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Columbia Records has signed Jorma Kaukonen, founding member of the iconic '60s rock band Jefferson Airplane and the equally legendary (and still active) spinoff band Hot Tuna. A masterful fingerstyle guitarist and blues scholar steeped in the music of such Delta blues legends as Robert Johnson and Mississippi Fred McDowell, and the Piedmont style gospel player Rev. Gary Davis, Kaukonen will interpret the music of early white country artists on his first recording for the label.

"What we're talking about is an album of me doing period material from the 1930s and 1940s written by people like Jimmy Rodgers, Jimmy Davis and Gene Autry" says Kaukonen. "Besides me, the band will include Sam Bush on mandolin, Jerry Douglas playing dobro and Byron House playing bass. Needless to say, I'm pretty excited about recording with these guys."

Kaukonen plans to go into the studio with his crack crew of bluegrass all-stars in January, cutting the album live and direct to high fidelity stereo with no overdubs. "I'm thrilled about doing it that way as opposed to the brick-by-brick approach that is usually followed in the studio. It allows us a lot of spontaneity and with a lineup of musicians of this caliber, it should be a lot of fun."

Meanwhile, Kaukonen continues to perform acoustic duets with his Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna partner, bassist Jack Casady. The two began their musical association in Washington, D.C. during the late '50s in a garage band called the Triumphs. They were later reunited in San Francisco in 1965 in the Jefferson Airplane. Signed to RCA in 1966, the band debuted with Jefferson Airplane Takes Off and then rocked the world with 1967's Surrealistic Pillow , which featured their hits "White Rabbit" and "Somebody To Love." Jorma's ground-breaking acoustic piece "Embryonic Journey" was a highlight of that breakthrough recording. The Airplane went on to chart nine Top 20 albums before Jorma and Jack left the band in 1972 to pursue bluesier muse with Hot Tuna.

Jorma is also the founder, with his wife/manager Vanessa Lillian, of the Fur Peace Ranch Guitar Camp, situated on 119 acres in the beautiful rolling foothills of the Appalachian mountains in southeast Ohio. Aside from featuring such renowned players as Alvin "Youngblood" Hart, Rory Block, Arlo Guthrie, Chris Smither and G.E. Smith on its faculty, the Fur Peace Ranch Guitar Camp is also equipped with Jorma's Hillside Farms a 32 track studio where his last album, Too Many Years was recorded.

Jorma Kaukonen has performed and recorded in various incarnations of Hot Tuna for the last 30 years. Now, with his new work with Columbia Records, Jorma is set to open the next chapter in his distinguished career.

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