FIVE QUESTIONS
Hot Tuna returns to warm acoustics

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

You've heard the intro to Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit" on classic-rock radio a thousand times.

Jack Casady, left, and Jorma Kaukonen, former members of Jefferson Airplane, are the founders of the eclectic '70s jam band Hot Tuna.

Kaukonen and Casady split from the Airplane in 1973 to nurture Hot Tuna, a slow-cooking collective they had formed three years earlier as an acoustic alternative to their electric work with the supergroup. Lifelong friends since their teenage years in Washington, D.C., the duo — in various amalgams of Hot Tuna, and between other projects — have been touring off-and-on ever since.

We gave Kaukonen, Airplane and Hot Tuna co-founder, the five-question (and one statement) treatment last week before a series of Hawai'i shows with Casady.

I wanted to say, "tumultuous." But I think ... I'd have to say "exciting," really. And I know that's probably not the best word from a journalistic point of view, but consider this. I graduated college. I was basically playing finger-style blues. I was sort of a local folk character (in San Francisco) and teaching. And all of a sudden, in the space of a year (Jefferson Airplane) was a national touring act. It was really like, "Wow, what just happened?" It was really exciting stuff.

Why did you and Jack start Hot Tuna in the middle of all that?

(It) started when we were on the road. We'd sit around with nothing to do in hotels and whatnot. I'd have my acoustic guitar with me and started twanging some stuff ... teaching (Jack) a bunch of the songs that I had been playing myself. He was playing an electric bass. ... (And) he started to figure out ways to play along with an acoustic guitar player. A lot of people have done this since then, but ... I can't think of anybody who was playing an acoustic guitar and bass combination at the time. It was different.

When (Airplane vocalist/songwriter/rhythm guitarist) Paul (Kantner) encouraged us to start doing some of the (songs) — that later became Hot Tuna stuff — with the Airplane, it just worked, and it was really a lot of fun to do. When the Airplane was faced with diminishing returns from a funds point of view and Hot Tuna was (getting popular), it was time for me (to leave).

Hot Tuna started its life with a traditional blues and folk/country sound, then moved through much of the 1970s as a very loud, very electric acid-rock jam band that dabbled in old-time blues and acoustic psychedelia. What was up with that transition?

We got seduced by volume. ... Being a guitar player, I love stuff as much as anybody. And some of the stuff that we love is amplifiers and things. So, yeah, we got caught up with it all.

And currently, Hot Tuna is an acoustic trio with mandolinist Barry Mitterhoff.

I'd been touring with Barry for a while (in support of Kaukonen's Grammy-nominated 2002 traditional folk and blues CD "Blue Country Heart"). Barry is a great bluegrass musician, but he's very, very eclectic. He plays jazz. He plays classical. He does orchestra-pit gigs in musicals. He plays with the New York (City) Ballet. He plays klezmer and all this stuff. We'd really been having a good time. So I encouraged Jack to give him a lesson and see if he liked him. And I'm so glad that they all got along, because it's really a fun thing. It adds another edge to what we're doing.

Has Hot Tuna benefitted any from the post-Grateful Dead jam-band renaissance of recent years?

I imagine so. The cool thing about music is the bar is constantly being raised. And there's some really great players in jam bands today. ... Our thing is no longer playing hugely long songs like some of these guys do, even though we used to do it in the past. But we are sort of "in the family." It hasn't hurt us any, and it's a good family to be a member of.

How'd you feel about being recently ranked among the 100 best guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone magazine?

First of all, of course, obviously, I think stuff like that is great. Does it really mean anything? Probably not. But as an artist, if you get recognition — no matter on what superficial level — it's still nice. Because it sure is better than having somebody think you suck, you know?

Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8005.