ReZoom

Rock Hall of Famer Jorma Kaukonen was lead guitarist for the seminal '60s rock icon Jefferson Airplane. Together with Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead, Jorma and Jefferson Airplane defined the fertile San Francisco scene and consequently put a stamp on rock 'n' roll forever.

Like a lot of icons from that scene, the band is celebrating a 40th anniversary, specifically its most successful album, "Surrealistic Pillow." The record walked the fine line between pop, folk and psychedelic rock in such hit singles as "Somebody to Love"* and "White Rabbit"* and Kaukonen's acoustic showcase, "Embryonic Journey."* (*Click for song sample. You may need to download a free copy of RealPlayer first.)

With the end of Jefferson Airplane in '72, Kaukonen pursued a solo career and continued his longtime sideline band, Hot Tuna, with Airplane bassist and childhood friend Jack Casady. Today, Kaukonen, 66, and his wife Vanessa run Fur Peace Ranch, a guitar instruction camp in Southeastern Ohio that they began planning in 1989. The camp teaches wayward and hopeful guitarists throughout the year, with weekends typically booked months in advance.

His two most recent solo albums, Blue Country Heart (Sony) and Stars in My Crown (Red House) both feature Kaukonen in an acoustic setting. He recently played a gig for Apple and one of the perks was a free iPod. He wasted no time in filling it with some of his current and lifelong favorites.

My Music:

ReZoom: What new music are you listening to?

I just put this new Alison Krauss retrospective ("A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection"; Rounder) on the iPod. I've got Mary Chapin Carpenter's new album, "The Calling" (Zoë). I'm a huge fan of hers. I also have her last one, "Between Here and Gone" (Sony). I've also got Rosanne Cash's "Black Cadillac" (Capitol) on there.

What new releases are you listening to?

I just got the new Pam Tillis, "Rhinestoned" (Thirty Tigers). It's a real country album, which I like a lot. She does a duet with John Anderson ("Life Has Changed Us Around"*). It doesn't get more country than that.

What new music from older artists are you listening to?

I've got a bunch of old-timey (country music). Barry (Mitterhoff, Kaukonen's mandolinist in Hot Tuna) gave me this Charlie Poole collection ("You Ain't Talkin' to Me: Charlie Poole and the Roots of Country"; Sony Legacy). Great songs. And I've got a bunch of the Reverend's stuff also (Rev. Gary Davis; Kaukonen recorded several pieces by Davis, most recently "Preacher Picked the Guitar," a tribute to Davis written by singer-guitarist Roy Book Binder).

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