Cindy Cashdollar, Barry Mitterhoff, Jody and Jorma
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Well, it's a Friday and it's a tough job that I have, because I have to be here with Jorma Kaukonen playing live music in the studio with Barry Mitterhoff on mandolin and Cindy Cashdollar on, I believe, dobro over there. Some sort of slide instrument. And it's your tough job, because you've got to hang out with us. Sometimes we're blessed.
Jorma Kaukonen plays tonight at the Cactus Café, the second of two nights. His latest album is nominated for a Grammy . It's called "Blue Country Heart". We'll find out all about it. But right now, hear all about it. 107.1 KGSR, Jorma Kaukonen.
SONG: BLUE RAILROAD TRAIN
Q: Unbelievable. Jorma Kaukonen. 107.1 KGSR. Cindy Cashdollar on the dobro. And Barry Mitterhoff on the mandolin. Blue Railroad Train is the first song on Jorma's new album, "Blue Country Heart". I remember reading, Jorma, before the album came out that you were going to be on Columbia Records and making a Bluegrass record.
A: What a shocker. Well, it's not exactly a Bluegrass record, because I'm not a Bluegrass guitar player. It's sort of, in some respects, a rigid art form. But it certainly is Bluegrass-esque.
Q: And now, it just makes so much sense to me, having lived with the record for a while, that it just sounds like a Jorma record to me.
A: Right. Well - and that's very astute. I mean, I feel exactly the same way. People say, "How did you get here from there" and all that kind of stuff. I go, "It's just me."
Q: It's what you do.
A: Yeah.
Q: On the record, you were doing it with folks like Sam Bush and Jerry Douglas and Bela Fleck. And some fine players here today. In fact, Cindy, who we know right here from Austin, Texas, and playing with folks like Asleep at the Wheel. And Barry, I'm not -- I'm not -- I don't know who Barry is. Barry, who are you?!
A: (Barry) I'm me, Jody. I've worked in a lot of Bluegrass bands and played in Austin a bunch with Tony Trishka and Skyline and a couple of other bands and thinks like that.
Q: Well, I mean, it's a string-player's paradise in this room right now. You guys just sound like you've got a synergy going. Have you been on the road for a while?
A: Actually, we're into our fourth week here on this trip. If you mean are we starting to get goofy, the answer is, yes.
Q: Good, that can only be more fun for the folks at the Cactus Café tonight. Congratulations on your Grammy nomination.
A: Thank you.
Q: Best Traditional Folk album is the category that Jorma's album has been nominated in. Have you won a Grammy before?
A: I've never had anything to do with the Grammys before, except watching them on TV. This is great.
Q: That's amazing to me, with all the, you know, work that you've done. I guess the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame, though, is more of an appropriate place, because that's where you do reside.
A: Right. I'm a partial resident of the -- that's true. (Laughter). And I'm thrilled with that also. I mean, I have to admit, you know, you stay in the business a long time and you don't get into the music business to win awards. That's not what motivates you. But if they come along, it sure is nice. And, you know, I can go to Cleveland and go to the gift shop and get the inductee's discount for Christmas presents and stuff, so that's good.
Q: There is a benefit!
A: Absolutely.
Q: Now, you mentioned Cleveland. You make your home in Ohio?
A: I'm in southeast Ohio, yeah.
Q: And tell me a bit about the Fur Piece Ranch that you and your wife --
A: Right, the old Fur Piece. Well, we have a 119-acre farm there. And basically, it's a sort of a weekend residential music facility. Cindy's taught there. Barry will be there this year. We have all sorts of people. Another one of your Austonians (sic), Steve James, has been there a number of times. And, you know, we have all sorts of people there. And Guy Clark, all sorts of people. And we have a really great time. And the weekends last from Friday morning till Monday morning. And we're open -- actually, we're starting -- we're opening in two weeks. And we're open from February through November now.
Q: So when you're not on the road, you're at the ranch?
A: You bet, absolutely.
Q: And it books up pretty quick, from what I understand.
A: Actually, it's exceeded our wildest expectations. A lot of it has to do with what we do. And a lot of it owes a huge debt of gratitude to the Internet phenomenon. But we're almost sold out for this year already.
Q: JormaKaukonen.com is one place you can find out more about the Fur Piece Ranch. And is it sort of like if someone out there is listening going "God, these guys are just playing so great, I wish I could just do -- you know, get in the ballpark with them." You try to help players?
A: Right. I mean, you know, we try to -- when somebody wants to come to the ranch, we try to get them in a class so they won't be intimidated and just depressed because it's over their heads. But ultimately, nothing is over anybody's head. I mean, I took Cindy's steel guitar workshop last year. And so I know what it's like to struggle myself. So I try not to... you know, we try to make it unintimidating.
A: (Cindy) But he was the star pupil, though, I've got to say.
A: Oh, bless you.
A: (Cindy) He really was. Lots of gold stars on the report card for him.
Q: And your memorabilia, I'd imagine from the last close to 40 years you've collected a lot of stuff.
A: We have tons of stuff and it's on the walls. And it's almost like one of these theme restaurants where they have pictures of old cars and stuff. Only instead of a car it's me.
Q: I was trying to think of a snappy name for the place. You know, the Jorma Café. But actually, you have a name.
A: Yeah, we have a little restaurant there. It's named after my mom. It's the Beatrice Love Kitchen. And my mom, God rest her soul, she wasn't a great cook, but she was a great mom and she did donate some money before she passed away to building the kitchen. So it's the Beatrice Love Kitchen.
Q: Oh, man. That's a good thing. It's the Fur Piece Ranch Guitar Camp we're talking to Jorma Kaukonen about it. It's in Ohio. You can find out more on Jorma's website or give us a call later at 390-KGSR. Jorma's here with Cindy Cashdollar and Barry Mitterhoff. Tonight they have they second night at the Cactus Café. And Jorma's album -- his latest one -- is "Blue Country Heart". Do you want to do another one from the album or --
A: Well, actually, I thought we'd do another one from a recently re-released album. And RCA has re-released "Quah", which I'm sort of excited about. Thirty-two years goes by in a blink of an eye, you know. And we're going to do a little instrumental off that. And then if there's time, we'll do another "Blue Country Heart" song for you. This is a little instrumental thing. It's called I'll Let You Know Before I Leave. And Barry has switched from mandolin to his vintage tenor guitar for this one.
SONG: I'LL LET YOU KNOW BEFORE I LEAVE |
Blue Railroad Train, as performed on KGSR