Hot Tuna

This US group represented the combination of two members of the Jefferson Airplane, Jack Casady (b. 13 April 1944, Washington DC, USA; bass) and Jorma Kaukonen (b. 23 December 1940, Washington DC, USA; guitar/vocals). The group evolved as part-time extension of the Airplane with Kaukonen and Casady utilizing the services of colleagues, Paul Kantner (guitar) and Spencer Dryden (drums) and other guests, displaying their talents as blues musicians. Stage appearances were initially integrated within the Airplane's performances on the same bill. During one of the Airplane's rest periods, the duo began to appear in their own right, often as a rock trio with then Airplane drummer, Joey Covington. Having the name Hot Shit rejected, they settled on Hot Tuna and released a self-titled debut as a duo, with a guest appearance from harmonica player, Will Scarlet. The set was drawn largely from traditional blues/ragtime material by Jelly Roll Morton and the Rev. Gary Davis, with Casady's booming and meandering bass lines interplaying superbly with Kaukonen's fluid acoustic guitar. By the time of their second album, another live set, they were a full-blown rock quartet with the addition of violinist Papa John Creach and Sammy Piazza on drums. This line-up displayed the perfect combination of electric and acoustic rock/blues that Casady and Kaukonen had been looking for. Creach had departed by the time THE PHOSPHORESCENT RAT was recorded, and Piazza, who had left to join Stoneground was replaced by Bob Steeler in 1974. The music became progressively louder, so that by the time of their sixth album they sounded like a rumbling heavy rock traditional ragtime blues band. Kaukonen's limited vocal range added to this odd concoction, but throughout all this time the group maintained a hard-core following. In the late '70s the duo split, resulting in Casady embarking on an ill-advised excursion into what was perceived as ‘punk’ with SVT. Kaukonen continued with a solo career combining both electric and acoustic performances. At best Hot Tuna were excitingly different, at worst they were ponderous and loud. Selected stand-out tracks from their erratic repertoire were Mann's Fate from HOT TUNA, Keep On Truckin’ and Sea Child from BURGERS, Song From The Stainless Cymbal from HOPPKORV, and Hit Single #1 from AMERICA'S CHOICE. Casady and Kaukonen reunited in 1991 with a workmanlike album which found little favour with the record buying public.