Within hours of guitar camp kicking off on a windy and wet April afternoon, I find myself sitting in a circle with 6 other guitarists including the great Jorma Kaukonen. We are in the rear of the beautifully echoing Fur Peace Station theatre on-site at Jorma’s Fur Peace Ranch just outside of Athens, OH in Meirge County.
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| Notice my right eyebrow is gone? |
After ninety of the most enjoyable minutes I ever had during that first session, a conch horn sounds (for lunch)…
The Captain (or JK as he is also called by his team that make
this guitar camp so terrific) rips off a two-minute lick so hot it burns my eyebrows clear off.
The guy sitting next to me from Southern California (who by the way is the son of the Polka Hall of Famer, Bill Seles) was drooling in awe. F-in Jorma just lit us up.
Jorma then has the gold plated balls to say to me, “It’s a snoot-load of stuff to learn, but you’ll get it. Let’s go eat.
We don’t want to get my wife mad for being late to lunch.”
It is in this positive, confident, and humble spirit that The Captain immediately puts every one at ease and erases any anxiousness of first-time guests (like myself). Jorma, et al., has created the ultimate creative playground for music/guitar junkies…a musical pilgrimage for those smitten with Jorma, Hot Tuna and finger-picking blues music.
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| The 16 students at Fur Peace Ranch this weekend were a diverse bunch. |
Like the bluesmen of the previous generation (Rev. Gary Davis in the case of Jorma) who made a steady (and respectable) income from teaching guitar and music to any who had the skills and a few bucks in their pocket, Jorma has embraced the idea of passing on what he knows to others.
In fact, over lunch that first day I talked with Jorma about The Band’s Garth Hudson (who I hear is quite the eccentric cat) and his need to charge his The Band bandmates a fee for formal music lessons.
BTW, comfort foods greatest stars (meat and strong coffee) are showcased at the Fur Peace Ranch kitchen meals. The delicious meatloaf, gravy and hot biscuits that day was an unexpected luscious treat. (Thumbs up to the plated meals.)
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Flanked by a white board, Jorma taught not only how to play certain songs, but also why he was playing certain notes and chord structures. He is as good a teacher as he is a performer.
With David Wolff (fellow Nyack-er and great guy), Jorma has provided detailed video of how to play his crazy finger-picking style.
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REWIND… driving up to the ranch, which is a few winding barn-laden country miles away from any highway, I get a deep sense that I am entering an enchanted land. There is no big neon sign or road posts… but I could feel the music emanating from the hills and trees as I traveled closer to ground zero.
For devil’s sake, you actually have to drive through Coolvile on the way to the Fur Peace Ranch (about 20 miles out) on Route 50 West.
I laughed out loud when I read the sign, then turned up the volume on the stereo (Magnolia Electric Co. was playing) and declared Meig County the “coolest” county in the US.
He then runs through “San Francisco Bay Blues” beginning to end like the guitar god that he is. I’m thinking this is awesome.
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| John Hurlbut shared a soulful “Fishin’ Blues” during the student performances |
Then he says, “but you could add these licks in and it will sound really cool.”
When Jorma says “check out this” or “here’s something cool” during the lesson we all knew we were in for a treat.
Jorma is the coolest guy I ever met and with the help of wife, Vanessa, and first mate, John Hurlbut, has created (for me and many other like-minded music men) one of the coolest places on Earth.
Three More Points…
Number 1 – One of the many things about Fur Peace Ranch that is so alluring is the ability to walk the grounds and pick up a robust music conversation with anyone and everyone you meet.
From the Turkish native who took classical music guitar lessons from Yes ax-man Steve Howe to the salty-haired folk singing Anne from Vermont who cashed in her stock options at the right time and now plays in a band…the people have an unspoken commonality that transends their cultural differences.
For example, as our group of merry guitarists is getting the do’s and don’ts on arrival… I introduce myself to a peculiar (in a good way) gent who looks just like a buddy of mine (D.T.) from Philly.
I ask him where are you from, he says “the desert” and smiles. Instead of providing further clarification as to the state or city in which he lays his head, he immediately tells me about sneaking on stage at the Winterland to see Jorma and Grace Slick back stage. We became immediate friends.
Number 2 – Another of the special moments at Jorma’s ranch is the Saturday night guest concert.
We had the pleasure of seeing the Desert Rose Band, led by Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers co-founder Chris Hillman (center) and backed by gypsy jazz guitar hero John Jorgenson (left) and well-respected bluegrasser Herb Pederson (right).
I loved hearing the stories of how Chris and Gram Parsons would write up a tune. Some from the Flying Burrito Brothers catalog tonight’s show included “Sin City” (click below) and “Wheels”.
The band’s rendition of 8 Miles High featured some lighting quick and inventive 12 string guitar and mandolin interplay.
I think the band was surprised how hot the jam got. The picture I snapped below of Chris Hillman mid-song was very telling. Sitting in the front row, we could all clearly see the joy this magical Jorma-ville land brought them too.
Number 3 – On the ranch grounds is a music library filled with music DVD, cassettes, books and all sorts of Jorma memorabilia.
This is not the type of place where people walk around with their heads down and nose glued to an iPhones. The library is a treasure trove of goodies…
The library is open for students to explore during downtime at the camp. Some “stuff” that caught my eye included these images below…
Closing thoughts…
In case you are not familiar with Jorma’s music or are jonesing to hear The Captain after hearing me yack on about the Appalachian musical wonderland, here are clips from some of my favorite Jorma songs…
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