Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy Lifetime Achievement recipient Jorma Kaukonen will be making a very special appearance at Lost Weekend Records this coming Sunday, October 7th. Jorma will be promoting his autobiography Been So Long : My Life and Music, released by St. Martins Press on August 28th, 2018.
Jorma is a founding member and lead guitarist of the pioneering San Francisco based psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane. Jorma was a member of Jefferson Airplane during the bands entire existence from 1965 until their breakup 1972. In 1969 Jorma formed Hot Tuna with fellow Airplane member bassist Jack Casady, while Jefferson Airplane was on a hiatus. For awhile both bands co-existed and Hot Tuna even opened shows for Jefferson Airplane. After the 1972 Airplane breakup, Jorma turned his focus to Hot Tuna. Initially Hot Tuna was an acoustic-based unit that showcased Jorma's finger-picking guitar style. Eventually Hot Tuna would go "electric" with the release of their 1974 album The Phosphorescent Rat. Various members of Jefferson Airplane performed with Hot Tuna over the years but Jorma and Jack have been the core of the group and they still perform several shows each year as Hot Tuna. Jorma has also released several solo albums over the years, beginning with 1974's Quah.
In 1998 Jorma - along with wife Vanessa - opened Fur Peace Ranch located in the village of Pomeroy, the county seat of Meigs County Ohio. Fur Peace Ranch is a music and guitar camp that has allowed Jorma to get back to his roots of teaching guitar, which is a passion he had been pursuing prior to his days with the Airplane. The guitar camp gives players of varied skill sets a chance to spend a weekend together and immerse themselves in music and learn from each other. It's not a Rock N Roll Fantasy camp, but more of a creative adventure that sparks inspiration.
Jorma performing at Fur Peace Ranch with Steve Earle. Photo taken by Kyle Siegrist.
Jorma calls it “a ranch that grows guitar players.”
Lost Weekend Records owner Kyle Siegrist attended his first guitar camp at Fur Peace in September of 1998 and has returned several times over the past two decades.
In 2007 Jorma did an in-store performance at Lost Weekend Records to promote his then recently released Stars In My Crown CD. The store was standing room only for this performance and even the parking lot was full of Jorma fans hoping to hear a bit of the performance.
This Sunday, October 7th, Jorma is returning to Lost Weekend Records for a very special and intimate event focusing on his new book Been So Long: My Life and Music.
Jorma will be conducting two readings from the book which will include song performances, a Q&A session and a chance for attendees to get copies of Been So Long signed. The first reading will take place at 11AM, followed by another at 1PM . With limited space for the book readings, both sold out quickly. The good news is, Jorma will be hanging around the store for an extra 2 hours to sign books and meet fans that weren't able to get into the book readings.
Lost Weekend Records will have plenty of books on hand to purchase and get signed. The General Public book signing will begin at 2PM and go until 4PM. No tickets are needed for this portion of the event.
Lost Weekend Records is located at 2960 North High Street Columbus, OH 43202
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the recent passing of Jefferson Airplane member Marty Balin. Marty passed away September 27, 2018 at the age of 76.
Jorma posted a touching tribute to his fallen band mate and friend. Here is just a piece of that tribute..
"Marty and I were young together in a time that defined our lives. Had it not been for him, my life would have taken an alternate path I cannot imagine. He and Paul Kantner came together and like plutonium halves in a reactor started a chain reaction that still affects many of us today. It was a moment of powerful synchronicity. I was part of it to be sure, but I was not a prime mover. Marty always reached for the stars and he took us along with him." - Jorma Kaukonen
I will leave you with a few YouTube clips featuring some of Jorma's work over the years, including a song Jorma co-wrote with Marty Balin called "She Has Funny Cars" from Jefferson Airplane’s Surrealistic Pillow album.
Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH bands Radio Tramps and Returning April. Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.