Jorma Kaukonen – Stars In My Crown

“Who would have thought that life would be this good?” Jorma Kaukonen asks in the liner notes, written on his 66th birthday at his farm in Ohio. Apparently, he’s as surprised as anyone. On his Red House debut, Kaukonen augments his trademark mix of blues, rags and spirituals with a slate of original songs that reveal his current state of mind.

Kaukonen has always indulged his introspective singer-songwriter side, dating back to “Third Week In The Chelsea”, his touching farewell to Jefferson Airplane. His first solo album, 1974’s exquisite Quah, contained a number of compositions that surprised listeners with their depth and beauty. Yet he’s never sung anything quite like the gentle ballad that opens this disc: “Enjoy the moment God has granted, one more day to live,” he sings on “Heart Temporary”.

Lyrically, it’s quite a departure from the poignant, rueful “Genesis” (the requiem for a broken marriage that opened Quah), or, for that matter, from the pain and emptiness of “Chelsea”. Hearing him sing the lilting reggae standard “By The Rivers Of Babylon” alongside a children’s choir, it’s hard to imagine this is the same guy who’s been the target of 10,000 “Hot Fuckin’ Tuna!” chants.

Kaukonen can still turn a Lightnin’ Hopkins or Rev. Gary Davis cover with great feeling, and he delivers a couple of lightly swinging originals with charm and flair. A bluegrass-colored arrangement of Johnny Cash’s “The Man Comes Around” and his solo-fingerstyle showcase on Roy Book Binder’s “Preacher Picked The Guitar” also stand out.

Kaukonen has taken the archetypical Baby Boomer journey from urban Bohemian folkie to acid-rock icon, from jaded, snarling bluesman to contented, clear-eyed elder statesman. On Stars In My Crown, he shares his joy and his hard-won wisdom as he comes to grips with his mortality and spirituality.