Jefferson Airplane’s Jorma Kaukonen Announces 85th Birthday Tour Celebration
via TonyFranciosi / YouTube
Celebrating a Legendary Career
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Jorma Kaukonen is set to mark his 85th birthday with a special tour celebrating his decades-long career in rock and blues. Known for his influential work with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, Kaukonen’s upcoming run of shows will reflect the highlights of his storied musical life.
The career-spanning tour begins November 1 in Washington, D.C., and will continue through New York (Nov. 29), San Francisco (Dec. 5), and Denver (Dec. 13). Each performance promises to showcase the guitarist’s signature fingerstyle playing and deep roots in both folk and rock traditions.
Reunion With Hot Tuna Bandmates
For this milestone tour, Kaukonen will be joined by longtime Hot Tuna collaborator Jack Casady, marking another chapter in one of rock’s most enduring partnerships. They’ll also perform alongside Ross Garren on keys and Justin Guip on drums.
Several of Kaukonen’s musical friends will appear as special guests in select cities, including Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Jim Lauderdale, Steve Earle, Larry Campbell, and Bruce Cockburn. Each guest will bring their own sound to the stage, ensuring no two nights are exactly alike.
Fans can find full details about tickets and the lineup for each stop on JormaKaukonen.com.
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New Live Album: “Wabash Avenue”
In addition to the tour, Kaukonen will release a new live album titled Wabash Avenue, set for Record Store Day Black Friday on November 28. The album includes rare performances recorded in 1965, before his tenure with Jefferson Airplane, offering listeners a look at the musician’s early artistry and raw acoustic sound.
The release is being described as a tribute to Kaukonen’s beginnings as a solo performer, capturing the spark that led him to become one of the most respected guitarists of the 1960s counterculture movement.
A Life in Music
Since co-founding Jefferson Airplane in the mid-1960s, Kaukonen’s intricate guitar work helped define the San Francisco psychedelic rock sound. Later, with Hot Tuna, he continued to explore American blues and folk, building a dedicated following over the decades.
Now, at 85, Kaukonen shows no signs of slowing down. His upcoming tour and album release stand as reminders of a lifetime dedicated to music — and a chance for fans to celebrate with him in person.
