Jorma Kaukonen 2: Christmas

The holidays are all about giving, and one of our faithful readers and staunch supporters hipped us to an album we’d overlooked. Simply titled Christmas, it’s a simple collection of originals and standards from the fingers of Jorma Kaukonen, with help from collaborator Michael Falzarano.

Much like Hot Tuna seesawed between acoustic folk and electric blues, the album isn’t strictly one style or the other, but through the magic of digital, whether on a disc or streaming, one can change the sequence. Some of the instrumentals only count as holiday songs due to sleigh bells as percussion, but they work because the artists say they do. “Christmas Blues” and “You’re Still Standing” rely on distorted guitar to distract from the basic lyrics, but “The Christmas Rule” is a hilarious cautionary tale about why you shouldn’t use your fireplace on Christmas Eve. A very reverent reading of “Silent Night” is followed by “Holiday Marmalade”, which turns it into an extended 11-minute blues. “Baby Boy” is a traditional tune we suspect may have originated in the Caribbean, and a nice surprise. Just like the album itself.

Jorma Kaukonen Christmas (1996)—3

Jorma Kaukonen 1: Quah

Jefferson Airplane wasn’t for everybody, but one of the bright spots of their shall we say seminal album Surrealistic Pillow is still “Embryonic Journey”, a gorgeous fingerpicked acoustic instrumental by guitarist Jorma Kaukonen. As the Sixties dwindled into chaos and the band got more political, Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady put their energy into a side project called Hot Tuna, which interpreted traditional blues and similar material. By the time of their fourth album, and the demise of the Airplane, they had progressively become more electric and less traditional.

So it was considered another departure, if not a throwback, when Jorma released his first solo album. However, Quah was originally envisioned as a collaboration with another acoustic picker named Tom Hobson. While he only appears on three tracks (reportedly at the demand of the label), he’s still credited as “with” on the spine and the label itself.

The album mixes originals and old blues tracks, all fingerpicked and occasionally accompanied by strings. Side one is perfect, alternating Jorma’s contemplative “Genesis”, “Song For The North Star” and “Flying Clouds” with the covers “I’ll Be All Right” and “Another Man Done Gone” plus “I’ll Let You Know Before I Leave”, a jaunty instrumental duet. The overall feel is relaxed, ideal for the first nice day of spring, and you don’t have to be high to enjoy it either.

Side two is more quirky, beginning with the traditional “I Am The Light Of This World” and “Police Dog Blues”. Hobson sings the next two, a cover of Gordon Jenkins’ “Blue Prelude” with heavy delay and his own “Sweet Hawaiian Sunshine”, which might as well predict Leon Redbone’s entire career. Studio effects return on “Hamar Promenade”, and edgy but effective closer.

While apparently not a smash hit when first released, Quah has gone in an out of print over the years, usually resurfacing whenever there’s renewed interest in anything remotely connected to psychedelic San Francisco. One of these reissues included liner notes from Airplane expert Jeff Tamarkin, along with four outtakes, two of which have vocals by the long-lost Mr. Hobson. Had these appeared on the original LP they would have been fine, but would have likely edged aside some of Jorma’s, and then we’d’ve missed them.

Jorma Kaukonen with Tom Hobson Quah (1974)—4
2003 CD reissue: same as 1974, plus 4 extra tracks