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| Jorma Kaukonen, Susan Tedeschi, and Derek Trucks @ the Masonic (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
Jorma Kaukonen's 85th birthday celebration swung into SF Masonic for a hometown gig on Friday night with the Hot Tuna / Jefferson Airplane founding guitarist playing to a more than sold out crowd as he was joined onstage by family and friends in a loving tribute to his legacy.
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| Jorma Kaukonen & Jay Blakesberg @ the Masonic (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
The night began with iconic rock photographer Jay Blakesberg presenting Kaukonen with a certificate from San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie proclaiming December 5, 2025, as "Jorma Kaukonen Day" in The City. Blakesberg shared the story of how he acquired his 1978 image by tracking Kaukonen to a restaurant and getting the more than wide-eyed Jorma to turn to the camera and smile. The intro was more than fitting given Blakesberg's 47-year history since of capturing Jorma in various phases.
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| Jorma Kaukonen @ the Masonic (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
After giving a standing ovation, the crowd settled back into their seats for an acoustic night that featured soft and intricate playing throughout- starting with a solo Jorma interpretation of his "Song for the North Star." Throughout most of the night, you could hear a pin drip inside the stone hall and any and all conversations seemed to be pushed to the halls outside the theater's bowl. Other than rapturous applause following nearly every of the 17 jam-filled songs - only the occasional shout of "We love you Jorma" or request were heard throughout the performance.
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| Peter and Jorma Kaukonen @ the Masonic (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
"In music, everyone calls each other 'Bro'", Jorma told the crowd as he welcomed his first guest. "But in this case, he really is." Jorma's brother, Peter Kaukonen joined him for an acoustic guitar duo on "How Long Blues" and "Fair & Tender Ladies." John Hurlbut then followed Peter's exit to join Jorma for another pair of mesmerizing acoustic guitar covers with Roger McGuinn's "Ballad of Easy Rider" and Dylan's "I'll Remember You."
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| Jack Casady & Jorma Kaukonen @ the Masonic (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
The crowd erupted in a long-standing ovation as longtime Airplane and Hot Tuna bassist Jack Casady was introduced and joined on bass – along with Hot Tuna drummer Justin Guip and harmonica player Ross Garren. Casady had been forced to bow out of Jorma's recent concert at Carnegie Hall due to a health issue, but seemed to have more than bounced back as he spent nearly the entire night on stage with his electric bass.
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| Jorma Kaukonen & Susan Tedeschi @ the Masonic (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
After they'd played Jorma's "Flying Clouds", legendary Susan Tedeschi (Tedeschi Trucks Band) was joined for one of two stage appearances on the night. Following a rollicking "Uncle Sam Blues", Jorma turned to Tedeschi and jokingly remarked "If I could play like that I coulda' been someone."
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| Sam Grisman & Jorma Kaukonen @ the Masonic (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
Mill Valley's Sam Grisman (son of legendary mandolinist David Grisman) had multiple impressive turns on his upright bass throughout the night – supplementing Casady's electric bass in the various group formations. Grisman's smiling and energetic stage presence (often seen in the Bay Area with his Sam Grisman Project) makes him hard to take your eyes off. With this wide smile throughout the night and kinetic motion despite his instrument's immobility, Grisman is a natural band leader and took over vocal duties on both "Jimmie Brown the Newsboy" and the murder ballad "Poor Little Ellen."
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| Jorma Kaukonen & friends @ the Masonic (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
Though he often consulted with Casady on this night, Grisman's stage command is unescapable. Indeed, whenever he tried to walk off, Jorma would beckon him back on with a "Don't Go Anywhere, Sam." This led to one of the night's funniest moments when Grisman tried to exit the stage and had to bring the setlist to Jorma's attention before he finally could wrestle his way away as Jorma told the crowd, "Hold on a second. We are having a band meeting."
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| Bruce Cockburn & Jorma Kaukonen @ the Masonic (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
Bruce Cockburn next came to the stage and delivered heart-wrenching versions of "Pacing The Cage" and "O Sun By Day O Moon By Night". The longtime San Francisco resident's guitar and voice were stunning on a night that was filled with terrific guitars and vocals. Though physically slowed at 80, his talents seemed to have only deepened with the years.
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| Derek Trucks @ the Masonic (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
The moment many had no doubt waited for came next as both Susan Tedeschi and husband Derek Trucks came to the stage to join Jorma for the last four songs of the main set. Their version of Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" provided the greatest highlight of the night with SF Masonic's walls providing the perfect acoustics for Tedeschi to belt out the lyrics and the intimate guitar-playing of both she and Trucks. Indeed, Trucks played the entire night in true acoustic style with his guitar strumming going into a microphone rather than being plugged in with any type of cord.
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| Jorma Kaukonen & friends @ the Masonic (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
The group was joined with a return to the stage by most of the night's performers for a final version of Airplane's "Good Shepherd" that featured a great harmonica solo by Garren and a fierce display of bass by Casady. After the full group stood to take in the crowd's appreciation, the stage was left to only Jorma and Casady for a quite rendition of Hot Tuna's "Water Song" to close out the night.
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