Jorma Kaukonen was a founding member of two legendary bands, Jefferson Airplane and the still-touring Hot Tuna. A Grammy nominee who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, Jorma has left an indelible mark on rock music and was rated among Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Rock Guitarists, though he's also well-respected for his mastery of acoustic fingerstyle guitar. In the midst of an active performance schedule, Jorma operates Fur Peace Ranch Guitar Camp with his wife out of Pomeroy, Ohio. He is, for obvious reasons, the most requested instructor there.
Jorma performs as part of Hot Tuna Electric at the Wanee Musical Festival in Live Oak from Thurs., April 19 to Sun., April 21. He visits the Straz Center in Tampa as part of Hot Tuna Acoustic on Sat., July 14.
I had the pleasure of chatting with Jorma by phone this past week. Check out highlights from our conversation after the jump.
This article appears in Apr 12-18, 2012.