By 1974, Jefferson Airplane guitarist Jorma Kaukonen had already started on his own path with his blues-rock side project, Hot Tuna, but with the Airplane's final flight behind him, he moved definitively beyond electrified psychedelic rock with his first solo album, QUAH. Most of the album is just Jorma and his acoustic guitar, and while this sparse format is ostensibly similar to some of the later Hot Tuna releases, it focuses much more on folk-tinged singer-songwriter balladry than on the country blues favored by Tuna. Those familiar with Jorma's Airplane ballads, such as "Good Shepherd," will recognize the sensibility at work here. Of course, there are some tracks where Jorma showcases his mastery of blues fingerpicking, and even some of the most overtly folkie tracks bear a bluesy tinge, but on the whole, QUAH is of a piece with the troubadour movement that was still all the rage in the mid-'70s.
Recorded at Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco, California between 1972 & 1974. Originally released on Grunt (BFL1-0209). Includes liner notes by Jeff Tamarkin.
Personnel: Jorma Kaukonen (vocals, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar); Tom Hobson (vocals, acoustic guitar); Daniel Kobialka, Anne Kish, Mischa Myers, Eva Karasik, Carl Pedersen, Nathan Rubin, Tom Haplin (violin); Edward Neff (fiddle); Mary Jo Ahlborn, Don Ehrlich, Miram Dye, Thomas Heimberg, Nancy Ellis (viola); Teressa Adams, Melinda Ross (cello); Arthur Krehbiel (French horn).
Liner Note Author: Jeff Tamarkin.
Recording information: Wally Heider's, San Francisco, CA (02/12/1973-05/20/1974).
Photographer: Jim Marshall .
Arranger: Jorma Kaukonen.
Personnel: Jorma Kaukonen (vocals, acoustic, electric & 12-string guitar); Tom Hobson (vocals, acoustic guitar); Tom Salisbury (arranger, conductor); Gene Tortora (dobro); Nathan Rubin, Thomas Halpin, Daniel Kobialka, Carl Pederson, Eva Karasik, Anne Kish, Mischa Myers (violin); Nancy Ellis, Miriam Dye, Mary Jo Ahlborn, Thomas Heimberg (viola); Melinda Ross (cello); Arthur Krebiel French horn).
Entertainment Weekly (2/21/03, p.150) - "...The music encompasses glistening instrumentals, bucolic blues covers, and a few of Kaukonen's own square-jawed ballads..." - Rating: A
One of the finast acoustic guitar recordings available Jorma Kaukonen, unheard,underrated and certainly unknown to most! This recording showcases the talent of this great guitarist! Songs GENESIS, I'LL BE ALRIGHT and POLICE DOG BLUES display his instramental and vocal prowess.Increadable from start to finish.A must have!!! Submitted by sgl1117 (West Milford, N.J.) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo 2 of 2 found this helpful.
Quah! amazing album, very very well done. Submitted by marana (NorCal, CA USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
A Must Have If you like Jefferson Airplane and all that Jorma contributed to that group, be prepared to be taken to the next level. This is an unequaled masterpiece. I had it on vinyl and it's sounds even sweeter remastered and on CD; and the bonus tracks don't hurt either. Jorma has to be one of the most underrated and oft unreckognized guitarist/singer/songwriter... You can't miss with this CD. Submitted by bj (Wallingford, CT, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
A Long Time Coming Recognition for Jorma Kaukonen is long overdue. He never received enough credit for the flight of Jefferson Airplane, despite lending his voice to Good Shepard and his guitar virtuosity to the instrumental Embryonic Journey. Jorma put the fire into the three man jams of Hot Tuna, but the band never moved beyond cult status. His solo effort Quah quickly went out of print and I spent years searching for it in the cutout bins. The wait is over and it was worth it! Jorma scores here with the bittersweet folk of Genesis, the country gospel of I Am the Light of the World, the psychadelia of Hamar Promenade and a handful of blues tunes. In addition to the tasty guitar licks, his voice has a unique ethereal tone. Check out Quah and you'll understand what I'm raving about. Submitted by Riff (St. Louis, MO, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Excellent Jorma I've always enjoyed listening to Jorma, whether solo, with Jack Cassidy or with a full-band version of Hot Tuna. As a guitarist, he's unequaled. Over the years, he's even managed to work his vocal ability to a respectable level. A live Jorma performance is always a treat. But this studio recording is exceptional. I bought the original CD release when it was first issued, so I don't know about the quality of the 4 extra tracks. But, if they're equal to the other tracks, this is probably the finest of any of Jorma's (Hot Tuna, etc.) releases. Pick it up. And if you get a chance, go see Jorma live. You will enjoy. Submitted by a reviewer (Shrewsbury, PA, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
One of the finast acoustic guitar recordings available
Quah!
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