American guitarist Jorma Kaukonen was born in Washington, DC where, as a teenager, he and Jack Casady formed the band The Triumphs. During the 1960s, when he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, he took guitar lessons, played at coffee houses and performed with the famous Janis Joplin. In 1965, he along with Paul Kantner and Marty Balin formed a group called Jefferson Airplane, which shot to fame in 1967. Although never known for his songwriting and vocal chops, Kaukonen played a crucial part in the group's sound, especially on the tracks "Embryonic Journey," "Good Shepherd," "Third Week in the Chelsea" and "Trial by Fire." Jack Casady, who'd joined Jefferson Airplane as a bassist, formed Hot Tuna with Kaukonen in the late 1960s - an act which continued to perform long after Jefferson Airplane split in 1973. As a part of Hot Tuna, Kaukonen sang and played on numerous records. As a soloist, he released his debut album Quah in 1974. This was followed by the albums Jorma, Barbeque King and more. He also briefly reunited with Hot Tuna and Jefferson Airplane to play at their reunion tours. 2008-01-19 Sinai Free Synagogue, Mt. Vernon, NY became his first release of 2020 and was a compilation of his live sets.
