Acoustic fingerpicker
Jorma Kaukonen fiddled around with his country roots a bit in
Jefferson Airplane and dipped a little deeper while fronting
Hot Tuna, but his 2002 release,
Blue Country Heart, is his most summertime-afternoon, front-porch-pickin' album. The album is comprised of traditional country songs from the '30s and '40s popularized by legendary performers like Jimmy Rodgers, Jimmy Davis,
Gene Autry, and
the Delmore Brothers. The blue country band features contemporary acoustic virtuosos
Sam Bush on mandolin,
Jerry Douglas on dobro, bassist
Byron House, and Grammy-winner
Béla Fleck on banjo, backing
Kaukonen's nimble fingers and gruff vocals. The whole album carries an easygoing vibe throughout; whether
Kaukonen is waiting for a train, recounting his promiscuous tomcat, or escaping from a chain gang, his voice maintains a relaxed feel, and the "no overdubs" recording style gives it a real "living room jam" kind of sound. The recordings aren't flawless, but pretty close, and any brown notes and voice crackles only help to add to the down-home atmosphere, making for a warmly enjoyable listening experience. ~ Zac Johnson