Keep Your Head
http://www.citypaper.net/music/2011-08-18-jorma-kaukonen-jefferson-airplane.html
Jefferson Airplane's Jorma Kaukonen lands at Old Pool Farm for Folk Fest's
50th.
By Mary Armstrong
Aug. 18, 2011
[ what the doormouse said ]
Dont let the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame induction fool you. Or the fact that,
right after this interview, he was due at a shockingly early workshop at
FloydFest.
Jorma Kaukonen doesn't consider himself a rocker. "I was just thinking about it
as I was waiting for your call," he says, right after hello. "I've always
characterized myself as a folkie."
Witness "Embryonic Journey," the stand-out cut from Jefferson Airplane's
legendary 1967 album, Surrealistic Pillow . Kaukonen says the engineer heard
him noodling that tune and insisted it be included on the otherwise
side-to-side rock album. People with big ears — like folk radio legend Gene
Shay, who has hosted all 50 Philadelphia Folk Festivals — jumped on it right
away. And you can't get much more folk than Martin guitars; they produce a
Jorma Kaukonen signature line.
So, does Kaukonen have memories of playing the festival early and often? No.
Only recently has Hot Tuna, the Airplane spinoff that he and boyhood pal Jack
Casady formed in the late '60s, performed a set at the Folksong Society annual
throwdown. Better late than never: "To be included in the Folk Fest is an
honor," he says.
Growing up in the D.C. area was as good as Philly for opportunities to hear
live acoustic music, launching Kaukonen into playing bluegrass and old-time.
When he went off to Antioch in Yellow Springs, Ohio, his guitar went with him.
There he became close friends with Ian Buchanan, "my first fingerpicker" — and
that changed his world. Buchanan was friends with Eric Von Schmidt and Dave Van
Ronk, two leaders of the folk revival. Kaukonen remembers moving to New York
and being invited, sorta, to a card game at Van Ronks ("Sit in a corner and
don't say anything," he'd told himself at the time). Also in that era: "I was a
distant disciple of Reverend Gary Davis," the finger-style genius who was a
Festival stalwart through the end of his career. Kaukonen recommends the film
Don't Look Back , finding it true to the folk scene of the era in New York,
where he himself was "a non-entity from a small town in Ohio."
Fast forward through San Francisco and out the other side, where Kaukonen and
wife, Vanessa, are tired of the rock meat grinder and figuring what to do next.
They settled on a performance and teaching center in Ohio, Fur Peace Ranch.
Teaching is one of the things he prides himself on. Nobody will suffer the
indignities he did as a lad. "Ian would show me something, but couldn't explain
it. You were just to go into your room, practice, come back out and have him
say, 'That sucks, it goes like this, and listen/practice some more." In keeping
with his look-to-the-future philosophy, in addition to residential guitar camp,
he now offers lessons online, on demand at breakdownway.com.
You can compare Kaukonen's in-person teaching style with some other greats on
Sunday at noon during the blues workshop with David Bromberg, Roy Book Binder
and Tom Rush, among others. Kaukonen is big on encouragement, and likes sharing
a tip or two. Want to join a jam? Hide your pick! "I love bluegrass, and since
Im a finger-picker they cut me slack. I'm not expected to play like Bryan
Sutton or Tony Rice." Speaking of his own career, consider this: "My successes
are predicated in my inadequacies. I couldn't mimic so I had to develop my own
style."
( m_armstr...@citypaper.net ) Jorma Kaukonen plays Sat., Aug. 20, 7:30 p.m.,
Old Pool Farm, Schwenksville, 800-556-FOLK, pfs.org.
.
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