Two years after
Stars in My Crown, his Red House debut, guitarist
Jorma Kaukonen follows up that fine effort with what could be considered "Stars in My Crown, Pt. 2". This year's model finds the ex-
Jefferson Airplane and occasional
Hot Tuna guitarist plowing similar turf as on the previous release. He stays unplugged and covers forgotten gems from Delta bluesmen (
Mississippi John Hurt, his old fave
Rev. Gary Davis), country icons (
Merle Haggard), and adds some likeminded originals. It was recorded in
Levon Helm's Woodstock, NY home studio so naturally the ex-
Band member contributes his laid-back drums to a handful of tracks.
Kaukonen's somewhat nasal voice has deepened with age and makes a perfect counterpoint to these already warm, folksy-bluesy tunes. In this context the old blues standard "Trouble in Mind" nestles in perfectly, especially with
Helm's drums nudging the beat. Mandolinist
Barry Mitterhoff, also back from the last disc, takes the lead on many tunes, and it's the combination of his licks with
Kaukonen's acoustic picking that makes this album feel as comfortable as an old sweater on a chilly morning. Multi-instrumentalist/producer
Larry Campbell, who also produced and played on
Helm's 2007 successful comeback
Dirt Farmer, is the secret weapon here, adding fiddles and various stringed instruments to enhance the sound. The elegiac instrumental "A Walk with Friends," featuring
Campbell's crying pedal steel, stands out as one of the loveliest moments in
Kaukonen's storied career, right up there with
Hot Tuna's "Water Song." A jaunty version of the
Grateful Dead's "Operator" takes us back to the guitarist's San Francisco roots and also serves as a tender shout out to the departed
Ron "Pigpen" McKernan. A few
Kaukonen originals, such as the overlong closing "Simpler Than I Thought" aren't quite up to the high standards of the rest of the disc, but this is still a welcome addition to the guitarist's long discography and an indication that at almost 70, the gifted musician remains as vital as ever. ~ Hal Horowitz