Part 2: Casady/Kaukonen Discuss Hot Tuna w/ Jim Clash

In Part 2 of an interview with Jim Clash, Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady discuss the evolution of Jefferson Airplane to Hot Tuna. Casady also reveals why is he is considered the "Felix Unger" of rock music's odd couple.

[@darthcheney7447]

Great interview. Pretty amazing to know that Jorma and Jack have been friends since grade school and live next door to each other to this day.

[@theolamp5312]

Great Interview. It's about the music, not egos or self promotion. The Airplane was my favorite band of the 60's. When Jack & Jorma left, after a few Starship albums, I switched to Hot Tuna. Their first album still stands as one of the great live albums. My favorite lead of Jorma's was Wooden Ships. And, when Jack puts on those glasses & his stage presence - He never looks less than the coolest dude on the planet.

[@pdd60absorbed12]

These guys held up well and come across as thorough gentlemen. J.A.s version of Wooden Ships remains timeless.

[@otaycec]

Thanks, Jim. I've always viewed Jorma and Jack as the bedrock of the San Francisco sound. They were always the most healthy and stable. This aspect of their characters comes through in the interview.

[@sammyscotch9945]

Read jormas bio-he wasnt exactly healthy for several yrs. He is now

[@oughtssought1198]

and there were definitely some other healthy+stable people in that SF/HaightSt music scene then.

[@rddavies]

Great Post - great to see these guys looking backwards and putting things in perspective with a large amount of humor and humanity.

[@JackPeters-g5z]

Been on to these guys since the first vinyl L.p. than on to pull-up pull down than Burgers even have on of guitars autographed they always bring the bang.

[@lukehauser1182]

Jorma: "Live at New Orleans House bears the test of time" 3:00 - talk about an understatement! That 1969 live recording at a Berkeley cafe is one of the great LPs of all time - both artistically and for sheer ambiance (album aka "Hot Tuna")

[@oughtssought1198]

Hear! Hear! amen, brother

[@adralicus]

Such great likeable guys. Jack and Jorma are living legends they had a massive influence on my life.

[@jeffryphillipsburns]

Likeable, but also clever, as Grace Slick is clever, as Jerry Garcia and Ken Keasey were clever. People who dismiss the hippies as stupid don’t know what they’re talking about. Sure, the hangers-on were largely dummies, but the essential movers were virtually all pretty smart.

[@jerrysullivan113]

What a joy and honor to call these two characters "friend"... inevitably they bring joy and happiness and good cheer to those in the world. They are , as we say, SALT OF THE EARTH ! Much of the past 25 years has included my neighbor/friend Jorm and, when blessed with his presence, good pal Jack. :-) FAMILLIA..

[@jerrysullivan113]

Jorm & Jack recently lost some close friends from way back in the 60s.. Paul Kantner & Singe Toly of Jefferson Airplane and Dan Hicks who fronted The Charlatans and later The Hot Licks.. been a tough year already for the SanFran generation. RIP y'all!!!

[@mikewilkinson4588]

thank you HotTuna for Burgers......you led me down a musical path in the late 60s.....may you live another 100 years...

[@oughtssought1198]

Mr. Clash, Truly great job in both parts of this interview! Well prepped + not one iota of digression to flash your own ego. Much thanks.

[@jonesy2111]

Two of the best players of all time right here... hot

[@pjk]

Great interview Jim. Hope all is well with you. Hope to see ya at the Ranch again one day...

[@billr2375]

Papa John Creech...man was that some freaky sound when he was with them. But love the Rev. Gary Davis stuff they do. Whether acoustic or electric, just them or with a drummer and another guitar or piano, doesnt matter. Its all good.

[@NRJD]

thanks for posting this.....i really enjoyed it! jorma and jack seem like awesome people and really down to earth!

[@QMPhilosophe]

Humble folks who completely changed the face of rock music in the 60's and 70's. Quite a contrast to a lot of the wannabe, derviative rap knock-offs who focus more on hand gestures and posing than on music.

[@RattPoison8191]

Jack is just straight up the man! and those socks are priceless!!

[@exfed9]

Thanks also I've been playing guitar for a long time , but Jorma is the one to inspire me to play fingerstyle. I'm still in awe of the way he plays fingerstyle blues. i've picked up quite a few great techniques from watching him.

[@randyhoyt5379]

Jorma's guitar playing on the Live version (30 seconds over Winterland) of Have You Seen the Saucers and the studio version of Sea Child is some of the greatest and most underrated in all of rock music. A unique powerful sound that elicits deep emotion .... if one is prone to have any. There is a serious lack of music that brings out any good emotions today .... IMHO

[@anthonydevito9423]

Nice

[@richarddepace3800]

I just watch the interview with you Armin Jack about Woodstock and of course it included Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna. And I know that everybody labels you and categorizes you as San Francisco sound. But they're missing the whole point. You guys to me our American music. You came out of the 60s you went through the psychedelia. You learn guitar and bass like nobody could. Jack is a master of the bass and Jorma your Mastery of the guitar is legendary. I mean both of you utilized every inch of your tools to produce music and sounds and Inspire others to excel that nobody can take away from you. I saw you guys in Poughkeepsie New York and either 7475 at the Poughkeepsie College. It could have been the Orange County College. But I'm pretty sure it was Poughkeepsie College. You played for 4 and 1/2 5 maybe even 6 hours. I was in heaven. The only regret I ever have is that you both and Jimi Hendrix never got together. I mean the two of you and his band would have been unbelievable I think you guys would have fed on each other incessantly. God bless you both. Glad you survived. I hope you survive a lot longer. And when I say God bless I mean it. Richard depace. Originally from Monticello New York. 12 miles from Woodstock. 8 Miles if you took the forestry road which me and Wayne Johnson did in 1969 and rotor bicycles and got to Woodstock on Saturday morning. Max yasgur's Farm. Came up behind Lake. Past the Bungalows. And into the field. Love you all

[@sammyscotch9945]

Hang in there Richard. Hope you are enjoying life

[@stevenkoehler6018]

Great. Great guys, great players.

[@audadvnc]

Great interview - I met Jack and Jorma at an electric HT gig in Minneapolis years ago. What gentlemen - they were so gracious, and fabulous players too. But daily socks? OK...

[@rca88]

3:04 Gotta agree with Jorma about their first record. That's still an amazing record. I didn't know that he had learned most of those songs from one guy (Ian Buchanon).

[@tdibell]

Jorma didn't tell the whole truth. They were in a car going down the street and they were looking for a name for the band and they saw some prostitutes and someone in the car said, "Look at that Hot Tuna there boys!" Jack was the one who jumped on it and accepted it as the name for the band. Source? Jorma's biography and two books on the Grateful Dead all mention that as the defining moment as the day that Hot Tuna got their name.

[@leadzeppbelly]

yeah thats a fantastic album. Blues roots never ages.

[@POBulkhead]

Wow, I thought they were Gods but it seems they are real men. Funny, yesterday I was painting a bedroom and listened to every one of my Hot Tuna LP's. And this morning I found this interview.

[@TheBorjamz]

back in the 70s was in a band the guitar player so fine trying to play like J I as a new bass player trying to play like Jack ? was fun times switching from guitar to bass He is so fine has his own style no one like him I Bow down a fine player :)

[@MikeKiker]

I guess they couldn't mention that they actually wanted to call the band 'Hot Shit'.

[@davidhigginbotham5451]

very good.... better than most. So great to really hear Jack speak. LOL

[@robertsousa9550]

“Hot Fuking Tuna” - Grace Slick

[@threefive00]

my heroes...

[@carlrudd1858]

phenominal... a real intelligent interviewer, for once.... THANKS !!

[@t.j.payeur739]

Water Song...

[@paullevine1813]

What a classic number !!!!

[@jehorner]

Socks are very important .

[@leonardvaivada9046]

It isn't fair to put Jack Casady on a top 10 / 100 list of best bass players of all time. There are bass players then there is Jack to put him on any list means that the other 9/99 do not stand a chance of ever being #1

[@Dorsolateral1]

I consider him up there at a similar level to Chris Squire and just as unique and innovative...or vice versa...They are both very pioneering and a bit unusual in their approach....Like you said...There are bass players and then there is...these sort of guys...You gotta kinda throw your book out the window and forget all that...They had a real knack for doing things very differently in unexpected ways that just made the music something powerful without being intrusive.

[@ronschwolsky1626]

The Ox will ALWAYS top that list.

[@leonardvaivada9046]

My latest favorite is the bass player from Band Maid.

[@ioriorioriorio]

Ah, I woulda asked jorma how he came up with that opening riff in young girl sunday blues...this guy was fairly lamo

[@vincentgoupil180]

For a second thought he was gonna ask which one is Walter (Becker) and Donald (Fagan) :)

[@pardyhardly]

Hot Tuna.

[@Stenenmeinster1]

Hot tuna needs to go back to there roots and do a studio cd in thei70s era they need a larg sound system and no friends just jorma jack a drummer and do a classic jamming hot tuna show like the old days one more time jamming hot tuna. [e-mail] check out my videos n hot tuna on you tube stevenmeinster

[@sammyscotch9945]

Check out their cds. They have done just what ur looking for. Good and simple

[@thomasmcmahon7034]

Jorma and Jack YES...clueless dork interviewer NO.