2010. December 3th-4th. “Jorma Kaukonen’s 70th Birthday Celebration”
Beacon Theatre, NYC.
Hot Tuna flew me out to New York City to join them as a guest on the second day of a two day birthday celebration for Jorma.
It was wonderful to see my old band-mates, management & crew again. The night before had apparently been mostly Jorma’s guitar player friends sitting in and I heard there were some very high moments.
The night I played was more like a classic Hot Tuna show with guests…at least that is what people were saying afterwards.
Hot Tuna began the set with a few tunes, and I came up for the first time on piano for “San Francisco Bay Blues”. I came and went for most of the night as did my old band mate Michael Falzarano (now playing with “The New Riders of the Purple Sage”) who sang several of his own songs and played guitar on others. I also played a blues on piano with Steve Earl and accordion on “When I Paint My Masterpiece” with Bob Weir. We all jammed together at times. Oteil Burbridge played some amazing bass and scat singing on one tune…what a great musician he is. Jorma and Jack were their usual wonderful self…and it made me feel quite nostalgic about the ten years I spent with those guys. Jorma has written some fantastic new material.
It was a very special night for me.
For a couple of reviews of the show with video try:
http://shakedownblog.com/2010/12/05/jorma-kaukonen-124201/