Friday, June 07, 2002 6:59:14 AM
Rock 'n' Roll Artists A-Z...Hot Tuna
http://www.hottuna.com/
Began as off-shoot project from Jefferson Airplane.
The revolution began in the 50's and it was televised. Artists like Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly appeared on prime time, jolting the well-groomed homes of white Americans with their interpretations of black music, while the real stuff - Lightnin' Hopkins and Chuck Berry - infested suburbia through records, assailing young kids like Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady in the musical jugular. The Delta Blues sound spawned Hot Tuna; a three decade wonder band with one of the most faithful audiences in popular music, spanning 25 years and a prodigious recording longevity of over 27 albums.
Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady began their musical courtship in Washington, D.C. in the late 1950's. As musical accomplices in high school, they listened to records that belonged to Jack's older brother Chick, an avid blues collector. Inspired by what they heard they formed a teen garage band, the 'Triumphs', a timely name which presaged their future success.
Jorma attended Antioch College where he met friend and mentor, Ian Buchanan and future blues man, John Hammond. This remarkable triad listened and copied the blues style of the greats: the rags, marches, old popular songs and sacred music of the Reverend Gary Davis, the visionary work of Robert Johnson, the acoustic duet Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee and the quick-fingering rags of Blind Blake - but it was the vast Davis repertoire and legacy which left the greatest impression on Jorma.
Kaukonen reunited with Jack when he transferred to the University of Santa Clara. A thriving folk scene was in progress, a "folk troupe" of notables: Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia, and Pigpen centered around the coffee house, the Folk Theater. Folk met the future when Paul Kantner, Marty Balin and Jorma formed Jefferson Airplane. Signed to RCA, the band recorded its debut album, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE TAKES OFF, with Jack Casady on bass.
Airplane's trajectory went straight to the rock and roll heavens with nine top 20 albums and two top 10 singles.The Airplane represented a new musical vitality and creativity; an image that would come to embody the essence of the West coast alternative culture of the 60's.
Throughout the Airplane days, Jorma and Jack continued to play out as Hot Tuna - but as Casady later remarked, "it got pretty complicated." Wanting to make the blues their number one priority, Jorma and Jack officially left Jefferson Airplane in the early 70's.
Hot Tuna's first album, HOT TUNA, is a classic among a generation of kids growing up in the 70's looking for an alternative to REO Speedwagon, et al. The self-titled debut is a straight acoustic guitar/bass album - recorded live, it is a pure, unadulterated distillation of their laid-back blues sound. On their second album, FIRST PULL UP - THEN PULL DOWN, many of the riffs were transposed from acoustic blues onto a heavy stringed Stratocaster. The result is a natural evolution and transition to their third album, BURGERS, an all-electric album. Legendary electric violinist Papa John Creach joined the band for BURGERS bringing an oldtimey, ragtime feel to the group. Kaukonen said, "It blew my mind when I first saw him. I knew he would fit in; he was just incredible." In 1973, PHOSPHORESCENT RAT marked Hot Tuna's official departure from Jefferson Airplane and ushered in a new era of purely electric guitar sounds very different from what Jorma has called the "cloned acoustic sounds" of their past.
After an extended musical hiatus and many personnel changes, native New Yorker, Michael Falzarano, guitarist and songwriter, joined the band. Drummer Harvey Sorgen, a percussion master of many styles, has played with artists like Ahmad Jamal, NRBQ and Bill Frizell.
Hot Tuna's LIVE AT SWEETWATER I and II , first recorded in 1992, began a series of critically acclaimed releases on Relix Records without overdubs, Live at Sweetwater is Hot Tuna's first acoustic album in eight years. A reminder of the freshness and innovation of their musical vision.
Pete Sears, Hot Tuna's newest member started out like Jorma and Jack listening to Leadbelly and Jack Dupree and playing with folk/rockers and fellow Brits, Rod Stewart, and Long John. Pete was also a member of Jefferson Starship. His work on the piano and accordion, is, according to Casady, "inspiring and exciting."
Also on Relix Records, CLASSIC HOT TUNA ACOUSTIC recorded in 1971 is a selection of vintage acoustic Hot Tuna performed live on the Bay Area radio station, KSAN. For this session Jorma is playing an old Gibson 150 guitar and Jack and Alembic bass. Sammy Piazza and Papa John Creach also make an appearance in this rare, all acoustic record. About this time Jorma said, "We had just started playing acoustic in front of people as Hot Tuna. We were all pretty hot on the whole deal."
Hot Tuna recorded thier last project on Relix Records in 1997 entitled LIVE IN JAPAN, a compilation of songs recorded at a small club in Yokohama, Japan, bringing to light the intimate acoustic sounds of Hot Tuna that their fans love
In addition to the CLASSIC series on Relix Records, Hot Tuna fans were treated to a number of first time on cd reissues from RCA Records. The first two titles came in June of '96. They are HOT TUNA and FIRST PULL UP-TREN PULL DOWN Three more were released later that year, BURGERS, AMERICA 5 CHOICE and HOPPKORV, Put together in a unique collector's edition, they are now available as - literally - HOT TUNA IN A CAN In 1998 RCA reissued on CD, PHOSPHORESCENT RAT.
In 1998 Hot Tuna hit the road with the Furthur Festival. It was their second time at Furthur….Jorma’s third. They shared the stage with Rusted Root and The Other One's (members of the Grateful Dead, Bruce Hornsby, Dave Ellis from Rat Dog, John Molo from Hornsby’s band and Stan Franks) performing in cities across the country. That summer tour gave birth to Hot Tuna's most recent project......And Furthurmore on Grateful Dead Records.
Hot Tuna is one of America's true musical treasures, which continue to grow with an ageless grace that shows no signs of slowing... ever.
Hot Tuna I (1970 - 1971)
Jorma Kaukonen - guitar/vocals - b. December 23, 1940, Washington, D.C. - formerly with The Jefferson Airplane.
Jack Casady - bass - b. April 13, 1944, Washington, D.C. - formerly with The Jefferson Airplane.
Will Scarlet - harmonica
Album:
"Hot Tuna" (live) (1970)
Hot Tuna II (1971 - 1972)
Jorma Kaukonen - guitar/vocals
Jack Casady - bass
Will Scarlet - harmonica
Papa John Creach - fiddle - b. May 28, 1917, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania; d. February 22, 1994, Los Angeles, California.
Sammy Piazza - drums
Album:
"First Pull Up - Then Pull Down" (1971)
Hot Tuna III (1972 - 1974)
Jorma Kaukonen - guitar/vocals
Jack Casady - bass
Papa John Creach - fiddle
Sammy Piazza - drums
Album:
"Burgers" (1972)
Band officially splits from Jefferson Airplane. Papa John Creach joins Jefferson Airplane, and later forms Zulu.
Hot Tuna IV (1974 - 1975)
Jorma Kaukonen - guitar/vocals
Jack Casady - bass
Sammy Piazza - drums
Album:
"The Phosphorescent Rat" (1974)
Hot Tuna V (1975 - 1978)
Jorma Kaukonen - guitar/vocals
Jack Casady - bass
Bob Steeler - drums
Albums:
"America's Choice" (1975)
"Yellow Fever" (1975)
"Hoppkorv" (1976)
"Splashdown" (1984) - recorded in 1975.
Hot Tuna VI (1978)
Jorma Kaukonen - guitar/vocals
Jack Casady - bass
Bob Steeler - drums
Nick Buck - keyboards
Albums:
"Double Dose" (1978)
"Final Vinyl" (1979)
Group disbands. Jorma Kaukonen joins Vital Parts. Jack Casady forms SVT, and later joins KBC (with Paul Kantner and Marty Balin).
Hot Tuna VII (1983) (Reformed)
Jorma Kaukonen - guitar/vocals
Jack Casady - bass
Hot Tuna VIII (1986 - ? ) (Reformed)
Jorma Kaukonen - guitar/vocals
Jack Casady - bass
Michael Falzarano - guitar/mandolin/harmonica/vocals
Albums:
"Pair A Dice Found" (1990)
"Live at Sweetwater" (1992)
"Live at Sweetwater Two" (1993)
"Live in Japan" (1998)
Compilations:
"Historic Hot Tuna" (1991)
"Classic Acoustic" (1996)
"Classic Electric" (1996)
"Hot Tuna in a Can" (5-CD box set) (1996)
"The Best of Hot Tuna" (2-CDs) (1998)
Jorma Kaukonen solo:
"Quah" (1974)
"Jorma" (1979)
"Barbeque King" (1980)
"Too Hot to Handle" (1985)
"Magic" (1985)
"Magic Two" (1995)
"The Land of Heroes" (1995)
"Christmas" (1998)
"Too Many Years" (1999)
Discography
Singles:
Been So Long/Candyman Grunt 1971
Keep on Truckin' Grunt 1971
Water Song/Keep on Truckin' Grunt 1971
Hot Jelly Roll Blues Grunt 1975
Hot Jelly Roll Blues/ Surface Tension Grunt 1975
It's So Easy Grunt 1976
It's So Easy/I Can't Be Satisfied Grunt 1976
Eve of Destruction CD Single Epic 1989
LP's/CD's
Hot Tuna RCA 1970
First Pull Up Then Pull Down RCA 1971
Burgers Grunt 1972
The Phosphorescent Rat Grunt 1973
Yellow Fever Grunt 1975
America's Choice Grunt 1975
Hopkorv Grunt 1976
The Last Interview? Grunt 1978
Double Dose Grunt 1978
Splashdown Relix 1984
Historic Hot Tuna Relix 1985
Pair a Dice Found Epic 1990
Live at Sweetwater Relix 1992
Live at Sweetwater Two Relix 1993
Live in Japan Relix 1997
Classic Acoustic Relix 1996
Classic Electric Relix 1996
Splashdown Two Relix 1997
And Furthurmore... Grateful Dead 1999
Hot Tuna appears on the following titles:
Papa John Creach Papa John Creach Grunt 1971
Papa John Creach Filthy! Grunt 1972
Jefferson Airplane Flight Log Grunt 1977
Hot Tuna Final Vinyl Grunt 1979
The Relix Sampler Relix 1985
The Best of Mountain Stage Vol. 7 Blue Plate Music 1994
Hot Tuna Trimmed & Burning Edsel 1995
Hot Tuna In a Can RCA 1996
Furthur Hybrid 1997
Best of Hot Tuna RCA 1998
Photos
http://www.hottuna.com/archive.htm
]
Breaking Clay Makes My Day!
http://www.hottuna.com/
Began as off-shoot project from Jefferson Airplane.
The revolution began in the 50's and it was televised. Artists like Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly appeared on prime time, jolting the well-groomed homes of white Americans with their interpretations of black music, while the real stuff - Lightnin' Hopkins and Chuck Berry - infested suburbia through records, assailing young kids like Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady in the musical jugular. The Delta Blues sound spawned Hot Tuna; a three decade wonder band with one of the most faithful audiences in popular music, spanning 25 years and a prodigious recording longevity of over 27 albums.
Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady began their musical courtship in Washington, D.C. in the late 1950's. As musical accomplices in high school, they listened to records that belonged to Jack's older brother Chick, an avid blues collector. Inspired by what they heard they formed a teen garage band, the 'Triumphs', a timely name which presaged their future success.
Jorma attended Antioch College where he met friend and mentor, Ian Buchanan and future blues man, John Hammond. This remarkable triad listened and copied the blues style of the greats: the rags, marches, old popular songs and sacred music of the Reverend Gary Davis, the visionary work of Robert Johnson, the acoustic duet Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee and the quick-fingering rags of Blind Blake - but it was the vast Davis repertoire and legacy which left the greatest impression on Jorma.
Kaukonen reunited with Jack when he transferred to the University of Santa Clara. A thriving folk scene was in progress, a "folk troupe" of notables: Janis Joplin, Jerry Garcia, and Pigpen centered around the coffee house, the Folk Theater. Folk met the future when Paul Kantner, Marty Balin and Jorma formed Jefferson Airplane. Signed to RCA, the band recorded its debut album, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE TAKES OFF, with Jack Casady on bass.
Airplane's trajectory went straight to the rock and roll heavens with nine top 20 albums and two top 10 singles.The Airplane represented a new musical vitality and creativity; an image that would come to embody the essence of the West coast alternative culture of the 60's.
Throughout the Airplane days, Jorma and Jack continued to play out as Hot Tuna - but as Casady later remarked, "it got pretty complicated." Wanting to make the blues their number one priority, Jorma and Jack officially left Jefferson Airplane in the early 70's.
Hot Tuna's first album, HOT TUNA, is a classic among a generation of kids growing up in the 70's looking for an alternative to REO Speedwagon, et al. The self-titled debut is a straight acoustic guitar/bass album - recorded live, it is a pure, unadulterated distillation of their laid-back blues sound. On their second album, FIRST PULL UP - THEN PULL DOWN, many of the riffs were transposed from acoustic blues onto a heavy stringed Stratocaster. The result is a natural evolution and transition to their third album, BURGERS, an all-electric album. Legendary electric violinist Papa John Creach joined the band for BURGERS bringing an oldtimey, ragtime feel to the group. Kaukonen said, "It blew my mind when I first saw him. I knew he would fit in; he was just incredible." In 1973, PHOSPHORESCENT RAT marked Hot Tuna's official departure from Jefferson Airplane and ushered in a new era of purely electric guitar sounds very different from what Jorma has called the "cloned acoustic sounds" of their past.
After an extended musical hiatus and many personnel changes, native New Yorker, Michael Falzarano, guitarist and songwriter, joined the band. Drummer Harvey Sorgen, a percussion master of many styles, has played with artists like Ahmad Jamal, NRBQ and Bill Frizell.
Hot Tuna's LIVE AT SWEETWATER I and II , first recorded in 1992, began a series of critically acclaimed releases on Relix Records without overdubs, Live at Sweetwater is Hot Tuna's first acoustic album in eight years. A reminder of the freshness and innovation of their musical vision.
Pete Sears, Hot Tuna's newest member started out like Jorma and Jack listening to Leadbelly and Jack Dupree and playing with folk/rockers and fellow Brits, Rod Stewart, and Long John. Pete was also a member of Jefferson Starship. His work on the piano and accordion, is, according to Casady, "inspiring and exciting."
Also on Relix Records, CLASSIC HOT TUNA ACOUSTIC recorded in 1971 is a selection of vintage acoustic Hot Tuna performed live on the Bay Area radio station, KSAN. For this session Jorma is playing an old Gibson 150 guitar and Jack and Alembic bass. Sammy Piazza and Papa John Creach also make an appearance in this rare, all acoustic record. About this time Jorma said, "We had just started playing acoustic in front of people as Hot Tuna. We were all pretty hot on the whole deal."
Hot Tuna recorded thier last project on Relix Records in 1997 entitled LIVE IN JAPAN, a compilation of songs recorded at a small club in Yokohama, Japan, bringing to light the intimate acoustic sounds of Hot Tuna that their fans love
In addition to the CLASSIC series on Relix Records, Hot Tuna fans were treated to a number of first time on cd reissues from RCA Records. The first two titles came in June of '96. They are HOT TUNA and FIRST PULL UP-TREN PULL DOWN Three more were released later that year, BURGERS, AMERICA 5 CHOICE and HOPPKORV, Put together in a unique collector's edition, they are now available as - literally - HOT TUNA IN A CAN In 1998 RCA reissued on CD, PHOSPHORESCENT RAT.
In 1998 Hot Tuna hit the road with the Furthur Festival. It was their second time at Furthur….Jorma’s third. They shared the stage with Rusted Root and The Other One's (members of the Grateful Dead, Bruce Hornsby, Dave Ellis from Rat Dog, John Molo from Hornsby’s band and Stan Franks) performing in cities across the country. That summer tour gave birth to Hot Tuna's most recent project......And Furthurmore on Grateful Dead Records.
Hot Tuna is one of America's true musical treasures, which continue to grow with an ageless grace that shows no signs of slowing... ever.
Hot Tuna I (1970 - 1971)
Jorma Kaukonen - guitar/vocals - b. December 23, 1940, Washington, D.C. - formerly with The Jefferson Airplane.
Jack Casady - bass - b. April 13, 1944, Washington, D.C. - formerly with The Jefferson Airplane.
Will Scarlet - harmonica
Album:
"Hot Tuna" (live) (1970)
Hot Tuna II (1971 - 1972)
Jorma Kaukonen - guitar/vocals
Jack Casady - bass
Will Scarlet - harmonica
Papa John Creach - fiddle - b. May 28, 1917, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania; d. February 22, 1994, Los Angeles, California.
Sammy Piazza - drums
Album:
"First Pull Up - Then Pull Down" (1971)
Hot Tuna III (1972 - 1974)
Jorma Kaukonen - guitar/vocals
Jack Casady - bass
Papa John Creach - fiddle
Sammy Piazza - drums
Album:
"Burgers" (1972)
Band officially splits from Jefferson Airplane. Papa John Creach joins Jefferson Airplane, and later forms Zulu.
Hot Tuna IV (1974 - 1975)
Jorma Kaukonen - guitar/vocals
Jack Casady - bass
Sammy Piazza - drums
Album:
"The Phosphorescent Rat" (1974)
Hot Tuna V (1975 - 1978)
Jorma Kaukonen - guitar/vocals
Jack Casady - bass
Bob Steeler - drums
Albums:
"America's Choice" (1975)
"Yellow Fever" (1975)
"Hoppkorv" (1976)
"Splashdown" (1984) - recorded in 1975.
Hot Tuna VI (1978)
Jorma Kaukonen - guitar/vocals
Jack Casady - bass
Bob Steeler - drums
Nick Buck - keyboards
Albums:
"Double Dose" (1978)
"Final Vinyl" (1979)
Group disbands. Jorma Kaukonen joins Vital Parts. Jack Casady forms SVT, and later joins KBC (with Paul Kantner and Marty Balin).
Hot Tuna VII (1983) (Reformed)
Jorma Kaukonen - guitar/vocals
Jack Casady - bass
Hot Tuna VIII (1986 - ? ) (Reformed)
Jorma Kaukonen - guitar/vocals
Jack Casady - bass
Michael Falzarano - guitar/mandolin/harmonica/vocals
Albums:
"Pair A Dice Found" (1990)
"Live at Sweetwater" (1992)
"Live at Sweetwater Two" (1993)
"Live in Japan" (1998)
Compilations:
"Historic Hot Tuna" (1991)
"Classic Acoustic" (1996)
"Classic Electric" (1996)
"Hot Tuna in a Can" (5-CD box set) (1996)
"The Best of Hot Tuna" (2-CDs) (1998)
Jorma Kaukonen solo:
"Quah" (1974)
"Jorma" (1979)
"Barbeque King" (1980)
"Too Hot to Handle" (1985)
"Magic" (1985)
"Magic Two" (1995)
"The Land of Heroes" (1995)
"Christmas" (1998)
"Too Many Years" (1999)
Discography
Singles:
Been So Long/Candyman Grunt 1971
Keep on Truckin' Grunt 1971
Water Song/Keep on Truckin' Grunt 1971
Hot Jelly Roll Blues Grunt 1975
Hot Jelly Roll Blues/ Surface Tension Grunt 1975
It's So Easy Grunt 1976
It's So Easy/I Can't Be Satisfied Grunt 1976
Eve of Destruction CD Single Epic 1989
LP's/CD's
Hot Tuna RCA 1970
First Pull Up Then Pull Down RCA 1971
Burgers Grunt 1972
The Phosphorescent Rat Grunt 1973
Yellow Fever Grunt 1975
America's Choice Grunt 1975
Hopkorv Grunt 1976
The Last Interview? Grunt 1978
Double Dose Grunt 1978
Splashdown Relix 1984
Historic Hot Tuna Relix 1985
Pair a Dice Found Epic 1990
Live at Sweetwater Relix 1992
Live at Sweetwater Two Relix 1993
Live in Japan Relix 1997
Classic Acoustic Relix 1996
Classic Electric Relix 1996
Splashdown Two Relix 1997
And Furthurmore... Grateful Dead 1999
Hot Tuna appears on the following titles:
Papa John Creach Papa John Creach Grunt 1971
Papa John Creach Filthy! Grunt 1972
Jefferson Airplane Flight Log Grunt 1977
Hot Tuna Final Vinyl Grunt 1979
The Relix Sampler Relix 1985
The Best of Mountain Stage Vol. 7 Blue Plate Music 1994
Hot Tuna Trimmed & Burning Edsel 1995
Hot Tuna In a Can RCA 1996
Furthur Hybrid 1997
Best of Hot Tuna RCA 1998
Photos
http://www.hottuna.com/archive.htm
] Breaking Clay Makes My Day!
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