Jorma Kaukonen

“A pioneer of San Francisco psychedelia, Jorma Kaukonen is a bona fide graybeard folk swami. He mostly lays back, a master in situ, unfurling melodies and savoring every note.” – Rolling Stone Magazine

“Jorma Kaukonen is a force in American music, equally adept at fingerpicked acoustic folk and blues as he is at wailing on an electric.” – Acoustic Guitar

Jorma Kaukonen is one of the founders of the ‘San Francisco sound’ and a progenitor of Psychedelic Rock, as well as the founding member of two legendary bands: Jefferson Airplane and the still-touring, Hot Tuna. In 2016, Jorma, Jack Casady, and their fellow Jefferson Airplane members were awarded the GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award for contributing to American music. Jefferson Airplane were pioneers of counterculture-era psychedelic rock and the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve international mainstream success. Their 1967 record Surrealistic Pillow is regarded as one of the key recordings of the “Summer of Love.” Jorma left Jefferson Airplane after the band’s most productive five years, pursuing his full-time job with Hot Tuna. Over the past five decades Hot Tuna has performed thousands of concerts and released more than two-dozen records. His half-century spanning career has made Jorma one of the most highly respected interpreters of American roots music, blues, and rock.

Jorma’s originals from his poignant instrumentals, “Embryonic Journey” (Jefferson Airplane, Surrealistic Pillow) and “The Water Song” (Hot Tuna, Burgers), to his insightful lyrics, “Genesis” (Jorma Kaukonen, Quah), have stood the test of time. Having an undeniable feeling of significance, they have been included in films and covered by many artists who have been inspired by his depth and continuity of spirit. In addition to his work with Hot Tuna, Jorma has recorded more than a dozen solo albums on major labels beginning with 1974’s Quah and continuing with his recent acoustic releases on Red House Records: Stars in My Crown (2007) produced by Byron House, River of Time (2009) produced by Larry Campbell and featuring Levon Helm and Jorma’s latest solo album, Ain’t in No Hurry (2015) also produced by Larry Campbell and featuring Jack Casady.

Jorma Kaukonen, who published his autobiography Been So Long: My Life and Music in 2019, is constantly looking to take his musical horizons further still, always moving forward and he is quick to say that teaching is among the most rewarding aspects of his career. “You just can’t go backward. The arrow of time only goes in one direction.”

As the leading practitioner and teacher of fingerstyle guitar, Jorma and his wife Vanessa Lillian operate one of the world’s most unique centers for the study of guitar and other instruments. Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch Guitar Camp is located on 125 acres of fields, woods, hills, and streams in the Appalachian foothills of Southeastern Ohio. Since it opened in 1998, thousands of musicians whose skills range from basic to highly accomplished gather for weekends of master instruction offered by Jorma and other instructors who are leaders in their musical fields. A multitude of renowned performers make the trek to Ohio to teach at Fur Peace Ranch and play at the performance hall, Fur Peace Station. It has become an important stop on the touring circuit for artists who do not normally play intimate 200-seat venues, bringing such artists as David Bromberg, Roger McGuinn, Arlo Guthrie, Dave Alvin, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Warren Haynes, Lee Roy Parnell, Chris Hillman and more. Students, instructors, and visiting artists alike welcome the peace and tranquility — as well as the great music and great instruction — that Fur Peace Ranch offers.

TICKETS

Gold Circle: $75.00
Front Orchestra: $59.00
Front Balcony: $59.00
Rear Orchestra: $49.50
Rear Balcony: $39.50