JORMA KAUKONEN
Jorma Kaukonen — known for his work with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna as well as his solo albums and tours — will perform at the At the Tabernacle series in the Mt. Tabor section of Parsippany on April 16, and The Vogel at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, April 17-18. Pre-sales have already begun for both venues but the general public on-sale date for both is Oct. 27.
He will also be at The City Winery in New York, April 7-9.
Kaukonen has been touring this year with Hot Tuna; the shows have been billed as the group’s final electric tour, though he has said he will continue performing, at times, with Hot Tuna bassist Jack Casady, as an acoustic duo. (He’ll definitely be solo in Red Bank and Parsippany, though.)
“It’s not that I don’t like to play electric music; I just don’t find it as multi-dimensional, for myself, as playing acoustic music,” he said in a recent interview. “When you’re doing it, it’s no less satisfying, don’t get me wrong, but I think the fact that illustrates this best is: I almost never pick up an electric guitar, except when I’ve got a project or a tour coming. Whereas the acoustic guitar gets played multiple hours, every single day.”
Kaukonen was Jefferson Airplane’s lead guitarist from its formation in 1965 until he left, with Casady, in 1972, to form the more blues-oriented Hot Tuna. Hot Tuna released its first album that year, and Kaukonen released his first solo album in 1974. Since then, he has performed both solo and with Hot Tuna, though he did also participate in a Jefferson Airplane reunion album and tour in 1989.
Kaukonen also owns and operates Fur Peace Ranch, a music center in Pomeroy, Ohio, that offers classes, concerts, art exhibitions and more.
CONTRIBUTE TO NJARTS.NET
Since launching in September 2014, NJArts.net, a 501(c)(3) organization, has become one of the most important media outlets for the Garden State arts scene. And it has always offered its content without a subscription fee, or a paywall. Its continued existence depends on support from members of that scene, and the state’s arts lovers. Please consider making a contribution of any amount to NJArts.net via PayPal, or by sending a check made out to NJArts.net to 11 Skytop Terrace, Montclair, NJ 07043.
