SternART
Sep-09-2004, 10:12am
I caught a good gig last weekend....Mystic Theater in Petaluma, CA....I've been a big Hot Tuna fan since the Jefferson Airplane days and that first Acoustic Hot Tuna album recorded at the Boarding House in Berkeley in 1969. I used to see them play electric at the Chateau Liberte down in the Santa Cruz mountains.....a club that only held about 100.......back in the days when they were wired to the gills, to the point they needed bottles of Wild Turkey on their amps to mellow them out between tunes. They really rocked hard in those days & mostly played halls like the Fillmore, so seeing them in a small club back then was a rare treat.
I thought it was cool that Sam Bush finally got to record with Jorma, on that last CD, since Sammy once told me he had adored that album & learned all the licks on guitar off of it. This was the first time I had seen "acoustic" Hot Tuna & with Barry sitting in for Sam on mando, it made it all the more interesting. BTW they told a joke Sam Bush had used at a gig......Sammy says " I'm all for same sex marriages.......once you say "I Do" you get the same sex the rest of your life" I understand Barry has been touring with Jorma since Sam has his own band.
Barry more than held his own, a few of his extended solos were the highlight of tunes...taking the tunes to peaks...... most notably on Hesitation Blues and on Good Shepherd. I'll bet he was listening to Volunteers back in the days I was too......He was in the trio without stepping on anyones toes & his blues rhythm blended nicely with Jack & Jorma. I'll tell ya Jack Cassidy is an incredible melodic bass player.......his solos were outstanding and Jorma has had that Rev Gary Davis fingerpicking style down for decades. I think those fellas are playing it straight these days.......and the music was awesome. First time I've seen them play sitting down though........they just came out & played like 2 hours before a break.......those guys always give you your moneys worth. I had only seen Mitterhoff once before at Wintergrass backing up Hazel Dickens.......he really got a chance to blow in this format. Good night for the mandolin. I'm really glad I went.
I thought it was cool that Sam Bush finally got to record with Jorma, on that last CD, since Sammy once told me he had adored that album & learned all the licks on guitar off of it. This was the first time I had seen "acoustic" Hot Tuna & with Barry sitting in for Sam on mando, it made it all the more interesting. BTW they told a joke Sam Bush had used at a gig......Sammy says " I'm all for same sex marriages.......once you say "I Do" you get the same sex the rest of your life" I understand Barry has been touring with Jorma since Sam has his own band.
Barry more than held his own, a few of his extended solos were the highlight of tunes...taking the tunes to peaks...... most notably on Hesitation Blues and on Good Shepherd. I'll bet he was listening to Volunteers back in the days I was too......He was in the trio without stepping on anyones toes & his blues rhythm blended nicely with Jack & Jorma. I'll tell ya Jack Cassidy is an incredible melodic bass player.......his solos were outstanding and Jorma has had that Rev Gary Davis fingerpicking style down for decades. I think those fellas are playing it straight these days.......and the music was awesome. First time I've seen them play sitting down though........they just came out & played like 2 hours before a break.......those guys always give you your moneys worth. I had only seen Mitterhoff once before at Wintergrass backing up Hazel Dickens.......he really got a chance to blow in this format. Good night for the mandolin. I'm really glad I went.