Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Electric Hot Tuna - Jorma's 70th Birthday Celebration - New DVD Release Review


The hot band on tour right now is Hot Tuna! Yep, Jorma and Jack are back on the road and to kick off their road trip Fur Peace Ranch has release live footage extracted from 2 nights of concerts at the Beacon Theater in NYC on December 3&4, 2010. I don't know how many of you have seen Jorma and Hot Tuna live but I have had the pleasure many times over a number of years. The recording begins with I See The Light featuring Jorma on his J190 and Jack joined by Barry Mitterhoff on an 8 string Danelectro guitar with lipstick pickups and Skoota Warner on drums. The band is joined on stage by John Hammond for a cool version of I Can Tell with Hammond on 335 and Jorma pushing his trademark solos through a goldtop. Then the tension starts to build with Warren Haynes on 335, Bill Kirchen on Tele, Larry Campbell on fiddle and Mitterhoff changes over to an electric mandolin. Kirchen has been separated from his old tele (probably retired) but the new one can talk just fine. If you've never seen Tuna with Mitterhoff, man can play the mandolin and doesn't restrict his playing to traditional mandolin formatting but uses it often as a mini guitar creating an interesting sound. In this case he's playing a 4 string which could be a tenor electric guitar. Very cool. Haynes rips off a pretty nice solo on the 335 and these guys seem to have been playing together forever. Jorma steps in with the Goldtop and his distinctive sound and with Campbell playing great violin riffs you could close your eyes and swear you were hearing Tuna in the 70's.
For Water Song the crew is joined by Byron House on upright electric bass played both plucked and bowed. Mitterhoff switched over to an acoustic f -style and Jorma pulls out a beautiful maple capped hollow body electric with a particularly light acoustical sound. On Bowlegged Woman/Knock Kneed Man Casady opens the song with a a nice solid bass riff. This track has a particularly nice funky swamp funk enforced by Oteil Burbridge on Fodera 6 string bass. Mittenhoff again playing an unconventional electro mando like instrument with 5 strings rippin some pretty cool solos. Burbridge gets the spotlight playing some interesting jazz chord and lead jazz bass lines. You can see Jorma just groovin to what's being layed down. Bob Wier joins mid song and dons a 335. The band continues the groove for quite some time building the tension but without anyone stepping on top of anyone else. Jorma pulls the reins back in with a crisp solo and a refrain of the chorus. Wier takes lead vocals on a cool version of Walking Blues. Both Wier and Jorma take turns on lead guitar and Mittenhoff as well on the 4 stringer. Steve Earle joins the band for Hometown Blues which the band plays in a rag style. Earle plays a black electrified acoustic Martin. Jorma keeps the band in the rag style groove with 99 Year Blues. I particularly like Jorma's vocals on this track. He's always strong but this track is right on. Mittenhoff is back on the F style and rips a few solos. Casady gets a chance to step up for some melodic bass lines which is always a pleasure. The band takes it to the funk a little and Burbridge and Casady trade lead lines. The show is concluded with Jimmy Reed's Baby What You Want Me To Do. The entire force is onstage for a giant jam. This is a great conclusion for a great bunch of musicians. The attendee's certainly got their money's worth over this two night concert.





Again Hot Tuna is on the road. Check the concert schedule below to see if they are coming to your town:
06/21/12 State Theatre
Ithaca, NY
Electric Hot Tuna
also Steve Kimock

06/22/12 Count Basie Theatre
Red Bank, NJ
Electric Hot Tuna
also Steve Kimock

06/23/12 The Wellmont Theatre
Montclair, NJ
Electric Hot Tuna With a brief appearance by Bob Steeler. Also Steve Kimock Tickets

06/25/12 The National
Richmond, VA
Electric Hot Tuna
also Steve Kimock

06/26/12 Grand Opera House
Wilmington, DE
Electric Hot Tuna
With Bob Steeler on drums. Also Steve Kimock

06/28/12 Sherman Theater
Stroudsburg, PA
Electric Hot Tuna also Steve Kimock Tickets

06/29/12 Theatre at Westbury
Westbury, NY
Electric Hot Tuna
also Steve Kimock

06/30/12 Venetian Theater, Caramoor Festival
Katonah, NY
Acoustic Hot Tuna
also David Bromberg

07/01/12 The Bull Run Concert Series
Shirley, MA
Acoustic Hot Tuna
two shows: 3pm & 7pm

07/05/12 Westbrook Performing Arts Center
Westbrook, ME
Acoustic Hot Tuna also Darol Anger Tickets

07/06/12 The Flying Monkey
Plymouth, NH
Acoustic Hot Tuna

07/07/12 The Theater at Newburyport High School
Newburyport, MA
Acoustic Hot Tuna Tickets

07/09/12 The Arts Center
Carrboro, NC
Acoustic Hot Tuna Tickets

07/10/12 Bijou Theatre
Knoxville, TN
Acoustic Hot Tuna

07/11/12 Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place
Asheville, NC
Acoustic Hot Tuna

07/13/12 Variety Playhouse
Atlanta, GA
Acoustic Hot Tuna Tickets

07/14/12 Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center
Tampa, FL
Acoustic Hot Tuna

07/17/12 One World Theatre
Austin, TX
Acoustic Hot Tuna

07/18/12 Kessler Theater
Dallas, TX
Acoustic Hot Tuna Tickets

07/20/12 Oriental Theatre
Denver, CO
Acoustic Hot Tuna Tickets

07/21/12 Third Street Performing Arts Center
Carbondale, CO
Acoustic Hot Tuna Tickets

07/22/12 Sheridan Opera House
Telluride, CO
Acoustic Hot Tuna

07/25/12 Mesa Arts Center
Mesa, AZ
Acoustic Hot Tuna

07/26/12 Orpheum Theatre
Flagstaff, AZ
Acoustic Hot Tuna Tickets

07/27/12 Anthology
San Diego, CA
Acoustic Hot Tuna Tickets

07/28/12 Rio Theatre
Santa Cruz, CA
Acoustic Hot Tuna Tickets

07/30/12 Sweetwater Music Hall
Mill Valley, CA
Acoustic Hot Tuna SOLD OUT

07/31/12 Sweetwater Music Hall
Mill Valley, CA
Acoustic Hot Tuna SOLD OUT

08/02/12 Tower Theatre
Bend, OR
Acoustic Hot Tuna

08/03/12 Aladdin Theater
Portland, OR
Acoustic Hot Tuna

08/04/12 Mount Baker Rhythm & Blues Festival
Deming Log Show Fairgrounds, Bellingham, WA
Electric Hot Tuna

08/11/12 Fur Peace Station
Pomeroy, OH
Acoustic Hot Tuna
SOLD OUT. Jack & Jorma. Also The Persuasions.

09/01/12 Dark Star Jubilee
Legend Valley, Thornville, OH
Jorma Kaukonen 3pm

09/13/12 Stage One
Fairfield, CT
Jorma Kaukonen

09/14/12 The Colonial Theatre
Phoenixville, PA
Jorma Kaukonen also Loudon Wainwright III

09/15/12 The Stephen Talkhouse
Amagansett, NY
Jorma Kaukonen

10/04/12 The Birchmere
Alexandria, VA
Jorma Kaukonen

10/05/12 Rams Head On Stage
Annapolis, MD
Jorma Kaukonen also Peter Mulvey

10/06/12 Kirk Avenue Music Hall
Roanoke, VA
Jorma Kaukonen

10/07/12 Natasha's Bistro & Bar
Lexington, KY
Jorma Kaukonen CORRECT DATE

10/11/12 Infinity Hall
Norfolk, CT
Jorma Kaukonen CORRECT DATE

10/12/12 Earlville Opera House
Earlville, NY
Jorma Kaukonen

10/13/12 Narrows Center for the Arts
Fall River, MA
Jorma Kaukonen

10/14/12 YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts
Bay Shore, NY
Jorma Kaukonen

10/18/12 Brewery Arts Center
Carson City, NV
Jorma Kaukonen

10/19/12 Napa Valley Opera House
Napa, CA
Jorma Kaukonen

10/20/12 Swedish American Hall at Cafe Du Nord
San Francisco, CA
Jorma Kaukonen Two shows: 7pm & 10pm

10/21/12 The Big Room at The Sierra Nevada
Chico, CA
Jorma Kaukonen

11/01/12* Dakota Jazz Club Restaurant
Minneapolis, MN
Jorma Kaukonen

11/02/12* The Redstone Room
Davenport, IA
Jorma Kaukonen

11/03/12 Stoughton Opera House
Stoughton, WI
Jorma Kaukonen

11/10/12 Fur Peace Station
Pomeroy, OH
Electric Hot Tuna
with Bill Kirchen. SOLD OUT!

11/15/12* Bell's Eccentric Cafe Back Room
Kalamazoo, MI
Jorma Kaukonen also Steve Kimock

11/16/12* City Winery
Chicago, IL
Jorma Kaukonen also Steve Kimock

11/17/12* City Winery
Chicago, IL
Jorma Kaukonen also Steve Kimock

11/18/12* 20th Century Theatre
Cincinnati, OH
Jorma Kaukonen also Steve Kimock

12/13/12 Zappa
Jerusalem, Israel
Jorma Kaukonen

12/15/12 Zappa
Tel Aviv, Israel
Jorma Kaukonen






The special features on the DVD include a photo gallery, the presentation of a Les Paul shaped birthday cake to Jorma and a brief discussion with Jorma and jack about Tuna's most recent release.

If you like what I’m doing, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! - ”LIKE”



This appears to be a bootlegged video of the concert...not actual footage from the DVD but of the actual performance:

Please check the link to get a licensed copy of this concert with much better video and audio quality.

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