Just finished Jorma Kaukonen's Bio, "Been So Long"

[srick]

Let me recommend this interesting read (listen in my case). It's an amazing journey with Jorma, a cat with nine lives.

Being familiar with many of the major influences on his music and his life, (and surprisingly many of the minor ones), I am impressed at how he has incorporated a little bit of every one of them into his music and his soul. His reflections highlight the importance of his family - both natural and acquired. Jorma has been in many significant places and at many significant times; just lucky I suppose, but extraordinary, nonetheless.

This book is part apology (step 8 and 9), as many current rocker bios are. But it's also a book about "redemption, renewal and the power of love and friendship" (Jack Casady's words). One of the most striking quotes was from Jorma's father, "getting older is a series of successful adaptations."

Perhaps, the greatest strength of this book is Jorma discovering himself over many, many, years. Like so many of us, he was content to be in actor in the play through much of his life, but eventually discovered that he was also the author, director, and producer. Jorma takes you on this journey of his discovery and is not afraid to divulge his secret to life which is, "there is no secret" (my words).

And, there is an added bonus. The printed copy includes a CD, and the audio book has a nice mini-concert at the end. Jorma narrates his own book, which IMO, makes it a little more special to listen to.

Enjoy.

Rick

[Muddslide]

Appreciate the review! This is definitely on my "to read" list. Been a fan since I picked up a live Hot Tuna album from the 49 cent cutout bin at Peaches Records in Tulsa in 1980, not knowing who Kaukonen and Casady were!

Jorma seems like the kind of cat who is as much a philosopher as he is an ace musician.

[srick]

I have belatedly realized that much of my interest in fingerstyle blues was fueled by Hot Tuna's work. But Tuna is just a small part of Jorma's bio.

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by srick

One of the most striking quotes was from Jorma's father, "getting older is a series of successful adaptations."

I believe that's my new favorite quote. As I'm in my 60th year, I'd started thinking in terms of an ever-sliding "new normal". But it doesn't suck (so far) - it just changes. So I like the positivity of "successful adaptations" a LOT. I'll be using this a lot going forward.

I always liked Jorma, but I never fully appreciated him until I ran into another electric player in the Colorado Rockies in the early '80s. We'd jam on electrics a lot and had a really good time. And I was no more than a limited strummer and bluesy flatpicker on acoustic at that time, but this guy was OBSESSED with Jorma and he had his fingerstyle style pretty much NAILED. He showed me some of the stuff he was doing and how some of the syncopation worked and I was pretty much in awe of both my friend and Jorma at that point.

This is getting close to 40 years ago and I'm just NOW learning how to fingerpick. I've just never had the patience for it the other times I've tried it over the years. But I'm a couple months into it now and actually feel enough progress that it's starting to be fun in addition to merely frustrating (although still plenty of that). Playing like Jorma seems like 100 years away, but it's a thing to keep in the back of my mind nonetheless.

-Ray

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by srick

....One of the most striking quotes was from Jorma's father, "getting older is a series of successful adaptations."

This quote resonates with me too, as I close in on 60 myself. There are a lot of physically intense things that I can no longer do, and I'm so glad I did them in my 20's, 30's and 40's. I need to read this book.