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My Life and Music
by Jorma Kaukonen
From the man who made a name for himself as a founding member and lead guitarist of Jefferson Airplane comes a memoir that offers a rare glimpse into the heart and soul of a musical genius - and a vivid journey through the psychedelic era in America.
"Music is the reward for being alive," writes Jorma Kaukonen in this candid and emotional account of his life and work. "It stirs memory in a singular way that is unmatched." In a career that has already spanned a half century - one that has earned him induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, among other honors - Jorma is best known for his legendary bands Jefferson Airplane and the still-touring Hot Tuna. But before he won worldwide recognition he was just a young man with a passion and a dream.
Been So Long is the story of how Jorma found his place in the world of music and beyond. The grandson of Finnish and Russian-Jewish immigrants whose formative years were spent abroad with his American-born diplomat father, Jorma channeled his life experiences - from his coming-of-age in Pakistan and the Philippines to his early gigs with Jack Casady in D.C. to his jam sessions in San Francisco with Jerry Garcia, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, and other contemporaries - into his art in unique and revelatory ways. Been So Long charts not only Jorma's association with the bands that made him famous but goes into never-before-told details about his addiction and recovery, his troubled first marriage and still-thriving second, and more. Interspersed with diary entries, personal correspondence, and song lyrics, this memoir is as unforgettable and inspiring as Jorma's music itself.
"Starred Review. A mesmerizing storyteller, Kaukonen delivers a memoir as intricate and dazzling as his music." - Publishers Weekly
"An honest personal portrait but also one where the author could have revealed more - and written less." - Kirkus
"A modern parable." - from the foreword by Grace Slick
"Jorma comes across as a real guy ... saying what he really did ... and how he actually feels ... kind of what you'd expect if you knew him ... but very unusual for a book ... they are seldom this honest or this good." - David Crosby
"Meet Jorma Kaukonen – genius guitarist of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, speed skater, diarist, lyricist, husband, father, teacher and storyteller. His Been So Long reads like his guitar playing sounds – sharp, and stinging mixed with sweet and gentle. Reading this book was like having him sitting next to you, whispering the story of his life in your ear." - Joel Selvin, Music Journalist and Author of Altamont:The Rolling Stones, The Hells Angels, and The Inside Story of Rock's Darkest Day
This information about Been So Long was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Jorma Kaukonen is one of the most highly respected interpreters of American roots music, blues, and Americana, and at the forefront of popular rock 'n roll. He is the founding member and guitarist of Jefferson Airplane and the still-touring Hot Tuna, and has recorded more than a dozen solo albums. He's a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and a Grammy nominee. Jorma and his wife Vanessa operate Fur Peace Ranch Guitar Camp, a center in Ohio for studying guitar and other instruments.
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