Jorma Kaukonen

About Jorma Kaukonen

Jorma Kaukonen is a blues, folk, and rock guitarist born in Washington, D.C. He was a founding member and guitarist of Jefferson Airplane, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. He co-founded Hot Tuna with bassist Jack Casady, a project that has continued for over five decades. Kaukonen performed at Monterey, Woodstock, and Altamont and was ranked No. 54 on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists.

In this interview

• Discusses founding Fur Peace Ranch Guitar Camp with his wife Vanessa in Ohio.
• Explains choosing Hot Tuna over Jefferson Starship because he loved the acoustic blues direction.
• Talks about his album 'Too Many Years,' featuring country, blues, and rockabilly roots music.
• Mentions covering songs by Johnny Cash, Fred McDowell, and Ronnie Self on the record.

“To me it's one of the most unified records I've ever done. That's all you know we're talking about roots music those are my roots.”— Jorma Kaukonen, in this interview

Since this interview

Kaukonen published his autobiography 'Been So Long: My Life and Music' in August 2018. He released a double-album of 1965 archival recordings called 'Wabash Avenue' in November 2025 and performed at Athens Porchfest in May 2026. He continues recording for Red House Records and touring with Hot Tuna.