JORMA KAUKONEN
Ain’t In No Hurry
Red House 282

www.redhouserecords.com
 

Jorma Kaukonen is really in a serene place in his life now. He gets out and plays live as much as he wants to, sometimes with Hot Tuna, electric and acoustic, as well as solo, or as a duo with David Bromberg, or with Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams who also are part of the current Hot Tuna line-up. His playing is peak form (just saw a terrific Hot Tuna show in December 2014 as the proof). That inner peace and joy radiate from him as he plays. And he loves his time at his Fur Peace Ranch home in Ohio.

All that peace, joy and serenity is the core of his new solo album Ain’t In No Hurry. Jorma’s picking and singing throughout is wonderful. He gets some superb support from fellow Tuna members Barry Mitterhoff on mandolin, Teresa’s vibrant singing, and Larry on a bunch of different instruments. Bass man Jack Casady, Jorma’s oldest friend, even appears on one track. Effortless listening that can’t but make one smile.

The material is split between six covers, four originals and one “in between,” Woody Guthrie’s “Suffer the Children to Come Unto Me” with a new melody Larry and Jorma wrote. Two depression-era anthems “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” and “Brother Can You Spare a Dime” give the album a backdrop of recognition of the hard times so many people are enduring now. Thomas Dorsey’s grim “The Terrible Operation” dovetails into that theme. “Sweet Fern,” a waltz and love song, comes from the Carter Family canon. The title song “Ain’t In No Hurry” is by Irish fiddler Jim Eagen, and it suits Jorma perfectly.

Jorma’s own songs shine with hard-earned wisdom. “The Other Side of the Mountain” reflects the travails life throws at you, and is also a plea for tolerance and acceptance. “In MY Dreams” is a gentle, lovely, leisurely little love song sung to a life partner remembering all the good times shared and the notion “we never seem to age in our dreams.” “Bar Room Crystal Ball,” the one Casady plays on, is at seven-and-a-half minutes the longest track here. It is an evocation of good times and good company, and Teresa’s lilting voice buoys it. “Seasons in the Field” is a solo performance, and as a thoughtful look across the span of life a truly eloquent closer.

Ain’t In No Hurry is a warm hug of an album. If you have enjoyed Jorma Kaukonen’s work over the years whether with Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna or solo, you will love this one. Don’t be surprised if at year’s end Ain’t In No Hurry is one of my “Best of Year” selections. It is the first album of 2015 that strikes me as a truly great work.

— Michael Tearson