ARTS
The Michigan Daily
Monday, November 9, 1987
Page 7
Kaukonen plays
By Beth Fertig
While cruising down San
Francisco's Fulton Street last month
on a brief weekend trip, my cab
driver pointed out the famous
Victorian mansion where the
Jefferson Airplane lived during the
Haight-Ashbury heydey. "It's that
one on the right," he said, happily
displaying his knowledge of his city
and its pop culture. "They've painted
it white, since. You know, I'm good
friends with Jorma... he lives in
New York, now..."
Whether of not the cabbie is
friends with Jorma Kaukonen, the
one-time Jefferson Airplane guitar-
ist, is another matter. But he was
definitely right about the house. And
he was also up-to-date on
Kaukonen's current career as a solo
guitarist.
Of course, Jorma Kaukonen is
still best known these days for his
work with the Jefferson Airplane.
The Airplane were the prototypical
'60s band. Kaukonen formed the
band in 1965 with Marty Balin and
Paul Kanter; he named it after the
mythical blues artist "Blind Thomas
'Dipper'
are well
traveled
By Brian Bonet
Big Dipper are the California
Angels of rock 'n' roll - a grungy,
bunch of traveled !veterans hitting
the road with their multi-influenced
skills and wisdoms. They are a
promising new band whose three
veteran members are as old as our
uncles, but manage to maintain
honest, adolescent insight
Here's a brief scouting report on
this Boston based, Homestead
1 contingent: Big Dipper bassist Sam
Michener has worn as m a n y
uniforms as Doyle Alexander. The
43 year old is a former member of
the Volcano Suns, Dumptruck, and
Procol Harum. Guitarist Gary
Waleik, 38, was also a former Sun,
and youngster Bill Goffrier played
guitar for the significant but often
overlooked hardcore assembly, the
Embarrassment. Rounding out the
line up is Drummer Jeff Oliphant,
32, who used to pound for Concord,
MA hardcore staples, XS.
The result is a mixture of passed
bands; most notably the Volcano
Suns' sincerity, Dumptruck's guitar
See DIPPER Page 8
p1 I
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beyond
Jefferson Airplane." With their tie
dyes, amoeba paisleys, light shows,
and flower power, the Airplane were
at the forefront of San Francisco's
Summer of Love. They were
commercially successful, too. They
signed with a major label and bought
a 17-room house on Fulton Street
where they partied with friends and
played free concerts in the street.
But the Airplane could only "love
one another" for so long, and
eventually lost their steam soon as
the last of the '60s hallucinogens
wore off in a colorful, kaleidoscopic
burst. Jorma Kaukonen saved face,
and gracefully bowed out - while
the Jefferson Starship and the
Starship of today followed, as Grace
Slick continued to belt out the tunes
(despite her ever-weakening ties to
her hippie image of the past). From
1972-'78, Kaukonen played guitar
with Hot Tuna, and then delved into
several other projects which have
carried him along to this day..
Kaukonen's most consistent work
since Hot Tuna has been as a solo
performer. He's released several
albums and has gone back to his
roots, concentrating on much of the
music that he started off with as a
'Airplane'
self-taught, acoustic player in
Washington D.C. With a musical
palette of bluegrass, folk, blues, and
rock, he's perfected the art of
acoustic hand-picking, with a plastic
thumbpick and two metal
fingerpicks. In the mid '80s he
started teaching others this skill,
working with masters classes at New,
York's New School.
Kaukonen's theories about
teaching seem to adequately sum up
his attitude towards his career. In a
1985 interview with Guitar Player
Magazine, he said, "Even when
you're learning a song, no matter
how egregious the mistake, you've
just got to play on. You can't stop,
you can't slow down, you can't
fault. You just carry on."
JORMA KAUKONEN and his
acoustic guitar will be at the Ark
tonight. Showtime is 8 p.m., and
tickets are $10.
IceNICKELBY'S
620 Briarwood Circle
761-3663
Nicke/bv s New
Haoow Hour
500 Draft Beers
$2.95 Pitchers
$1.00 Well drinks
$1.00 House wine
Soup & Salad Bar
AET.$2.49
SATELLITE TV
Jorma Kaukonen has left his past behind for a solo career or
acoustic, intricately guitar-picked song writing.
Call your mummy
You remember. She was
always there when you were
frightened. And if you got
hurt, she was standing by
with bandages. Wouldn't it
feel good to talk to your
mother again right now?
Calling over AT&T Long
Distance Service probably
costs less than you think, too.
And if you have any questions
about AT&T rates or service,
a customer service repre-
sentative is always standing
by to talk to you. Just call
1 800 222-0300.
Sure, your schoolwork and
your friends keep you busy.
But call home and find out
what she's wrapped up in.
- ~y
VE©C©OMDNG HE
a UC L TD
WORLD PEACE
A series of informal
discussions addressing
the issues vital to the
achievement of a
lasting WORLD PEACE.