Jorma Kaukonen's Online Diary

Indeed a long day yesterday. Up at 0430... picked Myron up at 0600 and at the Columbus Airport by 0800. Checked in early at the gate and then... the delays started. To make a long story short, with the delays and all what started to be a short flight wound up getting to La Guardia two hours late. Oh well, it could have been worse. At least we didn't have a connecting flight. Anyway, the line at the Taxi would have taken at least an hour and a half just to get a cab. We would up sharing a gypsy cab with an opera singer and without waiting headed into Manhattan using a surface route to the 59th street bridge that only a local cab driver would have known. We got to the hotel down the street from the Iridium in Times Square and checked in. I forgot my new camera in the cab and didn't even know it until the driver came back to the lobby and returned it to me. How about that? Now that's good karma for sure. Boy, that doesn't happen every day in the Big Apple.

Times Square is so bizarre for me. Myron and I had breakfast at a 'diner' next to the Iridium where they had singing waiters and waitresses. Boy, you don't see that at the Court Street Diner in Athens, Ohio. Well, this country boy just never ceases to be amazed. There are good people everywhere.

Tonight it the gig at the Iridium. A little different thing for me and the boys... I'll report on it later. By the way, the 'boys' tonight are Barry Mitterhoff and GE Smith.

Onward, but first a nap.

Last night G.E. Smith, Barry Mitterhoff and I descended in the Iridium and met up with Lou and the boys of the Les Paul Trio. Everyone made us feel welcome from the jump and the evening proved to be a little different trip for us, but a really good one. There was so much fine music played. I didn't keep track of a set list for us and I've already packed the list of names of all the players but I'll get to that later today.

I have to grab a quick bite and then head on over to the studio to tape some new lessons for Breakdownway. When I get back to the hotel tonight I'll write more about last night's exciting events. Les Paul was such an important figure in all our lives it was an honor to be a little part of his ongoing legend...

More later...

Getting the bus downtown to the City Winery was a monumental task that only New Yorkers will appreciate. Still and all we got the job done and it was great hooking up with David and Nancy Bromberg. Barry Mitterhoff arrived about the same time we did and we set up the all the attendant madness that goes along with Manhattan. Here is our set list:

Bromberg/Kaukonen Extravaganza 12, 2010
With Barry Mitterhoff
The City Winery
New York City
Friday, May 07, 2010


With David First Set:
1. True Religion
2. D.B. I Belong To The Band
3. Come Back Baby
4. D.B. Long Tall Mama
5. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
6. D.B. Tongue
Our Set:
1. Too Many Years
2. Been So Long
3. I Know You Rider
4. Things That Might Have Been
5. Sea Child
6. Full Go Round
7. River Of Time
8. Hesitation Blues
With David Second Set:
1. D.B. Midnight Hour Blues
2. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
3. D.B. Every Day Of The Week
4. Uncle Sam Blues
5. D.B. Kind Hearted Woman
6. Nine Pound Hammer
7. D.B. This Month
8. Encore: How Long Blues

Today we hope the Saturday traffic will not be as intense as the Friday traffic but in either case, I expect to have just as much fun. Gotta string my guitar...

It's been so hectic on this little run I've really been remiss on the diary entries. In any case, this trip with Barry Mitterhoff and David Bromberg has been a truly enjoyable experience. Three friends playing the music they have always love. It's just the best. Here's the set list from last night followed by the list from day two at the Winery last week:

Bromberg/Kaukonen Extravaganza 15
With Barry Mitterhoff
The Orange Peel
Asheville, North Carolina
Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Our Set:
1. I See The Light
3. River Of Time
4. Bread Line Blues
5. Parchman Farm
6. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning
7. Good Shepherd
With David:
1. Bring It With You When You Come DB
2. Uncle Sam Blues
3. Summer Wages DB
4. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
5. Things I Used To Do

With David In His Set
1. True Religion
2. I Belong To The Band DB
3. I Am The Light Of This World
4. Every Day Of The Week DB
5. Hesitation Blues
6. Midnite Hour Blues DB
7. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
8. Tongue DB
9. Encore: Candy Man

Bromberg/Kaukonen Extravaganza 13, 2010
With Barry Mitterhoff
The City Winery
New York City
Saturday, May 8, 2010

Our Set:
1. I See The Light
2. I’ll Let You Know Before I Leave
3. Genesis
4. Trial By Fire
5. Izze’s
6. Parchman Farm
7. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
With David:
1. Bring It With You When You Come DB
2. Come Back Baby
3. Summer Wages DB
4. Search My Heart
5. Things I Won’t Do DB

With Dave in His set:
1. The Terrible Operation
2. Good Old Wagon DB
3. Hesitation Blues
4. Nobody Knows You DB
5. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
6. Tongue DB
7. How Long Blues

There you have it... we're off to Atlanta.

Last night at the Variety Theater was our final gig with our buddy, David Bromberg. David always brings so much to the musical table it is always an exciting adventure to play with him. Always good stuff. We'll see him again at his David Bromberg's Big Noise In The Neighborhood in Wilmington, Delaware on Saturday the 15th. In the meantime, here is our set lis from last night:

Bromberg/Kaukonen Extravaganza 16
With Barry Mitterhoff
The Variety Theater
Atlanta, Georgia
Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Our Set:
1. Been So Long
2. Things That Might Have Beena
3. Bread Line Blues
4. Sea Child
5. Hesitation Blues
6. River Of Time
7. I Know You Rider
With David:
1. Wild About My Lovin’ DB
2. Uncle Sam Blues
3. Summer Wages DB
4. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
5. Tongue
With David in his set:
1. True Religion
2. Midnight Hour Blues DB
3. Candy Man
4. San Francisco Bay Blues DB & Jorma
5. Good Old Wagon DB
6. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
7. Helpless Blues DB
8. Encore: How Long Blues

It's a long drive up north, we we have to get rolling.

Onward!

What a beautiful little town Jim Thorpe is. In some ways it seems frozen here in time nestled in the hills of Carbon County. You can almost hear the ghosts of the coal miners walking the streets. NIce... very nice.

The gig last night at the Mauch Chunk Opera House was superb. Our Friend Craig Thatcher opened the show and sat in with us for the encore. I met Craig out at the NAMM show with Dick Boak at the Martin booth... After the taste of his playing I heard out in Anaheim, it was really nice to hear a full set. Speaking of sets, here is ours:

Jorma Kaukonen And Barry Mitterhoff 4, 2010
The Mauch Chunk Opera House
Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania
Friday, May 14, 2010

1. New Song For The Morning
2. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out
3. Been So Long
4. Serpent Of Dreams
5. Things That Might Have Been
6. That’ll Never Happen No More
7. Come Back Baby
8. River Of Time
9. Operator
10. I’ll Let You Know Before I Leave
11. More Than My Old Guitar
12. Hesitation Blues
13. Full Go Round
14. Sea Child
15. Good Shepherd
16. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
17. I Know You Rider
18. I Am The Light Of This World
19. Just Because
20. Encore: How Long Blues With Craig Thatcher

Early, yes... but we're about to head out to Wilmington, Delaware to play in David Bromberg's Big Noise In The neighborhood about which more will be revealed.

Onward...

Yesterday Barry Mitterhoff and I played for David Bromberg at his First Annual big Noise In The Neighborhood here in Wilmington. Barry and I winged it set list wise and right now I don't have the slightest idea what we played... We opened with Blue Railroad Train and then my mind is a blank. Good stuff all the way around though. The Angel Band sounded great as did Railroad Earth, Sam Bush, and John Hiatt. When David took the stage with his big band he rotated all of us through his set and a great time was had by all. It was a long day and worth every moment.

There's nothing like a beautiful day filled with friends and music! Now we're off to the Iron Horse in Northampton.

Alrighty then... Quite the hectic day today with non-stop traffic from Wilmington, Delaware almost to the the Northampton exit. Once at the iron Horse, we rushed through sound check, ate and hit the stage. Here is our set list:

Jorma Kaukonen & Barry Mitterhoff 6, 2010
The Iron Horse
Northampton, Massachusetts
Sunday, May 16, 2010

First Set:
1. Been So Long
2. There’s A Bright Side Somewhere
3. Prohibition Blues
4. Izze’s Lullaby
5. I Belong To The Band
6. Uncle Sam Blues
7. Sea Child
8. Full Go Round
9. I Know You Rider
Second Set:
1. Serpent Of Dreams
2. The Terrible Operation
3. Trouble In Mind
4. Things That Might Have Been
5. 99 Year Blues
6. River Of Time
7. More Than My Old Guitar
8. Good Shepherd
9. Genesis
10. Nine Pound Hammer
11. Encore: Come Back Baby

While I'm on the subject of remiss set lists, here is the list from Wilmington yesterday courtesy of Mike Scotellaro.

2010-05-15
Bromberg's Big Noise In The Neighborhood, justison Landing Park, Wilmington, DE

Jorma Kaukonen & Barry Mitterhoff
Blue Railroad Train
Search My Heart
Hesitation Blues
I See The Light
Summer Wages (with David Bromberg)
Come Back Baby (with David Bromberg)
That'll Never Happen No More
99 Year Blues
Embryonic Journey

David Bromberg Big Band Set:
Wild About My Lover (with Jorma, Sam) (not sure if song title is correct)
Helpless Blues (with Jorma, Sam)

ande last but not least, here is the missing set list from Charlottesville:

Bromberg/Kaukonen Extravaganza 14
With Barry Mitterhoff
Jefferson Theater
Charlottesville, Virginia
Monday, May 10, 2010

Our Set:
1. Been So Long
2. River Of Time
3. Hesitation Blues
4. Things That Might Have Been
5. Red River Blues
6. Parchman Farm
7. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
With David First Set:
1. Keep On Drinkin’ DB
2. Candy Man
3. Summer Wages DB
4. BBQ King
5. Every Day Of The Week DB
6. Just Because

With David Second Set:
1. Come Back Baby
2. San Francisco Bay Blues DB & JK
3. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out DB & JK
4. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
5. You Got To Mean It Too DB
6. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
7. Tongue DB
8. Encore: Keep On Truckin’ Mama

Whew... I'm finally caught up. Good thing... we're starting our drive home right now.

Onward!

Ok... just a very short not of excitement. Peter Rowan was here for a show tonight. He was solo... he was really great... and he invited me up for two songs. It was a blast.

Frankly, I don't think I have ever heard him sound better. He had a new Martin guitar too... it's all good and getting better. It's late. I'm going home.

I write this from the somewhat small town of Sonora, California. My pals and I are here for the Furthur Festival at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds. Myron and I came in late yesterday afternoon after an all day airport event starting in Columbus, Ohio. Yeah… living the dream. Being on East Coast time I was up at 0430 and couldn’t go back to sleep. Oh well… Anyway, Myron and I found a breakfast café in Jamestown which was only a couple of miles away from our hotel. Down home food at California prices. That’s OK. I’m in California.

When I came out of my room into the parking lot of the hotel, I was greeted by that forest mountain smell that you only find in the west coast of the United States. My Mom, may she rest in peace, used to live on Talmont up in North Shore Tahoe. It always smelled like that up at her house on the side of the mountain overlooking the lake.

The smell of these trees in the early morning transported me back decades. We would visit her up there, Vanessa and I, and drink in the surroundings of those ancient trees. It was a delightful taste I will never forget.

May 8th was the twelfth anniversary of my Mom’s journey beyond the stars. It slipped by me unnoticed this year. Sadly I notice that as time passes there are indeed more memories than a heart can predictably hold. I’m sure my memory will be just as fragile when my time comes, but that is as it should be. I miss Mom always. I miss her advice whether or not I chose to take it. That too is as it should be.

In the late eighties, Mom moved back down from the mountain to Mill Valley, California. The thin air of the High Sierras was too difficult for her aging lungs to negotiate. She loved these mountains with all her heart and when she moved back down to the Coast she said goodbye to what might have been the most serene twenty five years of her life. Even now twelve years after her passing and twenty one years after she gave up the house on Talmont , when I work in North Shore Tahoe someone is sure to say, I remember that name, Kaukonen. I think I saw it in a newspaper in the seventies or eighties. That would have been my Mom or Dad trying to fix some perceived wrong in the community. That would have been Bea or Jorma Sr.

On this morning up here in Calaveras County, for a brief moment she walked with me again as I breathed in the evergreen air of this magnificent California landscape. I smelled the mountains, and the trees and the wood smoke and I could hear her voice in a distant whisper of memory. When I would call her in the last years of her life, I would ask, ‘How are you Mom?’ and she would say, ‘I’m here Jerry, I’m still here.’

You know, in that corner of my heart where love always lives surrounded by the memories of my life, she still is… here.

As I get ready to drive to Reno for the flight home to Ohio, I would just like to take this moment to thank all of our brave men and women who have chosen to serve this great country. For all of you, past and present, I honor you in my heart!

My father and his two brothers who served in WW II lie in peace in their garden on stone... they are surrounded by many comrades through the ages...

I honor you all!