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First published in  Lonely Goat Print Magazine Volume III - #3

Jorma Gets Back to Basics at the Artscenter
by Dennis Humphries (March, 2000)

On Saturday, February 19, 2000, I was treated to a rare occurrence, at least in these parts: a solo Jorma Kaukonen show. Outside Carrboro's ArtsCenter that evening stood a huge line of people covering most of the sidewalk between the ArtsCenter at one end and Cat's Cradle at the other. The Cradle was hosting a surprise show by The Smashing Pumpkins, and no, those improbably young folk in line were NOT there to see the man who once kept Jefferson Airplane flying high with his soaring guitar solos. Inside the ArtsCenter itself, however, was a very different mix. Although there were a number of younger people there, the bulk of the crowd consisted of old freaks like myself: graying baby boomers with a few extra pounds and more hair in the back than on top these days, some still identifiable in denim jacket and Dead T-shirt, some in daytime cell phone yuppie mode.

The opening act was could not have been more appropriate. Jon Shain, a Chapel Hill resident and former leader of Flyin' Mice and Wake, openly acknowledges his debt to Jorma. And without any conscious imitation, the influence did show, down to some vocal inflections. But Shain is not Kaukonen Lite; he has absorbed music from the whole folk-blues-bluegrass spectrum, and he likely used Jorma as a stepping stone to find people like Rev. Gary Davis, Lightnin' Hopkins, and many other early originals. Hearing Jon Shain play is always a pleasure. His songs are sharp and clever, his delivery wry and relaxed, his guitar playing skillful yet understated. I hope his 45-minute set gained him some fans; this man deserves to be noticed.

Jorma! Man, I had seen him play before, but never solo and never in this kind of setting. The ArtsCenter is a wonderfully intimate room with fine acoustics, perfect for this type of show. During the first song, the old blues standard, "Trouble in Mind," he seemed to be having a little trouble getting warmed up. The riffs were a little cliched, and the runs sloppy. By the next number, though, the great "Hesitation Blues", Jorma's hesitation was gone, and he was in top form, playing rings around the song, changing bits from the old Hot Tuna version, but never so much as to make it unrecognizable. From that point on, Jorma delivered a single two-hour set that made up in heart, soul and chops what it lacked in originality. The song list leaned largely toward the familiar: "Hesitation Blues," "Walkiní Blues," "Death Donít Have No Mercy," "I See the Light," "Genesis." This is not a complaint. I love these songs, and Jorma's obvious commitment to these tunes that have been his bread and butter for decades now just keeps them fresh. There were a number of newer and less well-known songs as well, and everything was well-played. Vocally, he was in fine form, his trademark somewhat nasal bluesy voice bending like another guitar string around the lyrics. In the end, there were few surprises, but no disappointments either; simply a solid set from one of my favorite musical icons, and one of the best damn musicians around.