7.1.11

Jorma

  
Jorma Kaukonen
River of Time

2009

Tracks:

01. "Been So Long" (Jorma Kaukonen) – 3:58
02. "There's a Bright Side Somewhere" (Rev. Gary Davis) – 3:01
03. "Cracks in the Finish" (Kaukonen) – 3:30
04. "Another Man Done a Full Go Round" (Roy Book Binder) – 3:39
05. "Trouble In Mind" (Traditional) – 3:25
06. "Izze's Lullaby" (Kaukonen) – 3:32
07. "More Than My Old Guitar" (Merle Haggard) – 3:45
08. "Nashville Blues" (Alton Delmore, Raybon Delmore) – 3:23
09. "A Walk with Friends" (Kaukonen, Barry Mitterhoff, Larry Campbell) – 4:33
10. "Operator" (Ron McKernan) – 3:48
11. "Preachin on the Old Camp Ground" (Mississippi John Hurt) – 3:48
12. "River of Time" (Kaukonen) – 2:56
13. "Simpler Than I Thought" (Kaukonen) – 6:10

Personnel:

    * Jorma Kaukonen – guitars, vocals
    * Larry Campbell – guitar, baritone guitar, tenor guitar, resophonic guitar, fiddle, dobro, mandolin, cittern, percussion, producer
    * Barry Mitterhoff – banjo, mandolin, tenor guitar
    * Lincoln Schleifer – bass
    * Levon Helm – drums on "Cracks in the Finish" and "Trouble in Mind"
    * Teresa Williams – vocals on "More Than My Old Guitar", "Nashville Blues" and "Preachin' on the Old Camp Ground"
    * Myron Hart – bass on "More Than My Old Guitar" and "Nashville Blues", vocals on "Preachin' on the Old Camp Ground"
    * Justin Guip – drums on "More Than My Old Guitar", "Nashville Blues", and "Operator"
 
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While America was in the throes of rock & roll's dawn, his ears were elsewhere as a devotee of acoustic bluesmen of the past. After relocation to San Francisco, he was one of the first to back another recent arrival (from Texas) named Janis Joplin. As founding member of Jefferson Airplane, he became pioneering architect of the guitar sound that became the genre Psychedelic Rock. His music became the soundtrack of the Counterculture and the Woodstock Generation, it's accompanying lifestyle / philosophy influenced millions. At the height of Airplane's fame as the most successful American rock band of the 1960s, he walked away to play roots music in Hot Tuna. The following decades he forged his own solo career and continued with Hot Tuna, was elected to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and founded the Fur Peace Guitar Ranch.

RIVER OF TIME is the perfect distillation of the journey, some 50 years after he bought his first guitar.

Produced by Larry Campbell (Dylan Band) at Levon Helm's Woodstock studio, RIVER features Levon on drums and a cast of stellar musicians including mandolin virtuoso Barry Mitterhoff. Campbell also plays and his wife Teresa Williams lends her outstanding vocal prowess.

Six of it's thirteen songs are Jorma originals, a prolific showcase with themes of family, friends and inspired memory throughout.

The album also revisits the blues and country music that Jorma first fell in love with in his youth, featuring bright new interpretations of Mississippi John Hurt, Merle Haggard and Rev. Gary Davis...and pays tribute to old friend "Pigpen" Ron McKernan on the Grateful Dead's "Operator." Whether reinterpreting classics or crafting new originals and shimmering instrumentals, RIVER OF TIME finds Jorma at the top of his game with inventive arrangements and his strongest songwriting to date.
 
 
Time has aged Kaukonen's voice into a warm, deep chestnut grain, his vocal approach to the songs ranging from an energetic whisper to a soulful drawl. Accompanied by his impressive guitarwork, which Kaukonen has honed to near perfection over the past five decades, the songs on River of Time are a near-perfect blend of Delta-inspired blues and dustbowl folk that is lively, thoughtful, and laid-back with a carefree energy that makes the album a real pleasure to hear.


3 comments:

kokolo said...

Ha, Jorma's great, Finnish Russian Jewish American cowboy,that fell of an Airplane and Jefferson one that is. Well I have Blue Country Heart , but only in 128 (old rip), I am shure you can find it in better bitrate, if not I'll be happy to pass it on.

Kovina Kris said...

I'd have to spend a considerable amount of time to adequately describe the way I perceive and respect this great artist so just let me say "Thank you very much" and "Great Post!". If anybody reading this isn't familiar with Jorma/Hot Tuna I would humbly posit that it would be well worth your time to do so.

Miguel said...

Very well spoken Kovina Kris!

:-)