. G.E. Dirt Road Blues
3. How Long Blues
4. G.E. Eyesight To The Blind
5. Things That Might Have Been
6. G.E. Buffalo Skinner
7. Uncle Sam Blues
8. G.E. Gospel Plough
9. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
10. G.E. Codine
11. River Of Time
12. Mann’s Fate
13. G.E. You Can’t Lose What You Never Had
14. Encore: Nine Pound Hammer

Tomorrow is Carson City... a long drive in the snow over the Donner Pass os it's going to be an early van call. Night folks.

Carson City... who knew? G.E. and I found this little city to be a great place to wind up this tour. In other words we had a great time! Here is our set list:

Smith/Kaukonen Extravaganza 6, 2010
Brewery Arts Center
Carson City Nevada
Thursday, February 25, 2010

First Set:
1. Big River Blues
2. G.E. Gospel Plough
3. Come Back Baby
4. G.E. Plastic Jesus
5. There’s A Bright Side Somewhere
6. G.E. Empire State
7. River Of Time
8. G.E. Guilty
9. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
10. G.E. Chickn Blues
11. I Am The Light Of This World
12. G.E. Let It Rock
Second Set:
1. Hesitation Blues
2. G.E. Trouble
3. A Life Well Lived
4. G.E. Babe Let Me Follow You Down
5. Uncle Sam Blues
6. G.E. Buffalo Skinners
7. Izze’s Lullaby
8. G.E. Dark As A Dungeon
9. Whinin’ Boy Blues
10. G.E. Buddy Bolden’s Blues
11. Candy Man
12. G.E. Bedside Of A Neighbor
13. Mann’s Fate
14. Encore: Nine Pound Hammer

I've got to get G.E. to the Airport in Reno so I have to get cracking. More later today from Placerville.