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Hot Tuna is an American blues-rock band.
1972 saw Hot Tuna release their first studio album, coming after two live ones. It was also their first released on Jefferson Airplane's newly formed Grunt Records. The band by now consisted of Jorma Kaukonen (guitar & vocals), Jack Casady (bass), Papa John Creach (violin) and Sammy Piazza (drums). Burgers was a further exploration of their blues-rock style, mixing both acoustic and electric textures, and with the material mostly written by Kaukonen. There were also guest appearances from David Crosby, keyboard player Nick Buck, and slide guitarist Richmond Talbott.
It was a fine album, and significant in the history of Hot Tuna. With this album they made the transition from a side project to a 'real band', as Kaukonen and Casady were by now devoting most of their time to Hot Tuna rather than Jefferson Airplane. The Airplane were still around (Creach was by then a member too), and they were to release one more studio album, but by 1973 it was all over and Kaukonen and Casady were focusing soley on Hot Tuna.
First Pull Up, Then Pull Down (1971) <|> The Phosphorescent Rat (1973)
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Hot Tuna is an American blues-rock band.
In 1971, as Jefferson Airplane began a period of decline, Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady dedicated more and more time to their Hot Tuna side project. It became an independent group and gigged apart from the Airplane. At this time they also went electric, and recruited two new members - drummer Sammy Piazza and electric violin player Papa John Creach. Their second album was another live one, different to their debut in that it was electric, and at the same time featuring a very similar style of folk-blues (with songs by Reverend Gary Davis, Bo Carter and Blind Blake). It also featured a guest appearance from harmonica player Will Scarlett. Like its predecessor it was a modest success, and got to #43 on the album chart.
Hot Tuna were becoming really quite successful and attracting their own live following. The same year Kaukonen and Casady worked on the Jefferson Airplane album Bark, which Papa John also appeared on. One of Kaukonen's songs on Bark, "Third Week In The Chelsea", was musically in the same vein as Hot Tuna, and lyrically was about his thoughts on leaving the Airplane.
Hot Tuna (1970) <|> Burgers (1972)
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Hot Tuna is an American blues-rock band.
Guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady were both members of psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane from its early days, the two of them providing the group's instrumental flash. Both Kaukonen's guitar and Casady's bass were integral parts of the Airplane sound.
In 1969 the Airplane was momentarily put on hold due to Grace Slick having to undergo throat surgery, and Kaukonen and Casady began playing together as a duo to pass the time, with Kaukonen on acoustic guitar and vocals. When the Airplane began performing again, Kaukonen and Casady started work as the opening act, performing traditional American blues music, and often joined by Airplane drummer-in-waiting Joey Covington and other outside musicians.
In 1970 an album of recordings from the duo was released under the name Hot Tuna. It featured the two of them performing a selection of old blues tunes and Kaukonen originals, accompanied by harmonica player Will Scarlett. Two of the songs were by Reverend Gary Davis, who was a big influence on Kaukonen. They also showed their appreciation of old jazz and ragtime, with the inclusion of two numbers by Jelly Roll Morton. The result was an excellent album of live acoustic roots music, with some exceptionally good guitar and bass playing. It was surprisingly successful, and got to #30 on the album charts.
As the 70s began, Hot Tuna came to occupy more and more of Kaukonen and Casady's time, as Jefferson Airplane began a period of decline and ultimate dissolution.
|> First Pull Up, Then Pull Down (1971)
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