The Original Acoustic Hot Tuna
Dan Alford
2004-03-29
The Original Acoustic Hot Tuna @ the Mystic Theater,
Petaluma, CA 12-8-00 Soundboard D1: Uncle Sam, How Long, Vampire Women, Death Don't,
Do Not Go Gentle, I See the Light, Living in the
Moment, Embryonic Journey, ?, 99 Year, Light of this
World, Another Man > Parchment Farm
D2: Hesitation, Walking, Terrible Operation, Good
Shepherd, North Wind Rise, 3rd Week at Chelsea, A Life
Well Lived, Rider, Keep On Truckin' E: Water Song This acoustic show from Jorma and Jack opens with a
plodding Uncle Sam Blues. It belies the fireworks
that will ensue, but in doing so allows the listener
to orient him/herself. Each note played by either
Casady or Kaukonen is distinct and whole, an entity
unto itself, and the interaction between the two blues
journeymen is laid bare. That is, after all, what Hot
Tuna is all about- the stark individuality of every
note and its inherent importance to the collective
sound. So much rides on every picked note and every
plucked string- so much passion, energy and
expression. Each member of the full band is masterful
at his art, each one a treasure trove of American
music, but together they are an intricately carved
musical monolith. The core remains Jorma and Jack,
though, and as the saying goes, if you don't know
Jorma, you don't know Jack! With Death Don't, the pair plunges into deeper
territory. Jack immediately takes the music down to
the darkened docks as Jorma defines alley denizens by
their shadows. The vocals plaintively call out in the
night, echoed by Jorma's guitar and answered by Jack's
low grumble. Quickly switching gears the duo sets into a cozy Do
Not Go Gentle, followed hard upon by a gritty,
dramatic I See the Light. You can hear someone speak
for everyone, saying, "Thank you Jorma!" The playing
is incendiary, especially through the tight narrows.
Jack thunders down while Kaukonen treads lightly
above, hitting the final verse and powering through
the end passage. The disc rounds out with a mix of
new material and classics, including a nice 99 Year
Blues and a darkly soulful Another Man > Parchment
Farm. The latter tune oozes with despair and
suppressed rage, featuring a fantastic solo from Jack
that spins off into the mountain air before crashing
back to the Farm. Old Appalachian "shot my wife" ballads are a standard
of Tuna's repertoire, but The Terrible Operation from
disc two takes the music to a new level of horror-
"the doctor's gonna cut you, yes, yes, yes." The
lyrics are offset with smooth, comfy playing. For
further contrast, Jorma and Jack quickly set into the
fantastic Good Shepherd. A beautiful version (aren't
they all?), Jack avoids reverb, sounding clear a
church bell while Jorma accompanies on rhythm. It
glows melodically as the bass man holds the sustain
and climbs scales, bouncing over ridges and running
with Jorma to bring it home. Staying with the warm,
pensive vibe, the duo chooses North Wind. The love
song as a fine composition that leaves space for
free-form finger picking between the sculpted segments
that well up and bring a smile to your face. But that
is not enough. Third Week at Chelsea soon spreads
through the air. The classic tale of Jefferson
Airplane's end is deftly wrought with both regret and
optimism. A young version of A Life Well Lived is instrumental
because "it has words but I left them in the case."
It is short, but slow and contemplative as the title
suggests. Rider follows, the vocals, guitar and bass
blending together in a splendid constellation. Jorma
dips low for a moment and Jack drops out, and together
they move to the second verse. The ensuing jamlet is
more upbeat with lightning quick fingering from
Kaukonen and a loping stride from Casady. Maintaining
the energy, they close the set with a rambunctious
Keep on Truckin' and encore with a gorgeous Water
Song. The second disc from this show is so chock full
of top notch renditions of top notch songs, it is a
must have for Tuna fans and a great introduction to
the nimble, post-telepathic interplay that has made
Hot Tuna the music fan's music for over thirty years.
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