Jorma Kaukonen
Album: Quah + Jorma
Label: Retroworld/Floating World
Tracks: 15 + 9
Website: http://jormakaukonen.com/

Jorma Kaukonen was, of course, the lead guitarist with those denizens of the San Francisco Psychedelic Scene, The Jefferson Airplane. In 1969, Ralph J. Gleason described him thus: " Like Clapton, Bloomfield and Garcia, he is one of the true experimenters in the new guitar field".

In 1973, after the Airplane had crash landed the previous year, Jorma began to start recording his first solo album ["Quah"] with fellow Airplane/ Hot Tuna buddy Jack Casady in the producer's chair. Originally, the album was supposed to be a duo album with Jorma's friend from college, Tom Hobson. However, Jorma's record label, Grunt, decreed that, for marketing purposes, it would be better if it was released as a Jorma solo album. Several tracks featuring Tom Hobson were omitted from the album, but have now been restored on this reissue as bonus tracks.

"Quah" was eventually released in 1974. Anyone expecting the electric acid-rock of the Airplane was in for a surprise because "Quah" is an entirely acoustic album, which showcases Jorma's virtuoso finger-picking guitar style on a selection of superb self-penned songs and ancient blues classics, by the likes of Rev. Gary Davis and Blind Arthur Blake. The prototype for this album was Jorma's "Embryonic Journey", which featured on The Airplane's second album "Surrealistic Pillow".

Of all the solo releases by members of The Airplane, "Quah" is [quite rightly] regarded as one of the best, if not the best.

Somewhat unexpectedly, three of the tracks ["Genesis", "Song For The North Star" and "Flying Clouds" ] feature full string arrangements by Tom Salisbury. These subtle arrangements add an extra dimension to what are already superb songs. The first two of these songs were written by Jorma at a time when he and his first wife Margareta were going through some marital problems and they have wonderfully thoughtful and reflective lyrics. "Flying Clouds" is an evocative song with images of sailing, in which Jorma's deft fingerpicking is beautifully complemented by the strings and a French horn.

Aside from his own songs, Jorma was [and is ] a masterful performer of country blues, particularly Piedmont style fingerpicking. Just listen to his versions of "Another Man Done Gone" and "Police Dog Blues", for example, and prepare to be amazed.

When "Quah" was released it ended with "Hamar Promenade", a stream of consciousness song which Jorma wrote in Norway and which features him playing several overdubbed guitar parts to great effect. However, on this CD release Retroworld have added a further four tracks, three of which feature Tom Hobson on vocals. The fourth "new" track is a great Jorma solo instrumental number "Lord Have Mercy". The CD is dedicated to Margareta and Tom.

Being released simultaneously with "Quah" is Jorma's second solo album "Jorma" which was released in 1979.This is a real "solo" album as it features just Jorma on vocals and guitar, albeit layers of overdubbed guitar. Jorma wrote seven of the nine songs, one of which was written by Spark Plug Smith ["Vampire Woman"]. The remaining [and last track] is a bizarre spoken-word piece by Finnish actor/musician Mauri Antero Numminen and it ends the album on a rather strange note, to say the least.

Whilst "Jorma" is a good album, the one to go for is "Quah" because it is quite superb.

Peter Cowley