Winter trees and the frozen Shade River
The first time I saw this property in 1990… it was this time of year, and this is how it looked. There were no buildings, of course… we built all of those. The ground was frozen… patches of snow on the ground and the little Shade was covered in a blanket of ice. For some reason this all seemed to make sense to me and we have been here in Southeast Ohio ever since. I don’t mind seasonal cold… Maybe its my Finnish/Russian ancestry or maybe I just don’t mind the cold. The seasons in the fields mark the seasons of my life. There are more gone now than are left to me and that is as it should be.
It was an emotional roller coaster, the last week or so. The passing of folks like David Bowie, Glenn Frey and Dallas Taylor remind how fragile the emotional superstructure of our life is. These are memory points… the sound tracks of our time. With the loss of Pete Huttlinger… for me it was different. It was like losing family. I keep hearing, ‘I’m sorry for your loss.’ I think about that and it occurs to me that it is both more and less than a loss. Pete was not a sentimental guy… he played the cards the universe gave him as best he could, and faced each day with an incredible love of life and family. He would have said to Vanessa and me, ‘Get over it!’
Well… in some ways we never get over it. My Mom and Dad have been gone for almost 20 years and I still miss them. I still remember the smells of their kitchen… I remember how their hugs felt and I selfishly wish they were still alive so the kids could meet them and I could tell them that we’re all going to be all right. If they were alive today, they would have been one hundred and six.
Well… it’s not who’s right… it’s who’s left.
OK… quick wrap up of the Sunshine Blues Festivals in St. Pete and Boca:
Phil, Myron and Roy Book Binder
The night before the Vinoy Park gig we visited our pal Roy Book Binder and had some yummy Thai food together.
Four degrees at home... but this is Florida!
Yeah the warm weather is nice, but where does it say in the Bible you have to die with a suntan?
Good Day Sunshine
Foto by Phil Jacobs
Jorma Kaukonen 1, 2016
Sunshine Music Festival
Vinoy Park
St. Petersburg, Florida
Saturday, January 16, 2016
1. That’ll Never Happen No More
2. Ain’t In No Hurry
3. How Long Blues
4. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
5. Come Back Baby
6. Full Go Round
7. Good Shepherd
8. Hesitation Blues
9. Where There’s Two There’s Trouble
10. Barbeque King
11. I Know You Rider
After my set I got to hang with Jerry Douglas a bit.
Jerry... the man, the legend
foto by Myron Hart
Jerry Douglas… his music touches my soul!
Jerry Weiner... masseur to the stars... fixes my ancient hands
Jorma Kaukonen 2, 2016
Sunshine Music Festival
Mizner Park
Boca Raton, Florida
Sunday, January 16, 2016
1. True Religion
2. Ain’t In No Hurry
3. Hesitation Blues
4. I See The Light
5. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down & Out
6. Barbeque King
7. Sea Child
8. Good Shepherd
9. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
10. San Francisco Bay Blues
I'm there somewhere
foto by Phil Jacobs
Well… it was a great little weekend!
Jorma and John Scher
foto by Myron Hart
Got to hang with my old pal, John Scher and listen to a little music…
Now I’m back to where it was six degrees this morning… and that’s more than OK…
Onward!
Taking Jormas blog hostage only hurts yourself.
What are you trying to prove?
You’ve made this an unfriendly place.
Please go away.
The Calderone was a theater on Main Street n Hempstead. I saw a Hot Tuna show there in or around 1976. It may have been with The New Riders….we are indeed lucky to be experiencing so many years of great music and to have had all those long, crazy shows in our youth. Not so sure I’d want to do one of those late shows where we came outside to daylight nowadays, but they sure were fun in my teens and twenties!
We were all very lucky to experience these musicians and concert venues. It will not
happen again. Capital theatre,calderone theater, the place in Hempstead LI the name escapes me, and last but not least the palladium and Commack Arena. Jorma
you laid down so many memories at these places.
Some of the scenes were scary thinking back but
When you went to see hot tuna you knew what you
were getting.
I sure do !@johno
It’s not anti anything. We are just tired of your blabbering. Most of the time its useless shit – like your dog Poody and your boyfriend’s snowplowing or rent stabilized apartments must I go on.
I will post this comment, again in appreciation of the war Veterans who do a
great job, working at whatever task they are hired to do.
You won’t see a report about them on “FOX News”.
However,
they worked long hours to help those in need; plowing, snow-blowing and shoveling snow for many people who needed and appreciated their help.
As usual, the same people posting anti- Barbara Jacobs comments:
I never take “pot shots at people in recovery”.
I never post “right wing lies, innuendo”… or “propaganda”.
I am “out of town”. (“for the blizzard”?)
I’m not “the authority”, I’m just posting my opinions based on my personal experience.
Everybody else here is free to post their comments about the “storm/blizzard”.
I had an exchange of opinions with “hamneggs” and he took it as such, without
being angry.
You all are free to go back to enjoying your memories of the days at the Academy:
“people passed out in the aisles, chairs, bathrooms”,
“some girl running down the aisle to give the finger…”
That’s not “the artistry in words, music, and pictures of one Mr. Kaukonen.”
Those are merely your opinions and your comments posted here.
You are free to express your opinions and post your comments here.
Even within a half an hour of each other. (Do you all “get paid by the word” or comment? I don’t care what your arrangement is.)
Just in case anybody with free will and intellect is reading.
I thought you were out of town for the blizzard! All of a sudden you’re the authority…
If I want right wing lies,innuendo & blathering nonsense I’ll watch FOX News. I come here for the fellowship of other Jorma/Hot Tuna fans and the artistry in words, music, and pictures of one Mr. Kaukonen. There are other venues for such propaganda.
Thanks for hijacking the blog. Do you get paid by the word? Taking pot shots at people in recovery is classless.
Don’t even get me started on De Blah’s Administration cronies, in general.
Anybody who falls for the Democratic Socialist Progressive Marxist
(and in the case of Bernie, Communist agenda will get what they think they
want. Yes, Bernie is now proven to have been a Communist and because he never denounced his position, I still can call him on that.)
Back to the here and now:
De Blah, having neglected to make proper preparations for the blizzard,
which by Friday night (not evening) was predicted to be at least 12-20 inches of snow, could have and should have done more than to let people go to work in the morning, only to be left unprepared for the 2:30pm vehicle ban (unless you
wanted to be pulled down the streets and avenues of Manhattan by a big vehicle, while snowboarding).
In that case, it was big fun and the NYPD let it go.
In the suburbs of Long Island, my boyfriend had made plans Friday night, to have
his teams of snow and plow vehicles ready to go out and clear the streets on Saturday. Not in the Hamptons, but in the towns of Long Island where his crews were the only workers plowing there.
He has a team of great workers, many of them are war Veterans.
Those men work. They show up on time and put in a hard days/nights work.
They also shoveled snow, for elderly citizens and others who were unable to.
He pays them well for their efforts, without any reimbursement from the Government.
Don’t even get me started on De Blah’s Dept. of Education cronies.@Hamneggs
Are you talking about Bloomberg?
I’m talking about the current Mayor.
Don’t get caught in the past.
If you voted for De Blah, you got what you thought he would give you.
The reality is much different.
The prediction was for at least 6-10 inches during the days before, but it was updated by Friday evening to at least 10 inches.
The prediction was never for “4 inches-8 inches”.
As for his special-interest, big-donating fans; they got a lot more:
The rights to various off-limit things, not available to his non-supporters,
non-big money donation groups.
Now, the crime-rate is out of control, especially street crime.
The gang-members don’t need to worry about being arrested, as there is a directive to stop the NYPD from driving up the arrest rates. Illegal guns are in the hands of street gangs.
Getting arrested for weed, then receiving no jail-time; seems very lenient.
I don’t know of anybody who was dumb enough to smoke weed on the street.
Welcome back to the city that experiences violent crime on an everyday basis.
Anybody want to get their face slashed? Just walk on the street, on your way to work. Sit on the subway and wait to get attacked.
I don’t care if a Mayor is flying his private jet to go out of town on the weekends. He earned his money legally and has the right to spend it.
I do care when the current Mayor shows up late for official and community events, because he can’t wake-up early in the morning.
If anybody has a problem getting up to do the job of Mayor — the Mayor’s job is not for him.
Anybody is free to do their own research.
As always, Peace and Love.
@Hamneggs
Oh, wait!… I have gone off-topic from the off-topic discussion up there:
“..people passed out in the aisles, chairs, bathrooms…”
“…some girl running down the aisle to give the finger…”
I saw a lot of disgusting behavior there. I didn’t enjoy seeing it back then — and I certainly don’t look back at those memories with fondness.
(and, I’m not a person, who like many here, claim to be sober and in recovery…)
They were predicting 4-8 inches until the storm was here and the mayor wasn’t flying in on his private jet from Bermuda where he went just about every Friday during his term when no city workers had contracts , and he wasn’t cutting summer youth employment jobs like the two previous putzes did before him while arresting over 50,000 people a year for reefer, But I digress.
Peace
Love All Ways
I tell you all that, to tell you this:
I put my money on New York City because I think/hope/believe that the current Mayor will be a one-termer.
He is The Worst.
Socialist Democrat? Nope:
Democratic Socialist Progressive Marxist.
Like Jorma, I made my money legally and earned every penny of it.
I pay my taxes. I worked my way up, from an immigrant family.
My boyfriend also did the same. He’s a one-percenter.
We do charity work, even for non-tax-exempt causes.
We are no better than anyone else. We put our money into good causes, where
the Government has abandoned all hope and/or effort.
And — that’s the way it is.
so, here’s what happened, blizzard of 2016, in NYC:
Manhattan: very nice, with snowboarders being pulled by vehicles through the
closed-to-traffic (except emergency vehicles) streets and avenues.
All documented by the fun-nees’, with Go-Pros and drones.
Brooklyn, pretty good with snow plowing.
The Bronx: not so good.
The big problem was/is in Queens, not snowed-plowed on many streets, and on those streets too narrow for snow-plows — just ignored completely.
Add to that disregard:
The Mayor, Bill de Blah; knew that there was a big blizzard coming, and by Friday night, could have and should have declared his plans to close traffic on Saturday and suspend public transportation; by that afternoon.
But noooo — he waited until after noon to make that announcement.
He didn’t take into consideration, the many people who made their way to work,
particularly into Manhattan, from the outer-boros and Long Island.
Those people needed more than “a couple of hours notice” to be able to return home via public transportation (what with all of the transportation delays).
Even those who managed to get the last subways, commuter trains and buses; were then stuck when they reached their destination. They had no way to get home, other than to walk, some for more than a mile.
That’s what you get with a “Democratic Socialist Progressive” as Mayor in New York City.
Imagine what you will get with a “Democratic Socialist Progressive” POTUS.
(He’s actually a Marxist, Communist. But — why let facts get in the way of politics?)
Hi jorm…the big storm is over,I can still see the lawn across the street.calling for mid 30,s by weds.so maybe the gal will have the mower out? Venison sausage,peppers,tonight. all good…Richu
The blizzard is over – almost 27 inches – thank God for snowblowers! It was the 2nd highest snowfall in NYC history.
Jim: I’m out of town, so I missed it.
Our dog Poody loves to play in the snow.
( He’s a dog for all seasons:
Swims and on the paddleboard in summer, rolls in the autumn leaves,
loves to chase the tennis ball in springtime.)@jim hitchcock
@Jorma, Thank you once again for your elegant musings and reflections. I agree with Tricia that reading your posts makes me want to read more by you, as in a book-ful! I particularly appreciate learning about the musicians you mention in your posts, exposing me to the talented folks you admire; their lives and their music. I followed internet paths to read about Dallas Taylor and Pete Huttlinger. Thanks for teaching and sharing the music and the love.
Yeah, Sweetbac, I was at that show. If I recall correctly (always a dubious proposition), that was the last of 3 Jorma shows I caught that weekend. Friday at Palladium (late show), Sat. at Convention Hall in Asbury Park, and Sunday’s gig at Belmont.
Anyone at the huge Jorma/White Gland gig at Belmont Racetrack on Long Island July 1979?…one of the last shows with Bob Steeler on drums.
Crazy, CRAZY scene.
Man, Jormas orange hair/Hawaiian shirt combo and the punk bass player threw them Strong Island Tuna folks for one HELL of a loop!
@DennisK
Was there for that my friends and I dressed up in our best “hippie garb” for a 60s clothes contest…We were all of 17….top prize was 2 tix to the upcoming dead shows at Nassau or MSG…I got the boobie prize of a Grateful Dead barf bag…..ahhh good times for sure…I was a senior in high school….Rick Dank used to play some great solo sets too….
Blizzard…Yup NJ has well over 2+ feet.
Anyone at the 7/13/84 Jorma solo show @ Pier 84, Captain played in a driving rain and kept getting zapped.
And w The Vital Parts 7/01/81…,@Pier 84,New York, NY? Good stuff.
Or Directv!@johno
We’re in the middle of a blizzard here on long island – 14 inches of snow – halfway through the storm. Having a Blizzard Party tonite. Hope we don’t lose the electricity!
yea dennis I was there for that show, 4 of us went from staten island ny in a totally illegal car, the term was crash and burn if we crashed or got pulled over – run great times had by all g
I caught the tail end of the Capitol Theatre era, with Jorma’s (Psychedelic Light Show), Dr. John the Night Tripper and Rick Danko; March 27, 1982.
Jorma,
I have some excellent photos of the Mighty Shade. That is some awesome land! I will bring a few prints to the Mauch Chunk (w Craig Thatcher).
I brought up this idea for Jorma to write a book, here before.
To combine his excellent skills at photography with his writing.
Jorma replied that , maybe some day he would run it up the flag pole and see if anybody salutes it.
@trisha awe-bredekamp
Ah, Luchows!
Another place now long gone.
Concert venues are now regulated by curfews and Union rules.
To own and operate a restaurant in Manhattan is subject to so many regulations,
that it’s expensive to operate them.
However:
Manhattan has changed, mostly for the better.
The bad old days of the 1970’s have returned to the here and now, most evident
in the high-street-crime rate.
Still, I recently bought another apartment in Manhattan, it’s nice to have a place to go home to, within walking/quick cab ride distance from my work and leisure activities.
Anybody who is perplexed by my other comments on this thread and can’t understand the dynamics of doing business there, is entitled to their own ignorance.
What? Ever
Indeed. @Hamneggs
I remember a Palladium gig from Thanksgiving ’79….2 shows acoustic/electric..
shouts of “WHERE’S Jack!!” & “Hot F’ing Jawma” ringing out New Yawk style.
During the late show, some girl running down the aisle to give the finger to Denny as he was croaking out “Volunteers”…indeed,that was a hell of a time.
@johno
Yah Johno. Not many can comprehend the stuff that happened back then. It was my first Tuna show, people were passed out in the aisles, chairs, and bathrooms in the upper levels, while the ones on the floor were just completely rockin’ out. Many had left by 4am. Around that time, I came out of my LSD blackout, and thought I had been locked in this joint with these guys who wouldn’t stop playing. This was our personal insane asylum.
Shortly after that moment, I remembered that I was just tripping, and started to really enjoy the Music. I’ll never forget that signature lick on”Invitation”. That’s what got me.
It’s fun to share this stuff. Thank you for indulging me.
Hot Fuckin’Tuna!
hey jorm..happy 2016 I can still see my neighbours lawn across the street and im deep upstate ny.little chilly and your old stomping ground lake George has froze,but no snow here.thanks for all the posts,love the pictures. Richu
@Joey Hudoklin
At the Academy on Fridays we used to sit for 4 hrs for the early show then sit another 5-6 hrs for the late show – then drive home. Then turn around and do the same thing the very next day. And absolutely love it. We wouldn’t miss a Tuna show if it was within a 200 mile radius of NYC. Those were some of the best times in my life as well. We’ll never see those days again. And I am so glad Jorma and Jack still tour – they really are incredible.
Dearest Jorma,
While reading today’s writing halfway through I had tears dripping off my face. Yes it was a tough month. I do so remember my Dad who passed away in 1993 like it was yesterday.
Anyway I ask again , do you think you will put your writings in a book? They are timeless,thought provoking,beautiful,funny and I would love (and I’m sure many) would most treasure it and carry and read over & over. Thank you Jorma for always sharing. I just wanted you to know you made such a difference in this old broad’s life throughout these years.
Peace&Love
Trisha
@Hamneggs
I thought it was a Blarney Stone , although I was at all those shows mid to late 70’s ,so I wouldn’t/couldn’t swear to it. I do remember Luchows,one of my parents favorite restaurants back in the day. Good memories/good times
The Wild Irish Rose bar across from Luchow’s.
14 and Irving
Peace
Love Always
One of my favorite concert hall hangouts was the Capitol Theatre in Passaic NJ. John Scher gave us so many great shows!! Many great bands…Hot Tuna, Jorma, Grateful Dead, New Riders, Outlaws, Charlie Daniels, The Band and many more. My favorite was May 20, 1978. Hot Tuna was billed but Jack couldn’t make it for some reason. So Jorma played solo until 2 am. playing Keep you Lamps…to Hot Jelly Roll Blues.
Great to see you taking good care of those hands…thanks Jerry Weiner, massage therapist!
What?
Ever
This comments section is such a competitive place.
Even Jorma has to explain himself for adding the name of “Dallas” to his blog-
post.
Back in the days of music concerts at the Academy, there were no residential
buildings on that block, nor anywhere near there.
By the time the club “The Palladium” took that space, there were still no residential buildings around there. It was a dance club, without live performances.
(Although there were benefit shows held there.
One example was a benefit for:
“The Abbie Hoffman Foundation”. Wavy Gravy was in attendance, along with a host of other great names of that time.)
I did attend many Hot Tuna shows there. Also, some other wonderful shows,
such as:
Bob Weir (with Alfonso Johnson playing bass).
I taped it on my cassette recorder. I still have that tape, somewhere.
Because it’s been a residential area for many years, there could never be a
venue with live concerts allowed to take place there.
The Beacon was landmarked, and that’s why concerts are still allowed to take place there (although many of the residential neighboring building tenants
still complain about the noise. I’m always there to take them to task, asking:
“You knew that the Beacon is a concert venue, yet you still decided to live
there, all of you who complain are Rent Stabilized tenants. You could have,
and still can move out, at any time, yet your greed for living in a Rent Stabilized apartment out-weighs your demand for a quiet block/area to live in.”
And, that is always the last of any and all meetings concerned about that.
The Beacon and all other concert venues in Manhattan have a 12-midnight limit.
Anytime after 12-midnight is subject to a New York City fine and it’s the
promoters’ cost to pay for over-runs.
So, don’t get stuck in the past.
@johno
Those were some of the most epic days of my life.
My first show-Closing of the Academy midnight show. It let out at 7 Am.
After one of those shows a friend of mine said, “They Specialize in Endings”.
I was hooked. Line & Sinker.
I would love to hear a revival of “Invitation”.
How about a nice big box set of electric Hot Tuna from the Palladium
circa 1975 – 1977…Jorma/Jack MUST have bits and pieces from the vault.
@Steve
The Palladium was previously The Academy of Music back in the 70’s
Jorma,
It’s still the same. A day, week or last year.
They go and we miss them, each in our own way.@Jorma
Sadly I was a bit young to make it to those amazing Palladium and Capital shows…My brothers were there, usually in the first few rows for maximum effect!!! I first saw Jorma solo with his “new” pink hair in 1979 at the Capital. Oddly enough it was the night after seeing Jefferson Starship there on the first tour with Mickey Thomas and no Grace…damn I am old….oh yeah and saw SVT open for the Go Gos there in 1981 or 82….
The Academy on 14th and the Capitol in Passaic were the only theatres in the NY Metro that were Hot Tuna mainstays back in the 70’s. They would have a spring tour and a autumn tour. At the Academy the would play fri and sat – early and late shows – most of the time the late show would start at about midnight – they played until 5-6am. We would be driving home as the sun came up. It was freakin amazing. I wonder if you NY/NJ guys remember those days.
I am another one glad to see the John Scher photo. I also spent a lot of my youth at the old Capital in NJ. Now I have to look for my snow shovels for this weekend. I wish I was in Florida.
I love your writing. You speak volumes. It has been a very tough January indeed. For me Glenn Frey was the toughest. Hot Tuna, the Eagles although very different they were the soundtrack to my days in the 70’s especially, and now. We have four children, born 1982,86,93 and 1995. Both of my parents died in 95 and i know what you mean about still missing them after 20 years. That never goes away. Buy keep those memories close. With the children, we had years away from the concert scene. Happily we got back out there and have been seeing Hot Tuna as much as we can in the last 5 years, and you are better than ever! We did get to see the Eagles a few years ago and I am so glad we did. Great show, and it brought back so many memories. A few years ago they played very close to home but we couldn’t afford their ticket prices. Sad. Mad. Now, very sorry we didn’t spend the money to see them one more time.
Jorma you live your life like people should, to the fullest. There will be no regrets. I am trying to do the same. I am looking forward to our next chance at seeing Hot Tuna and just want you to know how much we love you! Always.
Always very cool to see John Scher Jorma….I cut my teeth on live music at the good ole Capital in scenic Passaic as a kid. Gotta flag you though Dallas passed away a year ago. I hate to be that guy but after Bowie 2 weeks ago, Glenn Frey, the drummer from Mott the Hoople and a founder of Tower of Power in one day well I just don’t know….
http://hollywoodlife.com/2016/01/18/dallas-taylor-dead-crosby-stills-nash-young-drummer-illness-66/
Throwing this out there it may have been what started the internet thing about Dallas…..hell the have Morgan Freeman going 2 or 3 times a year……always a treat to see and hear you Jorma…here’s to today and what is Janis’s and Bear’s birthdays!!!! (and my wee niece Heidi turned 21…….)
Yeah… the Dallas thing… a year ago. Fooled me… Oh well…
Very well thought and written, Jorma.
Nice photo of palm trees – reminds me of Hotel California
RIP Glenn Frey
Jorma, a wish list of sorts, a check mark on my bucket list so to speak; have you ever thought of getting together with John Prine? The two of you are my top of the list of artists/singer/songwriters. Just a random thought from a fan.