Three gigs of the famed Hot Tuna band are culled together on this mini-box set; have a seat and take it in.
There are two discs of concerts from Mill Valley, CA’s Sweetwater. The first is a 1992 acoustic set of then-new material with guests Pete Sears/key, Bob Weir/g, Wavy Gravy/voc and Maria Muldaur/voc along with Jorma Kaukonen/voc-g, Jack Casaday/b and Michael Falzarano/voc-g-mand. There’s a fun take of Bob Dylan’s “Maggie’s Farm” with Weir joining in. The strings simmer on Rev. Gary Davis’ “Great Change” and the home spun read of Jelly Roll Morton’s “Whinin’ Boy Blues”. Back porch beauties.
Disc number two is a year later in release, of the same night, with the band of Kaukonen, Casady , Falzarano, Weir, Sears, Muldaur, Happy Traum/voc-g, Bobaloo/b and Keith Corssan/sax sounding just as energized as before, with a fun take of “Ain’t Got No Home” with Happy Traum, and a sizzling “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl” with Weir. The team sounds riveting on “Folsom Prison Blues” and hip for Mose Allison’s Parchman Farm”.
Last but not least is the ’98 show in Japan with Kaukonen, Casady, Falzarano/g, Sears/key and Harvey Sorgen/dr added for extra swing. Kaukonen and Casady are in a finger picking good mood on “Walking Blues”, “Uncle Sam Blues” and “Let’s Get Together” , with originals like “Mann’s Fate” and “Third Week In The Chelsea” like a stroll through the Cumberland Gap.
Americana in sound