Hot Tuna

  • San Francisco, CA
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  • Rock
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  • 1969
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About Hot Tuna

Official Site: http://hottuna.com/


Begun as an acoustic spinoff of the Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna eventually became the full-time focus of founding members Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen, emerging as a popular touring act of the 1970s. The two were lifelong friends, growing up together in Washington, D.C., and playing in the group the Triumphs. After high school, guitarist Kaukonen and his government-service parents relocated to the Philippines, but he returned to the U.S. in time for the advent of psychedelia, landing in San Francisco and co-founding the Airplane in 1965. Bassist Casady joined not long after, and together they helped lead the group to massive success during the late '60s.

Hot Tuna -- originally dubbed Hot Sh*t, much to the chagrin of their label, RCA -- first began taking shape in 1969, while both Casady and Kaukonen were still active members of the Jefferson Airplane; in fact, their first performances were sandwiched between regular Airplane gigs. As a trio rounded out by harmonica player Will Scarlet (and occasionally including Airplane members Marty Balin and Spencer Dryden), Hot Tuna debuted in 1970 with a low-key self-titled LP of traditional blues and ragtime recorded live at the New Orleans House in Berkeley; by the following year's more rock-inspired First Pull Up, Then Pull Down, their roster included violinist Papa John Creach, concurrently a full-time member of the Airplane, and drummer Sammy Piazza. Minus Scarlet, a third album, Burgers, appeared in 1972.

By the appearance of 1974's The Phosphorescent Rat, both Casady and Kaukonen had officially exited Jefferson Airplane; by this time Creach, who elected to remain with the Airplane, was no longer in the group. With 1975's America's Choice, Piazza too was gone, replaced by drummer Bob Steeler; Yellow Fever appeared that same year, with Hoppkorv following in 1976. Keyboardist Nick Buck signed on for 1978's Double Dose, but Hot Tuna subsequently announced their breakup, closing out the first phase of their career with 1979's Final Vinyl.

In the wake of the group's demise, Kaukonen released a solo LP, Jorma, and later joined the new wave unit Vital Parts; Casady also fronted a new wave group of his own, SVT. In 1984, both returned to their roots: Casady joined fellow Airplane alums Balin and Paul Kantner in the KBC Band, while Kaukonen reverted to the acoustic folk and blues of his formative years. Finally, Casady and Kaukonen played a handful of club dates under the Hot Tuna aegis, re-forming on a more concrete basis in 1986; by 1990, their ranks included singer/multi-instrumentalist Michael Falzarano, a veteran of many early reunion shows.

That year Hot Tuna released Pair a Dice Found, their first collection of new studio material in over a decade; a series of live releases followed, including 1992's Live at Sweetwater, 1997's Splashdown Two, and 1999's And Furthurmore.... In the years to follow, Hot Tuna continued to play several live shows a year in various configurations. A single-disc best-of from the RCA years, Keep on Truckin', was released in 2006. The group’s first studio album in 20 years, Steady as She Goes, recorded at Levon Helm's studio in Woodstock, New York, and produced by Larry Campbell, was released on Red House Records in 2011. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

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Photos

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  • Hot Tuna
    Scotty Hall

News

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  • Hot Tuna
    Red House Records Signs Hot Tuna
    American Songwriter
    From the press release: ST. PAUL, MN — Red House Records is very pleased to announce that they have signed iconic blues-roots band Hot Tuna to the lab...
    Read More
  • Hot Tuna
    Hot Tuna to Release Jorma's 70th Birthday Show on DVD
    www.jambands.com
    Hot Tuna will release a portion of guitarist Jorma Kaukonen's two-night 70th birthday celebration on DVD. The all-star celebration took place at New Y...
    Read More
  • Hot Tuna
    Hot Tuna Cancels Northwest Dates
    www.jambands.com
    Hot Tuna has cancelled a series of shows while Diana Casady, the wife of bassist Jack Casady, battles cancer. A statement from the band reads, "Jack C...
    Read More
  • Hot Tuna
    Jorma Kaukonen To Tour East Coast, Hot Tuna to Play Beacon
    www.jambands.com
    Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna guitarist Jorma Kaukonen will be performing a string of solo shows in the Northeast this October. He will be joined by...
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  • Hot Tuna
    Bill Kirchen, Larry Campbell, G.E. Smith And More To Play With Hot Tuna In NYC
    www.jambands.com
    Hot Tuna will be joined by a number of special guests at their annual holiday shows at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. Bill Kirchen, Bob Margolin...
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  • Hot Tuna
    Hot Tuna to Turn Beacon Show into a Rex Benefit
    www.jambands.com
    Hot Tuna have re-branded their December 1 performance at New York's Beacon Theatre as a virtual benefit for the Rex Foundation. The band was originall...
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  • Hot Tuna
    Plenty of Covers and Sit Ins at Hot Tuna Beacon Theatre Shows
    www.jambands.com
    Hot Tuna were joined by a number of special guests during their two-night run at the Beacon Theatre this past weekend. The band, which currently inclu...
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  • Hot Tuna
    Hot Tuna Confirm Acoustic and Electric Dates
    www.jambands.com
    "Hot Tuna" have announced a bunch of electric and acoustic dates for the winter and summer of 2013. The blues rockers will get started with a run of A...
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  • Hot Tuna
    Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Son Volt, Hot Tuna, Keller Williams, Jorma Kaukonen & Steve Kimock, Antibalas and More Set For Clearwater Festival
    www.jambands.com
    Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Son Volt, Hot Tuna (Acoustic), Jorma Kaukonen & Steve Kimock and Antibalas are among the acts slated to appear at Pete S...
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  • Hot Tuna
    The Doobie Brothers, Hot Tuna, Soulive, Dark Star Orchestra, Infamous Stringdusters, Amy Helm and More Confirmed for Great South Bay Music Festival
    www.jambands.com
    Ancient Tongue, Soundswell, Butchers Blind, Musaic, Jamie Bendel, Rebecca Pearl, Funknasty, Patent Pending, LOFI 3, Beyond Belligerent, Vanilla Ghost ...
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Tour Dates

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  • Jun 6 Thursday
    Durham, NC, US Carolina Theatre
    Buy Ticket
  • Jun 7 Friday
    Atlanta, GA, US Variety Playhouse
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  • Jun 9 Sunday
    Charlottesville, VA, US Jefferson Theater
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  • Jun 11 Tuesday
    Annapolis, MD, US Rams Head Tavern on Stage
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  • Jun 13 Thursday
    Alexandria, VA, US Birchmere
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  • Jun 14 Friday
    Glenside, PA, US Keswick Theatre
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  • Jun 18 Tuesday
    Somerville, MA, US Somerville Theatre
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  • Jun 19 Wednesday
    Bethel, NY, US Bethel Woods Center For The Arts
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  • Jun 20 Thursday
    Bethel, NY, US Bethel Woods Center For The Arts
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  • Jun 21 Friday
    Albany, NY, US Swyer Theater, The Egg
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  • Jun 22 Saturday
    Norwalk, CT, US Concert Hall
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  • Jul 20 Saturday
    New Brunswick, NJ, US State Theatre
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  • Jul 22 Monday
    Ocean City, NJ, US Ocean City Music Pier
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  • Jul 25 Thursday
    Floyd, VA, US FloydFest
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  • Jul 25 Thursday
    Stroudsburg, PA, US Sherman Theater
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  • Jul 26 Friday
    Harrisburg, PA, US Whitaker Center
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  • Nov 29 Friday
    Syracuse, NY, US Palace Theater
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Discography

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  • Steady as She Goes (2011)
    Hot Tuna
    Steady as She Goes (2011)
    Red House Records
  • Live at New Orleans House, Berkeley, CA 09/69 (2010)
    Hot Tuna
    Live at New Orleans House, Berkeley, CA 09/69 (2010)
    Collectors' Choice Music
  • And Furthurmore... (1999)
    Hot Tuna
    And Furthurmore... (1999)
    Arista Records
  • Live in Japan: At Stove's Yokohoma City 02/20/97 (1998)
    Hot Tuna
    Live in Japan: At Stove's Yokohoma City 02/20/97 (1998)
    Relix
  • Splashdown Two (1997)
    Hot Tuna
    Splashdown Two (1997)
    Relix
  • Trimmed and Burning (1995)
    Hot Tuna
    Trimmed and Burning (1995)
    Edsel - (UK)
  • Live at Sweetwater 2 (1993)
    Hot Tuna
    Live at Sweetwater 2 (1993)
    Relix
  • Live at Sweetwater (1992)
    Hot Tuna
    Live at Sweetwater (1992)
    Relix
  • Pair a Dice Found (1990)
    Hot Tuna
    Pair a Dice Found (1990)
    Epic
  • Historic Hot Tuna (1985)
    Hot Tuna
    Historic Hot Tuna (1985)
    Relix
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