Saw Hot Tuna tonight....

The Lurker · #1 02-09-2011, 10:31 PM

Heck of a good show. Packed house in a 500-person theater, on a Wednesday, in the middle of winter in the darkest reaches of western Massachusetts. They did one acoustic set and one electric set. Jack is a very, very scary man-- when he was really digging in, the bass sounded like a diesel engine and you could see the strings bouncing from the balcony. Jorma also deserves more credit for his electric guitar playing, he had some real cojones tonight.

In addition to Jack, Jorma, and Barry Mitterhoff (the mandolinist), they had a touring drummer named Skoota Warner (good drummer!) and Charlie Musselwhite, Jim Lauderdale, and some guy named George Smith who used to run the Saturday Night Live band. Lauderdale name-dropped Robert Hunter, saying he collaborated on songs with him, and Hunter's name got more applause than Lauderdale's actual presence.

The laughable thing is, I'm 32 and my girlfriend and I were two of the youngest people there. I was shooting the **** with the guy in the next seat at the start of the intermission and he laughed and said "I've been smoking pot for longer than you've been alive."

Oh yeah-- since i know someone's going to ask, Jack was running an Aguilar amp and one cab for the electric set, and a blond SWR cab and some sort of small tube amp in a wooden housing for the acoustic set. I couldn't tell you any more because I couldn't make out anything beyond the word Aguilar. He never touched his amp or even the knobs on his bass, but has a wicked command of dynamics from his playing style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBks7V3SzJo&feature=fvst

Hot Tuna!

steamthief · #2 02-09-2011, 10:52 PM

Did they play Sunrise Dance with the Devil? My older brother used to listen to a lot of Hot Tuna and that tune has stuck with since 1978!

**JxBass** · #3 02-10-2011, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Lurker

In addition to Jack, Jorma, and Barry Mitterhoff (the mandolinist), they had a touring drummer named Skoota Warner (good drummer!) and Charlie Musselwhite, Jim Lauderdale, and some guy named George Smith who used to run the Saturday Night Live band.

G.E. Smith, quite a player and bandleader in his own right. He also was the guitarist for Hall & Oats and Bob Dylan. Was married to SNLer Gilda Radner for awhile.

benjammin420 · #4 02-10-2011, 05:54 AM

Glad to hear it was a good show, I wish they'd play a show or 2 out my way

The Lurker · #5 02-10-2011, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steamthief

Did they play Sunrise Dance with the Devil? My older brother used to listen to a lot of Hot Tuna and that tune has stuck with since 1978!

Yes they did.

Dr. Cheese · #6 02-10-2011, 09:11 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rts3...eature=related

Check out Jack Cassady with this Prehistoric Alembic!

I am a Jack Cassady fan, interviews where Anthony Jackson cited him as a major influence turned me on to him.

Bass_Thumper · #7 02-10-2011, 10:47 AM

Sounds like it was a great show for sure and Jorma has always been a monster player in my book. The Jim Lauderdale with Robert Hunter record "Patchwork River" is a great record for sure and I hope that more folks start checking him out.

Richland123 · #8 02-10-2011, 05:16 PM

Did you know that Jorma Kaukonen has a music camp and concert hall? You can even take bass lessons from Jack Casady. Check it out.

http://www.furpeaceranch.com/

The Lurker · #9 02-11-2011, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rts3...eature=related

Check out Jack Cassady with this Prehistoric Alembic!

I am a Jack Cassady fan, interviews where Anthony Jackson cited him as a major influence turned me on to him.

I remember reading some of those in BP....IIRC one was a speech he gave when being awarded an honorary doctorate. I had some laughs when he said:

“It was Casady's sound that kept me exploring the expressive possibilities of using the pick. To this day, when I use one and a flanger, Casady's influence emerges and can be clearly detected by an aficionado."

Jack's virtually never used a pick, and I've never heard him use a flanger.

Sometimes even legends can be wrong.

I'd love to get lessons from Jack, but I could never afford it.

edmidlifecrisis · #10 02-11-2011, 09:15 AM

GE Smith tours with Tuna when he can. He missed the Beacon shows in NYC in December (I saw both of them, they were amazing, with different guest players each night including Byron House and Oteil Burbridge) because he has been on tour playing lead guitar for Roger Waters. Hot guitar player!!

Jack is the man, still. He can really bring it. I have taken his class twice at Fur Peace, he's a great guy and great teacher. And funny, too!!

Imagine having this backup band if you are Ana!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1LHIarYljo

spendidfender · #11 02-15-2011, 07:09 PM

I just saw Hot Tuna last week in New Jersey. Got there early, walked in the "Artist's Entrance" of unnamed venue. No one was around so I sat down on a folding table and 2 minutes later in walked G.E. Smith and Skoota the drummer. Said hi to GE. Two minutes later in walks Jack Casady (!) He said Hi and said I'll be back. He was not expecting autograph seeking, hand shaking fans. But...in a few minutes he came back, signed 2 autographed pictures for me and shook my hand. He was a gentleman. Many people would not have done that. He was very , very cool. Intense guy to say the least! I have seen Hot Tuna several times over the course of 40 years. I am 60. I bought the Jack Casady Epiphone Signature bass in December. Before the show I stood right in front of the stage and talked to their guitar tech. he said Jack plays the Epiphone basses right out of the box. Not tweaking. He just rips those strings off that fretboard when he plays. The tech said it is ALL in Jack's fingers. That Jack Casady sound is a very talented man at work!
It was an honor to meet Jack!! I will not forget it.

spendidfender · #12 02-15-2011, 07:13 PM

P.S. All Jack's amplification was Aguilar, amps and cabs. I have never seen Jack use a pick! Ever. He plays insanely hard with four fingers from each hand. Just 50 years of hard work.

edmidlifecrisis · #13 02-15-2011, 08:03 PM

Great story. Thanks.

JTE · #14 02-16-2011, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Lurker

I remember reading some of those in BP....IIRC one was a speech he gave when being awarded an honorary doctorate. I had some laughs when he said:

“It was Casady's sound that kept me exploring the expressive possibilities of using the pick. To this day, when I use one and a flanger, Casady's influence emerges and can be clearly detected by an aficionado."

Jack's virtually never used a pick, and I've never heard him use a flanger.

Sometimes even legends can be wrong.

I'd love to get lessons from Jack, but I could never afford it.

That looks like a white Fender pick shoved under the pickguard up by the E string...

What I got from Anthony Jackson's quote is that Casady was an influence on Jackson to go for his sound (Jackson's) no matter what.

John

TN WOODMAN · #15 02-20-2011, 07:47 PM

Jim Lauderdale is well thought of in the non mainstream side of Nashville which is about as far from the sanitized and manufactured image many perceive to be Nashville. Buddy Miller is another to watch as well.

sailri · #16 02-21-2011, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Lurker

.
...
In addition to Jack, Jorma, and Barry Mitterhoff (the mandolinist), they had a touring drummer named Skoota Warner (good drummer!) and Charlie Musselwhite, Jim Lauderdale, and some guy named George Smith who used to run the Saturday Night Live band.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBks7V3SzJo&feature=fvst

Hot Tuna!

Of course that George guy must have been pretty solid, he's the other guy in that bunch that along with Jack has a signature instrument named after him.......
http://www.fender.com/products/searc...tno=0118202806

edmidlifecrisis · #17 08-05-2011, 08:39 AM

Thread revival. I saw Hot Tuna play an acoustic set last night in Orlando. They were as tight and intense as I've ever seen them!! And I've seen them A LOT.

Unbelievable show. I play some Tuna tunes with a fingerpicking guitarist friend, and have deconstructed the bass lines on several of their songs. I heard them all last night and Jack's bass lines were COMPLETELY DIFFERENT on every one! And sounded great!. A lot of walking lines up and down with octaves and more use of the higher registers. Every solo and every song just sounded like perfection.

They continue to amaze. Even in the quieter acoustic gig setting, Jack was just burnin' last night.

martinmcfly · #18 08-05-2011, 08:43 AM

Do Jack's eyebrows still go up and down with every note?

floydman · #19 08-05-2011, 08:44 AM

I caught Hot Tuna's acoustic set at Floydfest in VA last week.
Up close I could see that the small wooden boxed tube amp on top of his Aguilar cab was an Alessandro. Jack sounded great as did the ensemble.

edmidlifecrisis · #20 08-05-2011, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by martinmcfly

Do Jack's eyebrows still go up and down with every note?

A resounding YES~~